Upgrade Your PC: What to Watch Out for in 2021!
Upgrading your PC made easy: Retrofitting your personal computer
In contrast to the console, you can upgrade your PC. So if your desktop computer has lost some of its speed, it doesn’t have to be a new one.
Does it take more than 30 seconds for the PC to boot and for your programs to be ready to start?
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Do you want to enjoy big computer games again and still have space on the SSD or hard drive? Then you have exactly two options:
1, You buy a new computer with top hardware for a lot of money – and mentally make friends with the fact that you need a new PC every few years when things are always going well.
Those who have a modern graphics card these days can be happy. Everyone else has to invest a lot of money in the image maker when you upgrade your PC.
2. Or you can upgrade your computer – for significantly less money.
The gaming PCs in detail
Replacing hard disks, processors , RAM or graphics cards is often sensible and cheaper than buying a new computer, but the effort is kept within limits.
Admittedly, graphics cards are one of those things in 2021:
The mining hype and the corona pandemic have caused a worldwide chip shortage.
The result: graphics cards are either sold out or only available from scalpers at moon prices .
If you don’t necessarily need a new graphics card, you should be patient.
At the end of the year, the situation could calm down: the popular one Ethereum mining , which requires the use of graphics cards, is very likely to lose profitability and graphics cards are flooding the second-hand market.
Upgrade PC: What do I need for it?
In addition to a screwdriver, an alcohol solution and some thermal compound, only a little skill is required.
Only the replacement of the processor and motherboard (mainboard) is slightly more complicated, but requires no engineering degree.
Before you start replacing components, find out which parts you need.
Not every graphics card or processor will fit every motherboard.
If in doubt, refer to the manufacturer’s website for information on the exact specifications of the components.
If you do not know exactly what is in your PC, use diagnostic tools.
They quickly provide information about the inner workings of the PC.
Upgrade your PC: Target where things get stuck
You will save a lot of money if you take targeted remedial action where things get stuck: If the patient drives up at a snail’s pace, an SSD for 100 dollars often helps them get back on their feet.
The fun of playing comes back with a strong graphics card and if you often work with many programs open at the same time, you can get your software arsenal up to speed with at least 16 gigabytes of RAM (from 80 euros).
Upgrade PC: graphics card
Gamers in particular cannot avoid a powerful graphics card, as modern 3D games demand a lot from the graphics processor (GPU).
Before buying a graphics card, make sure that your power supply has enough power for the card.
Modern high-end graphics cards draw more than 300 watts from the system when they are running under full load.
Then it can be a power supply with 750 or 850 watts – depending on how much energy is consumed by the CPU and how many hard drives or SSDs are installed.
Also keep in mind that there must be enough space in the housing for the new graphics card.
You can find out how to install a graphics card in the special on graphics cards.
Upgrade PC: RAM
The main memory is the short-term memory of the computer.
The more RAM (Random Access Memory) there is in the PC or notebook, the more tasks can be processed quickly.
If the working memory is too tight, Windows will move program parts and data to the much slower hard drive.
If the processor wants to access it, it has to take long pauses.
That slows down the computer considerably.
While RAM modules used to be quite expensive, the price is now around 6 euros per gigabyte (GB). . But not all RAM is created equal.
When buying, pay attention to the clock rate of your desired RAM, which should ideally be compatible with your CPU.
An example: Older Intel processors limit the speed of the RAM. Most newer processors from Intel and AMD support at least 3,000 megahertz.
Upgrade PC: Processor (CPU)
The central processing unit (CPU) in particular determines the performance of your PC.
Almost all processors now have additional threads (Hyper-Threading), i.e. simulated computing cores – the more, the better.
The performance of the processor does not only depend on the clock frequency: Other factors are the number of (real) cores, the buffer (cache) and the supported instruction sets.
So it is possible that processors with a lower clock speed are faster than higher clocked models.
No manufacturer has the one perfect processor that is suitable for all purposes.
The installation of a CPU is one of the trickier tasks when setting up a PC or changing components. TechMende explains how to proceed step by step.
Upgrade PC: hard drives
If you want to give your computer a good boost, you can give it an SSD memory.
The operating system, programs and games benefit noticeably from the fast data access that the technology brings.
Reason: Unlike conventional hard drives, SSDs do not rotate magnetic disks, the content is saved on flash modules.
A controller chip controls access and takes over internal administration.
A few years ago, SSD storage was a luxury item and was found in high-end computers.
In the meantime, 1 GB does not even cost 20 cents and so the memory is suitable for a wide range of users.
