What To Know Before You Buy Any Processor & Memory Upgrades For Your PC
We all reach that moment with our computer when we realize that it’s getting older. All of the things that were once effortless seem like it’s taking the poor machine a bit longer. How is this possible, it was only purchased three years ago. As much as we don’t like it, computers do go out of date eventually. Technology continues moving forward and the need for more processing power or memory grows. Thankfully for all of us, it is easy enough to find the parts needed to give our old machines back some of their pets. Before you run out and get any hardware upgrades though, there is one important question that needs to be answered.
Can my computer handle it?
A computer can only handle so much processing power and it’s all dependent on one component, the motherboard. You must look up your motherboard before you get a new processor or any RAM. If you can’t remember what your motherboard is, don’t worry, there are two simple ways to find out. The first way is to go open up the command line and type in this command: which baseboard gets the product, Manufacturer, version, serial number. You will need the manufacturer and product information. The second way to find this is to install a program named CPUID CPU-Z. When the program is up, all you need to do is click on the tab that says ‘Mainboard.’ The manufacturer and model are the first two variables displayed. Now that you’ve got your motherboard information, it’s time to go to google.
There is one piece of documentation that you need, the specifications. The official website for the manufacturer of the motherboard should have this documentation. The specifications should reveal two important things. First, the processor that is currently installed and, hopefully, the highest processor that the motherboard can handle. Second, it will show the type of RAM installed and exactly how much RAM the motherboard can handle. If the specifications do not show the highest processor that the motherboard can handle, it is extremely important that further research gets completed. Getting a processor only to find out that it does not work is a frustrating experience.
With this information in hand, finding replacement parts is a breeze. Once the upgrades are in hand, it is also important to look up instructions on replacing the parts if you have never done it before. RAM is very simple to install, but the process requires a bit more care. If you do not feel confident replacing the part yourself, it is easy to find someone with experience to help you out. Before you know it, your machine will be running almost like new. Contact us today to learn more!