One of the most practical and cost-effective ways to speed up your PC is by gradually upgrading its parts. The first thing that usually goes whenever your computer slows down is the motherboard. Storage issues also pop up after a year, forcing you to add another one that’s bigger and faster.

Whenever you upgrade, always make sure that you use everything that’s included in the package. Many commit the mistake of using their old peripheral’s wires and cables whenever installing a new component. While there may seem to be nothing wrong with this, especially if the old cables are still functioning well, a considerable number of PC parts now use specialized connectors.

Take for example a hard drive upgrade. Many PC users junk their old hard drive with new ones that support UDMA. While they totally discard their old storage device, they usually retain and use its old cable. This may seem practical. But take note that old hard drives use IDE cable. Using an IDE cable on a hard drive that supports UDMA will create a bottleneck. Using a DMA cable would definitely allow you to take advantage of the new technology’s speed and benefits.

Don’t take cables and connectors for granted whenever you’re upgrading hardware components. They can make a huge difference in your system’s performance.

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In case you haven’t noticed, PC makers are constantly changing the specs of their units. I once checked a model that I planned to buy at a local computer shop. I waited for about a couple of months before I decided to adopt it and make it my new pet (or life partner). However, to my astonishment, the salesperson told me that the apple (no, it wasn’t a Mac) of my eyes has been plucked out of their shelves as a new model had already been released by its manufacturer.

Many people are already becoming hesitant in swiping their plastics for a new PC. Who wouldn’t, considering that the unit that they’ll be buying may become outdated as early as Valentine’s Day. That prospect certainly isn’t enticing, even if it’s already the season to be reckless in spending.

At the risk of branding this article as a falsity, one can’t really future-proof his PC…. well, at least not for five years or more. Let’s face it. PCs compete with dogs in adding exponents on their ages. However, PCs can cheat their way to death or obsolescence. A good example is by way of an upgrade.

Upgrades are to computers as transplants are to humans. A PC’s innards can be replaced in order to prolong its life and improve its performance. Hence, in order to ensure that your PC would live long and outlast the airing of your favorite soap opera, make sure that your unit can easily be upgraded. You can ascertain this by inspecting the motherboard. Check if your motherboard is built to support future releases of the processor that it is hosting. Some motherboards are only built to house a specific chip.

“Mobos” should also have an ample number of slots for SIMM modules. This is very important as future software releases would certainly glut on RAM. The main board should also have an AGP slot. Some boards don’t have one. Instead, they have integrated video engines. Avoid them. Insist on a motherboard that has an AGP slot so that you would be able to upgrade your graphics card.

Upgrades can prolong the life of your PC. Keep in mind, though, that it is not the Holy Grail of computers. Time will come when upgrades won’t be feasible anymore and that a replacement would be the better (and maybe the only) alternative or solution.

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Are you familiar with the term “case mod?” In case you don’t know, it means “case modification. I thought that nobody’s really into it. As they say, “it’s what inside that counts.” 

“Case modders” admit that putting disco lights inside their computer won’t even add a single megahertz to the speed of their PC. In fact it may even compromise the performance of the unit if the power demanded by the accessories exceeds the limit or capacity of the power supply. It’s not a performance-enhancing undertaking, but it’s definitely an eye-pleaser.  It’s already a given that case modification is a matter of preference and not of necessity. If your system’s specs are already impressive, then I see no reason why you should refrain from training your wallet on dazzling cooling fans or fancy motherboard lights. 

However, I think that spending big on PC make up and lipstick is unreasonable if your processor is already begging for retirement or if your system lacks the necessary tools or applications for optimization. What good is an aesthetically-pleasing PC when it takes minutes for just a single application to run. 

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