Computers And Their Upgrades

Hi and welcome to another totally on time edition of Cowboy Computer Repair Blog! Today we will look at upgrading a computer’s hardware and some of the difficulties you may face in the process.

So, you had the same computer for years but you suddenly realized there’s a problem with one of the components and need to replace it, or even better found out what games are available to PC owners and want to get more powerful components to be able to enjoy them. Due to component manufacturers constantly changing what parts they have on offer to keep up with the times, either situation will probably end up with you buying a newer piece of hardware. While it all sounds well and good, this comes with unique obstacles.

Let’s say for either case, you have decided on buying a new video card. This is usually the easiest part to upgrade, though it can easily become convoluted when:

A) Your power supply unit (PSU) does not have enough power to support it.

B) The computer’s case does not have enough clearance space to house it.

C) Some very outdated motherboards might lack the necessary PCIe slots for it.

This gets even more fun when the CPU is so old in comparison to the new video card that it runs the risk of being fried altogether. Meaning in order to upgrade the video card you will need to get a new CPU. Though newer CPUs are simply incompatible with older motherboards and wont physically fit. Upgrading the motherboard for this purpose will invariably lead to the RAM sticks being the wrong DDR version, meaning you’ll need a new set of those as well. With all of that, your planned $700 purchase has just ballooned to double that, if not more.

With this in mind, it may be a good idea to consult an expert should you have plans similar to this and you wish to avoid having to wait longer than necessary to get you computer up and running again, slowed by having to go out and buy something you didn’t realize you needed in the first place. I myself am more than willing to do a consult like this by phone or until completing your project over email. Both my phone number and email address can easily be found at the bottom left of this page.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this knowledge helps you through your day to day.