solid state hard drive

By Aysë Stenabaugh

In today’s throw-away society it is not uncommon for computer users to consider replacing their several-year-old devices after experiencing issues. At Jester’s Computers, we always encourage our clients to extend the life of their device if the performance is or can meet the needs of the user without exceeding the value of a new device. As many of us know the supply chains are beginning to struggle because of the pandemic and computer equipment and supplies are no different. We are finding that many users are replacing their devices only to find that their new computer is much slower than their existing device.

Buying a new computer does not mean that it will be faster EVEN IF it is more expensive. Unfortunately, several of our clients have found this out the hard way after it was too late to do anything about the problem. Even if you are purchasing a new computer with an increase in performance, you should understand that technology CAN be defective straight out of the box. Since computers are not fully set up until you turn on your device for the first time, there is no way for thorough testing to occur before unboxing a new device when bought directly from a store or online retailer. This means that if something is wrong or not working right you should return your device to the retailer if possible. Many retailers have a restocking fee so it’s important to understand what penalties you might face if returning your device to the retailer rather than having it repaired through the manufacturer.

Several circumstances including the current chip shortages and cryptocurrency mining have caused a substantial rise in graphics card prices. Users who find themselves lucky enough to get their hands on a graphics card can expect to pay at least DOUBLE the typical cost. All these reasons make this is a terrible time for those wishing to upgrade or purchase gaming machines. A graphics card purchased back in 2017, now 4 years later is in many cases costing MORE than the original purchase price. To make matters worse many of the video cards found available for resale are not even new, many of them are used or refurbished cards which may be the only option.

Several of our clients have purchased new computers to replace their machines for various reasons only to find that their old machines had more speed than the new one. Instead of replacing your device, we encourage users to have PCs checked for potential affordable performance upgrades. Most computers that suffer from performance issues after several years of use can benefit from a hard drive replacement which is a physical hardware component that does fail over time with increased usage. Think of your computer’s hard drive as you would your vehicle’s tires. Over time they go bald and wear out, you might still be able to drive on them once they are worn or have a slow leak, but you certainly will not get the most efficiency or performance from worn-out tires. All the data that makes your computer run the way it does is located on your computer’s hard drive which means that if your drive fails completely, you will be starting over from scratch.

Luckily, hard drive replacements and memory upgrades are fairly inexpensive especially when comparing that to the cost of a new computer. Factor in the current price hikes and the potential to lose personal data files and software and one can begin to see how prolonging the life of your PC becomes more and more appealing. Users who opt to replace their hard drive sooner rather than later are pleased to learn that many times their existing hard drives can be replicated on the newer much faster hard drive. Many computers even those being sold today come with standard SATA hard drives which contain moving parts. Technology has advanced and Solid-State hard drives which utilize flash storage and have no moving parts are much more affordable and provide a hefty performance boost over standard drives.

If you find yourself considering a replacement computer or have questions about what to look for when purchasing a new device, consider reaching out to us at Jester’s Computer Services by calling or texting 717-642-6611. You can also find us here on Facebook.