Even with a tune-up, you won't get any more power than your system is capable of providing. Stealth Computer Services can help you upgrade your system to increase its performance and capacity to remain competitive with today's software demands.
RAM Upgrades
RAM is important because it is kind of like an office desk which the CPU (central brain of your computer) sits down at to do its work. Your CPU has A LOT of paperwork to do and if that desk is too small, it will not have enough room to put it all and waste tons of time shuffling things around to other places. A system with too little RAM may be reduced to as low as 10% of its actual speed! Talk about SLOW! Always have plenty of RAM. A computer with Windows XP needs at least 1 GB to run smoothly, 2 GB is recommended. A computer running Vista or Windows 7 needs at least 2 GB minimum to run smoothly, and if you are running a 64-bit version of Vista or Windows 7, you want to have at least 4 GB. The more, the better in most cases. Generally, nothing above 3GB is usable in Windows XP. and in Vista and 7, you shouldn't need more than 8GB unless you are running special applications.
Hard Drive Upgrades
Even older CPUs and RAM can respond hundreds of times faster than any mechanical hard drive, making the hard drive the bottleneck of your system's performance. Any computer is only as fast as its slowest part, which is always the hard drive. The best approach to a hard-drive upgrade is a fresh install on the new drive. This means Windows and all your programs will have to be re-loaded from their discs or re-downloaded, so be sure to have your product and license keys and any activation codes for your software written down or easily accessible in physical form. Your data and files such as music, pictures, and documents can simply be exported or copied to the new drive after this is done.
If you're looking to upgrade your hard drive to increase performance, I recommend Western Digital's Velociraptor family of hard drives. If you want even more performance, I recommend solid state drives from either Crucial's m4 family, Intel's 320 family, or Samsung's 830 family of drives, of at least 120 GB or more...that is, IF your processor can keep up with these speed demons. You may be happy with your performance and just want to upgrade to a hard drive that has more storage capacity. I can help you with this as well.
Upgrading Other Components
Depending on your computer, usage, and unique situation, you may benefit from upgrading other components as well. I will analyze your situation, usage, and computer to determine which areas you would benefit from upgrading. Other possible upgrades include the CPU, motherboard, video card, power supply, chassis, fans and more. Give me a call and we'll go over your setup to see where you could use a boost.
Not worth it? Build a new one!
Sometimes, if your computer is more than 3-5 years old, the latest and greatest upgrades available may not be compatible with your computer, meaning that instead of just buying and replacing one part, you will likely have to replace many parts including your motherboard, CPU, RAM, video card, chassis, and power supply. Instead of putting all that money into an old system, why not build a new one from the ground-up? Stealth Computer Services is proud to offer hand-built desktop PCs. My systems are designed for maximum reliability, lifespan, upgradeability, and minimum total cost of ownership over the long run. Please see the Custom System Builds section for more details.
Take good care of it!
Now that your system is performing at top-notch and giving you its all, its time to return the favor. Every computer needs proper care and preventative measures and maintenance to deliver a long and reliable lifespan. Please visit the Care and Prevention section for more information.
Learn to do it on your own!
Would you like to learn how perform some of the services Stealth performs for you? If so, you may be interested in my Training and Tutorial service...
