2. Replacing the old with new version for improvement
What do you need?
o Hardware Upgrade or Software Upgrade
Are you willing to pay? Is it worth it?
o Upgrade or Buy a new one
Risks?
o Compatibility
o Breakage
o Undesired Result
o Bug
o Improper Function
3. CPU & RAM
Motherboard
Display
Hard Disk
CD Rom Drive
4. CPU RAM
Ability to execute many Remembers what you
instructions at a quick write
rate Availability for reading
Instruction requires many Huge Capacity, Good
memory reference Speed
The processor is idle The memory is idle while
while the memory is the processor is working
working
5. Memory inside the processor chip
Fast enough to keep up with the processor
Faster access but Smaller capacity
Copy of recently used instructions
o L1 Cache – very frequently used
o L2 Cache – less recently used
Reduce demand of RAM
6. CPU RAM
Socket compatibility Memory Differences
o Intel or AMD o Voltage
Motherboard Capability o Capacity
o CPU speed depends on o Number of pins
chipset Socket Compatibility
Motherboard Capability
o RAM speed depends on
chipset
o Capacity of RAM allowed
7. Proprietary of PC
o Notebooks, Laptops, Models with big brand names
Upgrade of motherboard is unnecessary
o Only upgrade if it can’t support the CPU and RAM
Core of Computer
o Bus, Memory and Processor = Balanced
o Choke Point
• slow component will slow down the entire system
• fast component can’t deliver its max capability
8. Processor and FSB speed
o FSB connects CPU to RAM ; Faster CPU need faster RAM access
o Motherboard Limits FSB max speed and determines design
Amount type and Memory Configuration
o Limited DIMM
o Faster CPU benefits from motherboards supporting multiple
memory channels and faster memory technologies
Adapter Card Bus Type
o PCI Slots and AGP Slot
Internal I/O Ports
o IDE or SATA options
External I/O Ports
o USB, Audio, Ethernet Options
9. Video Upgrade
o Video images are arrays of dots (pixels) output by the
motherboard
o Higher resolution – closer dot spacing – more pixels – more work
Monitor Upgrade
o CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)
• cheaper to produce and offered viewing angles close to 180
degrees
• superior contrast, superior response time, are able to use multiple
screen resolutions natively, refresh rate can be set.
o LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
• consume less power, take up much less space, and are
considerably lighter
• less flickering than CRTs, which reduces eye strain
o LED (Light Emitting Diode)
• provide higher contrast and better viewing angles than LCDs
10. What do you want?
Manufacturer (ATI , NVIDIA)
11. Luminance - describes the amount of light that passes
through or is emitted from a particular area, and falls
within a given solid angle.
Aspect Ratio - the ratio of the width of the image to its
height
Viewable Image Size - actual amount of screen space
that is available for display without obstruction from the
case
Display Resolution - number of distinct pixels in each
dimension
Dot Pitch - distance between sub-pixels of the same
color in millimeters. smaller the dot pitch = sharper the
picture
12. Refresh rate - number of times in a second that a display
is illuminated
Response time - time a pixel in a monitor takes to go
from active to inactive. Lower numbers mean faster
transitions
Contrast ratio - ratio of the brightest color to that of the
darkest color that the monitor is capable of producing
Power Consumption – electrical energy needed to
operate
Viewing Angle - max angle at which images on the
monitor can be viewed, without excessive degradation to
the image
13. HD Upgrade CDR Upgrade
Why upgrade if you can How often do you use
add one? your CDR?
Space on case CDR – DVDR
Software for copying files Read and Write Upgrade
for business purposes
14. Do I need an update or upgrade?
o Software Update
• provides bug fixes and minor software enhancements and is made
available by free download.
• A software update is sometimes called a software patch because it
is applied over software that you already have installed.
• A software update does not provide a full software package
installation.
o Software Upgrade
• purchase of a newer version of software you currently use of a more
fully-featured version of your current software.
15. Is my current version no longer supported?
o As software manufacturers release new software, they no longer
support the older versions.
o Most software companies support the most recent version and
two old versions.
o To check if your version is supported, you can go to the software
maker's website and check the support area.
o When your software is no longer supported, it may be hard to get
answers to questions you have and this can lead to possible
delays and frustration if you run into a problem with the software.
16. Does the new version have some features that will make
my work more efficient?
o Almost every software release includes a slew of new features
designed to make work more efficient or easier.
o Examine the list of new or changed features to see if any will
really benefit me.
o Most people never use more than 10-20% of the features of a
software package, so new features in that unused 80% are of
less interest.
17. Has the software been out long enough to detect any
significant problems?
o Wait 6-12 months after a major new software version is released
before upgrading.
o In the first few months, the software company finds bugs that
they didn't find when testing it and they prepare a service release
or minor upgrade to fix those problems.
o This reduces the risk of upgrading and running into significant
problems.
18. Will I run into file format compatibility issues?
o If a software application has changed the file format that the
information is saved in, the new files may not be compatible with
the old version of the software.
o This can cause problems when sharing files with colleagues or
partners.
o If the file format has changed, wait longer to upgrade in order to
ensure that most of the people you will share files with have
upgraded to reduce the risk of running into file compatibility
problems
