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Is it worth it to upgrade?

Y

yewldotorg

Junior Member
The thought crossed my mind this weekend as to whether or not I should upgrade or find a replacement for my home desktop.

I have only 512 MB of RAM on an HP Pavilion a550y and a Pentium 4 3.00 GHz processor...

I'd like to upgrade my RAM to 2 GB, but does my processor also need to be brought up as well?

Also, I have an HP Pavilion dv6305us notebook that's in for repairs, would it be worthwhile to try and upgrade its RAM from 512 to 2 GB, or would I be better off trying to sell the whole unit and purchasing a more economical and more efficient laptop (or is that a pipe dream)

Thanks
 
I assume you're running XP?

I'd look into upgrading it to at least 1GB. If you're not doing a lot on the computer, 1GB with XP is more than enough. And there is no point in getting rid of it if all you use it for is word processing and the internet. Those things won't work significantly faster on a new, more powerful machine.

Desktops that perform as well as laptops (or better) are almost always cheaper than the comparable laptop. If you sold this desktop, you're better off using the money towards another desktop. If you're worried about energy efficiency, you can look into building a computer with a 45W TDP AMD X2, one of those power-saving Western Digital hard drives that spins from 5400RPM to 7200RPM depending on demand, and get an 80+ certified PSU to power it all.

If you want to save on your overall power bill, look into using power strips/surge protectors with On/Off switches. Then hook up your various appliances that are okay to 'unplug' and use the on/off switch so that they stop drawing any power when you aren't using them.
 
Assessing the value of advancing technology is very subjective. I have friends who acknowledge that there is such a thing as "technolust." That sort of translates into always keeping up with new technology, with cost beuing secondary.

Desktops keep getting cheaper for what you get. A P4 can't hold a candle to a quad P5. More RAM helps, but is like a band aid.

My approach in your situation would be to replace both units. My notebook is essential for me for travel. Yours may not be. Sometimes a RAM and a HDD upgrade can do a lot for a notebook.

The real answer depends on how much you value your computers modified by what your financial situation is.
 
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