When Is It Time To Buy A New Computer?

You should expect to replace your computer once every four years. That’s based on a cost analysis, plus the average time it takes to wear out the internal parts of the computer. Here at CCH we  give  a slightly different estimate: Five years for desktops and three to four for laptops. If those seem like short lifetimes to you, they are — but they’re firm ones. Computers simply aren’t built to last a long time, and even if they were, software updates so quickly, older machines often can’t keep up with new programs.

Checklist

• Is the computer(s) four or more years old?
• Do you need (not want) better hardware (e.g., SSD, Bluetooth, more slots for memory (RAM etc.)?
• Does the computer(s) seem to be too slow for your needs?
• Has the Internet gradually started to load more slowly?
• Is new software barely meeting or failing to meet its minimum system requirements?
• Do you want to upgrade to a more recent operating system (e.g., latest version of (Windows)?

If you checked three or more of the boxes above, it’s likely time to upgrade. If you were unable to check at least three of these boxes, you might want to wait a while to buy a new computer. Until then, certain upgrades may be a good choice