Upgrade
First find out what is slowing the machine down. Then check what fits. Buy last. In that order you save money and trouble.
Before you start: Back up your data before you touch anything. Shut the computer down and unplug it.
The procedure
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Find the bottleneck
While the slow job is running, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). See which resource sits at 100 %. Deal with that one first.
ReadUpgrade or replace? Deciding what to do with an ageing computer ToolUpgrade or replace?
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System on an HDD? Swap it for an SSD
That is step one if you still boot from a hard drive. Check whether you have an M.2 slot and whether it takes NVMe or only SATA.
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Add RAM of the same type
DDR4 and DDR5 are not interchangeable. Find out which memory the board takes and add the same type.
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New graphics card? Measure the case
Compare the card length with the free space the case maker states. Count the slots and check the power connectors.
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Check socket, chipset and BIOS
For a CPU swap, the board maker’s CPU support list decides. Check it together with the BIOS version.
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Work out the PSU
Add up the makers’ power figures and add headroom. If the graphics card maker recommends a bigger PSU, go with that.
PSU calculator
Swapping the graphics card or CPU? Check the power supply can take it. Every number in the breakdown has an origin: a maker’s figure, or our labelled assumption.
Result
Recommended PSU wattage (estimate)
| Item | W | Origin of the figure |
|---|
Guides for this job
- Upgrade or replace? Deciding what to do with an ageing computerChecked
- SSDs and HDDs – NVMe vs SATA, M.2 and PCIe generationsChecked
- RAM – DDR4 vs DDR5, capacity, channels and speedChecked
- Graphics cards – size, slots, power and outputsChecked
- PC power supply – wattage, headroom and connectorsChecked
- CPU and motherboard – sockets, chipsets and what fits togetherChecked