WHEN TO UPGRADE

WHEN TO UPGRADE COMPUTER HARDWARE

Balancing performance and maintenance costs of IT hardware

Companies of all sizes and sectors rely on their IT equipment to help run their businesses. Whilst some computers may only be used for running Office packages and email, others might be expected to run business-critical RAM grabbing software applications. When IT equipment is leased the upgrade window is fixed, usually every four years for computers and 5-7 for servers. However, if you own your IT equipment it can be difficult to determine when is the right time to upgrade your tech hardware. In this blog we explore how to maximise the value from existing equipment and when to invest to upgrade computer hardware.  

Cost vs. benefit

IT equipment needs to be fit for purpose, and be able to keep up with the changing needs of the business. Teams often want the latest and greatest IT equipment, however the decision of when and if to upgrade, is based on cost vs. benefit. Although it can be straightforward to calculate the direct costs of maintenance, repairs and upgrading components versus a new device, effectively calculating the wider costs of inefficiency, downtime, data loss or total failure can be more difficult.

Maximising the life of IT equipment

There are a few basics that can help maximise the effectiveness of existing IT equipment:

  • Keep software up to date, monitoring when major updates are no longer supported for your devices.
  • Regularly scan for viruses, spyware and malware, which may cause a device to run slowly.
  • Uninstall any unused or old software to free up space and memory.
  • Ensure equipment is stored properly, with good ventilation and a cushioned carry case to prevent the need for early replacement due to physical damage. 

Hardware component upgrades

If, despite on-going maintenance, your equipment is still running slowly, or crashes frequently, you may want to consider upgrading key components:

  • RAM – If you need to be running complex applications, or a number of apps at the same time, upgrading the RAM may help increase efficiency.
  • Hard Drive – If disk storage space is holding you back then installing a larger hard disk internally, or adding an external hard drive may help solve the issue of space. Another option would be to install a larger solid-state drive (SSD) to give you both more storage, and speed up performance, as well as being more reliable. 

Other upgrades

Keeping the operating system up to date will help it run more efficiently, however major updates often require significant disk space and memory to install and run. End of life hardware can sometimes mean operating system upgrades are no longer possible.

Time to invest in new IT equipment?

While good maintenance and component hardware upgrades will keep equipment going for longer, there will come a time when the benefits of new equipment outweigh the costs of keeping old equipment going. These can be:

  • Speed & Performance - The equipment is no longer able to effectively and efficiently complete the tasks required.
  • Compatibility - The equipment is running on a legacy operating system that is no longer supported with updates, or not compatible with new software.
  • Repairs – parts have become difficult to procure.
  • Costs – when the cost keeping equipment going is higher than the cost to buy and configure new hardware.

Having decided to upgrade your IT equipment, it’s worth considering what the business might need in the future, as well as what is required now. That way you won’t find you need to upgrade again sooner than you planned. 

Technical Reality is a leading supplier of IT solutions at all stages of the tech lifecycle, offering over 100,000 new and refurbished IT hardware products, all online, in stock and ready for next day delivery. If you would like to talk to us about upgrading your business IT equipment, please contact us by email or call us on 0800 689 0664.

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