Upgrading a Computer Part 1 (2021)
Have an old PC? Tired of it being slow? Can’t afford a new one? Well here is your guide! In this guide, we will cover some basics to buying computer parts, and how to install them. So, let's get into it!
First of all, we will cover a buying guide to all the parts. (Not including motherboards because you would likely have to replace everything if you got one.)
Processors: If you are using anything past an intel duo or an Athlon processor you are probably ok. (you can find what processor you have in task manager.) Sadly if you don’t then I likely can’t help you because most processors go in different sockets than their predecessor, but as a rule of thumb just get an i3 or i5 of your sockets generation or a ryzen 3 or 5 also of the sockets generation. (You can find your socket by searching up the socket your processor takes.)
RAM: The last one was likely a disappointment but I promise you this one won’t be because you can fit just about any ram into the right slots. In this case, it is actually pretty simple. 1. figure out what type of ram you have in task manager. (it's the DDR thingy)2. figure out how much ram you need based on the type with DDR2 you need 8–16 ish gigabytes of ram. With DDR3 and DDR4, you might be able to squeeze by with 4 gigabytes, but I suggest 8 or more. 3. Just buy it!
GPU: Now this is not only one of the most important parts in a PC but also one with the best backward compatibility! Sadly there has been a recent shortage of GPU’s and some are going for waaaaayyyyy over MSRP. So here not only am I going to give you a bit of advice on what GPU to buy, but also some advice on how to actually get a good price for one. Now for most motherboards, there is a 16-pin connector that may sound like gibberish, but what it means is that if your PC already has an external graphics card then you can pretty much use ANY graphics card in it. (if you don't have an external graphics card in it search up what the conecter looks like and look on the motherboard to see if you have it.)So, what this means is that you have two main limiting factors the power supply, and the amount of space. (Note your processor and RAM can bottleneck your GPU so you need a balance of it not being bottlenecked but also it not bottlenecking possible future systems.) For most older systems I recommend something like the 1650 low profile so, you can use your current power supply and probably be ok. Now on to the part where I tell you how you might be able to get a good deal. Now these methods aren’t the “Quick hack to all things righteous”, but they work. 1. You can do the New Egg shuffle: now this is not a guarantee, but if you try for a couple of days maybe weeks you WILL get a part at MSRP. (Which right now is GREAT.) You can do this method by going on to NewEgg and joining the shuffle! 2. Go to a price tracker (There are hundreds of these), and constantly look at it, or setup a notification for it, and use it to track the prices on GPU’s. Now this is also not garuteed, but it is more likely, the problem is these cards go fast so you have to be ready to buy in less the 5 minutes or it is gone.
NOTE: You can go to THIS site and make sure your pieces work together, before you buy them so you don’t end up with unusable parts. (It will also tell you what your price should be so you don’t over pay.)
Ok now that we are done with that we can get to upgrading your PC. Admitidly this is the hard part, but I assure you this wont be that hard.
Processor: Now this one is the trickiest because you will probably have to remove a fan but you will also have to apply thermal paste. Now there should be a section with a large fan over it that is probably your processor socket. Take out the fan there should be a square slot under it that looks like this:
Now you put in by setting it down and pulling the lever. Then put a dab of thermal past on the processor, and finally put the fan back on.
RAM: Phew, we got past the hardest part and the rest is a breeze for RAM find the slots that the RAM is in, then take it out and replace it. With the RAM you have. (Replace the pieces in the exact same spot(s) where the original was.) The RAM slot looks like this:
Then your done!
GPU: Now this is a bit trickier than the last one, but not by much. You might have to position it juuuuusst right depending on the GPU and case you have, but you just have to find the biggest slot that may or may not have a GPU in it, and try to put in, BUT BE CAREFUL. The slot should be able to fit this:
Then you pop it in, and put in the wires from your previous GPU and your golden.
Thank you for reading my article hope it was helpful and sorry if I sounded vague this was meant as a quick guide to get set up if your looking for something more in depth sorry for wasting your time. This has been Astoshan Stuerm and I am out!
