How to Avoid the Urge to Upgrade Your Computer

Wish you had a computer like this? You may want to rethink that temptation. It probably costs over 10,000 dollars.

Have you been feeling your PC isn't enough lately, maybe you read an article in a PC magazine in which a writer boasts of his $3000 computer, with liquid nitrogen cooling, and neon-lights running through the casing? Or maybe you're having trouble resisting the urge to buy that featured video card at the Newegg Online Store? Sometimes upgrades aren't worth it, you may only appreciate them for one game, then wish you had the money back. This article will help you resist the urge to constantly upgrade your computer every time you get money.

Steps

1. 1
   Tweak your operating system. There are many ways to increase the performance of your current computer without having to pay for an upgrade. Here's a good article to refer to for Windows Vista users. Many of the tips in that article will also work for both Windows XP and Windows 7 users.

   
   
2. 2
   Think about the reasons you want to upgrade. Did you see a game like Crysis, and you were drooling over the quality of the visuals? If so, try games known for their storyline, not their graphics. Some good examples would be:
   • Half Life 2, a game set in post-apocalyptic Europe, it's known for an amazing storyline.
   • Team Fortress 2, this game is an extremely popular multiplayer game, well known for its excellent class design.
   • Thief: The Dark Project and Thief 2, both are very old 3D games, don't expect good visuals, but they too have an amazing storyline, set in a Victorian-Steampunk world in which you are a thief.
   • Age of Empires 1 and 2, amazing strategy games in which you lead civilizations to expansion and conquest of either computer players or people online!
   • Plants vs Zombies, an extremely addictive tower-defense style game in which you build plants to protect your backyard from zombies, this game will even run on Netbooks!
3. 3
   Overclocking is another way, albeit risky, to improve your computer's performance. It involves forcing components (usually the CPU, but video cards can be overclocked as well) to perform calculations at higher speeds than their factory defaults. This can put your computer at risk though, especially if you mess around with voltages.
4. 4
   If you do end up upgrading, don't bother upgrading components that won't show a significant improvement in performance. An example of a component that won't drastically improve speed is the motherboard. Unless your existing motherboard is the lowest of low-end hardware, it should have good performance.
5. 5
   Find a hobby that doesn't require a high-performance computer. A good example is computer programming, not only will it provide huge job opportunities if you become good at it, it will also provide a constructive use of your time.
6. 6
   When you make a decision to buy a computer component (i.e Video card), make sure that it is what you want and will be good enough to last at least a year. Sometimes when you find a deal on a computer component, you rush to buy it and in your excitement, you don't realize that maybe it doesn't have a DVI port, and you were planning on buying a new monitor this year. Now, when you go to buy the monitor, and it needs a DVI connection, you will have to buy a new video card.

   
   

   
   

Tips

• Don't torture yourself by browsing online stores for parts when you don't need them. You might end up buying something you don't need, like a gold-plated DVI cord.
• Don't feel bad about upgrading if your computer seriously needs it, this article assumes you already have a decent computer, if your computer is 10 years old, go ahead get a new one.
• Don't buy parts just because they're cheap and you might want it later (unless you're saving 80% or some other amazing deal)
  

  If this is your computer, you do need an upgrade.

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