If you’ve been dealing with a slow computer, you’re not alone. You, along with millions of other people, struggle with slow, glitchy computers each day. So much so, that “why is my computer running slow” trends as one of the top daily searches on Google. To answer this question, we’re back with Louis from intelliTECH.
Diagnosing a Slow Computer
There could be a host of reasons why your computer isn’t doing what it’s supposed to. Nine times out of ten, it’s because your computer is too old. Anytime someone approaches us with a slow computer, that’s the first question we ask. “How old is your system?” These days, most standard computers last between three and five years. Because of the quickening pace of technology, after five years, we recommend getting a new system altogether.
If your computer is running slowly and you’ve owned it for under three years, it might be worth getting a diagnostic on it to see if it’s worth fixing to squeeze out the last two or three years of life from it.
The next question we typically ask is, “How much did you spend on your system?” With computers, you really do get what you pay for. The price often determines what you’re going to get from a computer. You can’t buy a $300 computer from Costco, and expect it to last seven or eight years. It just doesn’t work like that. If you’re wanting a laptop to run your business off of with heavy usage, expect to pay between $800 and $1000 for it.
Buying a New Computer? Here’s What to Know:
If you’re ready to toss your slow computer and get a new one, here’s what you need to know.
As far as basic specs go for your new system, we recommend getting the newest generation of Intel processors, either an i5 or i7 with at least 6GB of ram and a solid state hard drive. As we’ve said in earlier pieces, it really depends on what you expect your computer to do, but these guidelines will give you a good start.