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The Computer Corner

by Duane Stabler (dstabler@bigfoot.com) January, 1 2000, republication of this article requires prior approval of the author.

An Introduction to a Computer Upgrade

So, did the Y2K computer bug make you think about what to do with that "old reliable" computer setting in the corner of your home?  Obviously, the easy way to resolve the question is to buy a new one with all the latest stuff.  However if are interested in upgrading your computer, but may not have a clear idea of what is the best upgrade to perform on your system. I hope to cut out some of the hype and give a good concise guide

The difficulty with such an article is that the industry is moving at such a fast pace, the article can quickly get outdated.  Consider this, the disc drive capacity of a new computer today will most likely double (as a standard) in one years time.  Processor speed, although changing quickly is at a little slower pace of doubling, if you want to call that slow!

 

MORE SPACE-

The most fundamental requirement for any computer is that it have enough storage for all the programs and data that it has to work with. The fastest processor does you absolutely no good when your disk is full.  In Windows Explorer, clicking on a drive icon will display its free space in the status bar. If you don't see the status bar along the bottom of explorer, make sure that it is checked under the View menu.

 

As hard disks have grown in size, so have the programs and data files that they use. In our media rich computing environment, megabytes can be eaten up at a surprising rate. How much free space you need is a matter of personal choice. If you have all the applications you ever want already installed, and don't create or download large data files, a 2 gigabyte drive or less may be adequate free space, but with many applications taking over 100 megabytes to install, most of us will want more room to grow.

 

The good news is, hard drives are cheaper than ever. With good 4 GB hard drives selling at, or less than $125, adding a second drive is both economical and easy.  My experience is buy the biggest drive that you can afford as you may well fill it up too!

 

MORE POWER-

The second easiest upgrade is memory. If your hard disk seems to "churn" a lot when running applications (particularly when switching between them) you are a good candidate. Windows 95 and 98 aren't happy with less than 32 MB of RAM, and prefer 64. Anything less than 32 should raise a red flag.  In fact, using Microsoft Office 2000, I am finding 64 MB to be limiting.  The unfortunate part is that RAM has become more expensive recently due to the hurricanes in North Carolina (ruined one factory) and the earth quakes in Taiwan have crippled others.  As time passes, prices will again fall but not for a while!

 

An easy way to determine how much memory is in your system is to right click on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop and select "properties" from the pop up menu. On the resulting screen you will see how much memory Windows is recognizing. Be careful not to fool with any of the settings in this dialog unless you know what you are doing!

 

Determining what type of memory you have is the next step. Your system or motherboard manual may tell you, or you may have to open the case and look. Memory is rated by type, speed, and interface, so you have to determine if you have 30 pin, 72 pin, 168 pin memory and if it is 60 nanosecond or 80 nanosecond or whatever. In general, you must add identical memory to what is already in the system.  If all the slots are full, you may need to remove and replace them, in pairs, to get all to work.  As a word of caution, ESD is a danger when working with memory chips.  If you don't know what ESD is, you probably are not qualified to do this work, regardless of simplicity.

 

Printed on your existing memory chips is a number that may end in 07 or 06 or there may be a -7 or -6. This would indicate the speed of your memory. 30 pin SIMMs are about 3 1/2" long, and if you are still using those, you probably should look into replacing the motherboard or buying a "bare bones" system. Newer 70 pin SIMMs are about 4 1/2" long, and can be used in pairs with Pentium class systems, but may not deliver optimal results with the faster Pentium II systems. 168 pin DIMMs are about 5 1/2" long and are better suited to new systems.

 

Fortunately, most memory in non branded computers is fairly easy to determine. Other companies, like Compaq, make memory more of a mystery so that you must obtain it from them at a premium price.

 

MORE SPEED-

If you are running anything less than a Pentium system you will definitely want to consider upgrading your CPU and system board. The best way for you to determine your CPU is by re-booting and watching the screen as the computer first starts. You will see a message like "Pentium MMX running at 233 MHz". Owners of slower Pentiums may want to consider the Celeron, Pentium II, or Pentium III from Intel, or the AMD K6-2 or K6-III processors. Never replace a processor with anything less than twice as fast a chip.

 

If this upgrade is planned, old memory should not be added to your current system. The new system board will probably want different memory.

 

MORE FUN-

Graphics are what modern computing is all about, and they are important to the computing experience. Graphics cards differ in the number of colors that they can display, the resolutions they can output to the monitor, and the speed that they can display images on the screen.

 

To determine the maximum resolution and color depth of your graphics card, right click on a blank part of the windows desktop and select "Properties" from the pop-up menu. On the "Settings" tab you will see two selectors at the bottom of your screen. These should give you an indication of your card's capabilities. Note that as you increase "Screen Area", the settings shown in "Colors" may reduce, and vice-versa.

 

You may discover that you weren't even using all the colors and resolution your card has to offer. That is what is known as a "free upgrade"! BTW, make sure that you have the proper driver installed for your video card. Your card should show up on this dialog as well under "Display:".

 

Many new games require a fast 3D enhanced graphics card to run properly. Older cards may be fine for running Windows office applications, but they fall down when you want to run Quake II at a decent frame rate. My last column mentioned a couple of good PCI graphics cards, the STB Velocity 4400 and the ATI RAGE FURY.

 

  MORE WINDOWS-

If you are still using a 14 or 15" monitor, consider moving up to a 17 or 19". More screen real estate lets you run higher resolutions and that means less scrolling around your documents. A lot of web pages are being designed for resolutions higher than 640x480, so a bigger monitor is valuable for surfing the web, as well.

 

  SUMMING UP-

By identifying weak points in a system, rational upgrade decisions can be made. Upgrading a bit at a time is a good way to keep your computer up to speed without breaking the bank. Just remember that doing nothing will eventually limit your ability to keep up with the new technology that is offered but it doesn't always take a total replacement of the computer system.