Can I upgrade my computer, or should I totally replace it?

[brett]

I have been running my desktop Hp Pavillion i3 3.3Ghz system since 2012. 16MB Memory.

I was on the verge a tossing it and buying something newer 8 or 9 years ago.

Instead, I decided to try upgrading to new hard drive (old one was failing) $50. Then upgraded to W10.

Sure glad that I did. Only other change was an earlier upgrade to a 27" monitor.

Reluctant to go to W11 (if I can) because it is running well/doing the job.

 

[GenXguy]

I have been running my desktop Hp Pavillion i3 3.3Ghz system since 2012. 16MB Memory.

I was on the verge a tossing it and buying something newer 8 or 9 years ago.

Instead, I decided to try upgrading to new hard drive (old one was failing) $50. Then upgraded to W10.

Sure glad that I did. Only other change was an earlier upgrade to a 27" monitor.

Reluctant to go to W11 (if I can) because it is running well/doing the job.

That's got to be 16 GB, not MB for a computer of that age. Windows 10 is still supported for another 6 months. Windows 11 can be made to run on many systems that are not officially supported.

 

[brett]

That's got to be 16 GB, not MB for a computer of that age. Windows 10 is still supported for another 6 months. Windows 11 can be made to run on many systems that are not officially supported.

yup. typo. 16GB

I ran W7(I think) for quite a few years after W10 was released. I really did not care that it was not supported. What I used worked.

When I changed out hard disk I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade windows. Past the free point however there was a solution on PCMag that worked in order to u/g gratis. Then moved to W10 on the laptop which I very seldom use. Prefer our ipads.

 

[JoeWras]

Most of us on this forum do remember when we had a computer with 16MB. "Windows 95 runs on 4MB, but runs best with 16MB, you may have to upgrade." Understandable typo. And many of us had computers with 16KB or less! (Original Apple and IBM PCs.) And the Altair? It came with 256 bytes. No K or M, not a typo. I mean, how many times can you flip those switches anyway?

I should take this memory offline to a thread about old iron. We have one somewhere opened a few years ago...

Edit: can't find it, but I know it is out there. Here's a fun substitute thread though about upgrading to Windows 10. History repeats.

Poll:How's That Windows 10 Upgrade Coming Along?

Since the big upgrade to Windows 10 has come and gone, this is an updated poll to see how that is coming along. Feel free to express the good, bad and ugly :(.

www.early-retirement.org

 

[DrRoy]

Since the biggest issue is solved, I am going to hang on for now.

 

[brett]

Most of us on this forum do remember when we had a computer with 16MB. "Windows 95 runs on 4MB, but runs best with 16MB, you may have to upgrade." Understandable typo. And many of us had computers with 16KB or less! (Original Apple and IBM PCs.) And the Altair? It came with 256 bytes. No K or M, not a typo. I mean, how many times can you flip those switches anyway?

I should take this memory offline to a thread about old iron. We have one somewhere opened a few years ago...

Edit: can't find it, but I know it is out there. Here's a fun substitute thread though about upgrading to Windows 10. History repeats.

Poll:How's That Windows 10 Upgrade Coming Along?

Since the big upgrade to Windows 10 has come and gone, this is an updated poll to see how that is coming along. Feel free to express the good, bad and ugly :(.

www.early-retirement.org

The first commercial system that I sold when I entered the industry had 96K memory and 10MB of disk, 5 fixed, 5 removable. 72" cabinet, AC required!

 

[Sojourner]

Since the biggest issue is solved, I am going to hang on for now.

I'm not sure if this has been previously mentioned (didn't read through the entire thread), but since you seem to be a heavy Photoshop user, I'd strongly suggest upgrading to a newer CPU. The newest Intel processors are 2x more powerful than the Core i5-8500 you're currently hobbling along with. Upgrading to a desktop with, say, a Core i5-14600 could save you hours per month just in Photoshop "wait time". And, as we all know, time >> money. Heck, the PC I'm using right now has an i5-10400 (bought in 2021), and I'm thinking of upgrading it next year! At this point in my life, five years is plenty long enough to hang on to a computer.

 

[GenXguy]

Most of us on this forum do remember when we had a computer with 16MB. "Windows 95 runs on 4MB, but runs best with 16MB, you may have to upgrade." Understandable typo. And many of us had computers with 16KB or less! (Original Apple and IBM PCs.) And the Altair? It came with 256 bytes. No K or M, not a typo. I mean, how many times can you flip those switches anyway?

That got me thinking of my computers and increases in RAM over the years. I upgraded some of them. And for a couple, I don't remember or have records on the RAM.

Atari 400 16KB RAM
Atari 800 XL 64KB RAM
Compaq 386SX 2MB-->6MB RAM
Compaq 486 8MB--> 24MB RAM
PC 233MMX Win95 64MB RAM
PC Celeron 300A Win98SE ? RAM
PC Dual Pentium II 800 mhz Win98SE/Win2000 ? RAM
PC Pentium III 3.2 Ghz Windows XP 1GB RAM
PC Intel 2500K i5 4 Ghz o/c Windows 7/10 8GB --> 16GB RAM
Laptop Celeron SU2300 1.3 Ghz Windows 7/10 2GB --> 4GB RAM
Laptop Ivy Bridge i5 3.1 Ghz Windows 8 8GB --> 16GB RAM

 

[GrayHare]

One big difference with new processors is that they have more cores. So you can get a processor with 24 cores, for example, but for so many single threaded operations, the net performance increase isn't so great.

Running multiple cores similtaneously adds so much heat that the processor automatically slows itself. If I run eight cores concurrently, their total computational power is less than that of four cores concurrently due to heat-induced slowing.

 

[breakaway]

I have had my computer since late 2017, so ~7.5 years. That is the second longest that any computer has remained fully functional for me since 1985. I am now having trouble with Photoshop. Sometimes it crashes, sometimes I get a GPU error, and the replace tool just cannot function. Most things come back if I close it and reopen, and/or reboot (not the replace tool). I am wondering if I could get back to full performance if I upgraded the CPU and/or the graphics card, or should I get a whole new computer? I would have some worries about being able to do the upgrade successfully, as I have never done that before. The most I have done is add RAM to an earlier machine. The current CPU is a Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz, and the graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB. What say those who are more knowledgeable?

Did you check current resource usage.
Restart computer.
Open up Task Manager (TM) to Processes view.
What is RAM used without any other apps open?
Open Photoshop (do not open any files) .Wait for Photoshop to load completely.
Check TM and see how much RAM and is being used Total and by Photoshop
Go to Performance (graph) view
Check GPU use.
Now, open an image file in Photoshop.
Check Task Manager (TM) Processes view, how much RAM and is being used Total and by Photoshop
Go to Performance(graph) view
Check GPU use.
Is GPU being used?
Now open all the other apps you would use while doing photoshop
Recheck RAM/GPU and even CPU use.

Now decide if you should upgrade RAM (32GB at least) and GPU (8GB dedicated is good) to the best (RAM/GPU) your motherboard can support, and you can afford.

For GPU, make sure you have the latest drivers installed. If you do, and it is still causing issues, then upgrade to the best one your motherboard can support, and you can afford. Try for at least 8GB dedicated.
Get a SSD if you are not already using it for photo files.

Have you tried any other photo editor, like Gimp to see how your computer handles it?
Gimp used 186MB RAM (0MB GPU RAM) when I opened a 7.5MB image.

 

[Al18]

Maybe you're running Photoshop on the wrong system. An Apple MacBook Pro with the 14 core M4Max chip seems much faster than a 64 core Ryzen system running Windows 11 Pro according to this post Photoshop benchmarking the M4 Macbook Pro and a Dell tower - the last word

 

[tizod]

IMHO, it is time to drop Photoshop - there are many alternatives that are also really good, easier, and cleaner software operation (creative cloud options sucxs, IMHO). If you drop that, you may not need computer upgrade. Also, IMHO, if you do, go to MAC for way lower lifetime price, ease of use/maintenance, and no need for Windows. I run my business off it, does all I need to, pdf editor built in and more. If you drop PDF and Photoshop costs, pays for computer over the next few years. On my MAC I have very little subscription software needs (one special app) & seamless router based Time Machine backup. I hate subscription software. I do wish Apple would bring back a router. I also trust Apple privacy etc. much more than Microsoft and current router suppliers (which have access to your network -should they or their governments want to spy on it).

 

[ERD50]

IMHO, it is time to drop Photoshop - there are many alternatives that are also really good, easier, and cleaner software operation ...

Can you name names?

 

[Golden Mean]

IMHO, it is time to drop Photoshop - there are many alternatives that are also really good, easier, and cleaner software operation

Can you name names?

Don't know if I'd call it easier and cleaner, but GIMP does everything I would want. It's FOSS (free open source software). No subscription, no one telling you how many computers you can install it on, nothing phoning home, etc.

 

[ychuck46]

2017 is not old enough to merit a new machine, IMO. Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. I would upgrade to 11 (if you haven't done so yet) and see how it performs.

He will have to check if his i5-based system is eligible to be upgraded to Windows 11. Our i5 systems are not, and they might be slightly newer than Dr Roy's.

I just ordered two mini PCs for my wife's office room and mine to replace the bulkier desktop PCs we have. Those little beasts pack a nice punch, the N150 CPU just came out from Intel in Q4CY24, and they have a number of ports including two HDMI for multiple monitors, four USB, and so forth. And they come with W11.

 

[rmcelwee]

Every few years I google "what is a good refurbed office computer" and buy what they say. This happened a couple of weeks ago and I got a "HP ProDesk 600 G3 Desktop 3.60GHz Intel Core i7-7700 16GB RAM NO HDD" for $75 and "HP ProDesk 600 G3 Core i7-7700 3.60GHz 16GB 500GB HDD Win 10 Desktop" for $92 off Ebay. It is probably way overkill for HomeAssistant OS I'm running on the first one. I built a virtual pinball machine on the other. The power supply isn't the best for the pinball machine video card so I'm running a second one externally (just sitting on the table). Works fine though and will eventually be in a pinball cabinet anyway.

 

[BruinBones]

I've run into the inability to upgrade the Apple office suite (Numbers, etc.) with my backup Mac, bought in 2014, right now. It has also stopped upgrading the OS.

I am by no means a computer nerd, but I recently upgraded the OS on my 2012 MacBook Pro to Linux Ubuntu, just to see if I could. It worked great, and I used it for a while. Then I sold it for $100.

 

[atxk]

I have had my computer since late 2017, so ~7.5 years. That is the second longest that any computer has remained fully functional for me since 1985. I am now having trouble with Photoshop. Sometimes it crashes, sometimes I get a GPU error, and the replace tool just cannot function. Most things come back if I close it and reopen, and/or reboot (not the replace tool). I am wondering if I could get back to full performance if I upgraded the CPU and/or the graphics card, or should I get a whole new computer? I would have some worries about being able to do the upgrade successfully, as I have never done that before. The most I have done is add RAM to an earlier machine. The current CPU is a Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8600K CPU @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz, and the graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB. What say those who are more knowledgeable?

Get a new one with the security chip. Then use passkeys and 2FA everywhere possible. Your money may thank you.

 

[imnontrad]

You may find the cost of the repair the same or possibly even more than just buying a new computer.

 

[JoeWras]

Every few years I google "what is a good refurbed office computer" and buy what they say. This happened a couple of weeks ago and I got a "HP ProDesk 600 G3 Desktop 3.60GHz Intel Core i7-7700 16GB RAM NO HDD" for $75 and "HP ProDesk 600 G3 Core i7-7700 3.60GHz 16GB 500GB HDD Win 10 Desktop" for $92 off Ebay. It is probably way overkill for HomeAssistant OS I'm running on the first one. I built a virtual pinball machine on the other. The power supply isn't the best for the pinball machine video card so I'm running a second one externally (just sitting on the table). Works fine though and will eventually be in a pinball cabinet anyway.

Your pinball project is cool. Does it have any way to give tactile feedback? The one thing I like about old pinball are the vibrations of everything from flippers to bumpers causing tactile feedback. And nothing like hitting the ball hard and it jumping back and hitting the glass, or the the shock through the wood cabinet from the hammer when you win a free game.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Most of us on this forum do remember when we had a computer with 16MB. "Windows 95 runs on 4MB, but runs best with 16MB, you may have to upgrade." Understandable typo. And many of us had computers with 16KB or less! (Original Apple and IBM PCs.) And the Altair? It came with 256 bytes. No K or M, not a typo. I mean, how many times can you flip those switches anyway?

I should take this memory offline to a thread about old iron. We have one somewhere opened a few years ago...

Edit: can't find it, but I know it is out there. Here's a fun substitute thread though about upgrading to Windows 10. History repeats.

Poll:How's That Windows 10 Upgrade Coming Along?

Since the big upgrade to Windows 10 has come and gone, this is an updated poll to see how that is coming along. Feel free to express the good, bad and ugly :(.

www.early-retirement.org

LOL I remember upgrading my Apple Mac to a Mac-plus around 1991. Big upgrade, the internet was introduced/installed software for the dial up. Computer had a 1 MB HD. I jumped ship to WIN 3.1 a few years later.

 

[JoeWras]

LOL I remember upgrading my Apple Mac to a Mac-plus around 1991. Big upgrade, the internet was introduced/installed software for the dial up. Computer had a 1 MB HD. I jumped ship to WIN 3.1 a few years later.

Anyone else play the modem upgrade game from the 80s through 90s? Started with 300, then kept hopping up. 1200 was amazing, until 9600 became more amazing. Then 19.2k. Wooo! I think I was ready to look at 56k, but I got a new job and they installed an ISDN line for me. Now that was something. Then ASDL. I literally have 6 dead lines in my yard from upgrades and cuts. Yesterday, I had some landscaping done and I had them carefully pull out the only active fiber line and told them they can rip away at everything else.

BTW: bought a new Lenovo laptop last month and I'm pretty darn happy. Affordable with decent specs. My 7 year old laptop will make a good Ubuntu or Mint workstation.

 

[sdtech]

I was part of a corporate test of the new idea of internet email. I was "usernumber 6". You had to cradle a phone into a box to get a signal. Like chat boxes today, you could see someone typing you an email live. Although at 300 baud you had to have patience. And we thought WOW when they upgraded to 1200 baud.

 

[HFWR]

LOL I remember upgrading my Apple Mac to a Mac-plus around 1991. Big upgrade, the internet was introduced/installed software for the dial up. Computer had a 1 MB HD. I jumped ship to WIN 3.1 a few years later.

Meg? My first “real” computer, a Tandy 1000EX, IIRC, had 4k.

 

[TickTock]

Three pictures I take on my phone now would completely fill the memory of the first computer hard drive that I had.