5 things to know when replacing computers

Computer problems can be very frustrating, as you may know all too well. This is especially the case when your computer crashes or you retire your old one and shop for a new one. Thus, here I share some tips to consider when you’re weighing your options:

Don’t go too cheap. Though you can find new computers as low as $250, keep in mind that you tend to get what you pay for. The cheaper the computer, the slower the computer generally will be. Cheaper computers also usually offer less ports and are less likely to be upgradable in the future.

I usually suggest budgeting for at least $500 to $600 dollars for a new computer and about $150 additional if you need a new monitor, keyboard, and mouse. If this is out of your price range, I suggest buying a good refurbished computer for $300 or more.

Computers in the price range I mentioned are typically similar across the different brands and models. Pretty much any computer in that range will be fine for anyone doing basic browsing, emailing, simple photo/video editing and playing simple games. If you plan to do a lot of intensive work on the computer, like play graphic-intense games or regularly edit large videos for instance, you might consider a more expensive and higher performing computer.

Consider forgoing the all-in-ones. When shopping you might come across all-in-one computers, where the computer is built into the monitor. Though these may seem convenient, it usually makes repairing and servicing more difficult than traditional PCs where the tower and monitor are separate. Thus I generally recommend the latter to ease the difficultly and cost associated with any future repairs.

Get good virus and malware protection. No matter how new a computer is, it still has the same (or even more) chance of becoming infected with viruses and malware. Thus ensure you have good antivirus and anti-malware programs installed right away. My favorites are Bitdefender Internet Security (www.bitdefender.com) and Malwarebytes Anti-malware (www.malwarebytes.org).

Properly dispose of your old computer. You don’t want to just throw your old computer out to the curb right away. Perhaps ensure it’s truly trash and can’t be repaired, refurnished or donated. I’ve seen many customers get told by a friend, family or even a untruthful computer professional that their computer has crashed and is trash, where it could have been fixed fairly economically.

If the computer truly isn’t worth fixing, I recommend pulling out the hard drive inside. You should either properly wipe the data off of the hard drive or physically damage it so the data can not be recovered by anyone else that gets a hold of it. Perhaps save the hard drive for when you’re angry next and take a hammer and/or drill to it.

Get professional help when needed. As I always recommend, get professional advice and help if you aren’t completely sure of what to do. A computer professional can help evaluate any current computer and what work it might take to get it running. They can also discuss the options if it comes to getting a new computer, and then also help properly get rid of your old computer.