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Knowing When to Upgrade
As a rule, I probably wouldn’t
build a new PC or upgrade an older one unless I’m getting at least
a factor of three or four more in performance at a reasonable cost.
So, for example, a 600 MHz system wouldn’t be changed until reasonably-priced
systems could be made or purchased that ran at 1.8 GHz to 2.4 GHz or
faster. A 2 GHz system wouldn’t be replaced until a reasonably-priced
system could be purchased that runs at 6 GHz or higher. Remember, the
longer you can put off upgrading, the more you’ll get for your
money when you finally do upgrade!
I always shake my head when someone
upgrades from a 1.7 GHz system to a 2 GHz system. Why do it? (The honest
truth is they just love toying around with new PCs!)
The only exception is when software
you want to run demands a better system. Maybe, you want to play a video-intensive
shoot-em-up game, and your system just won’t cut it. Or, maybe,
you decide you want to study database development and you install Oracle
9i on your computer, but find you need a faster PC. Possibly, you decide
to produce music videos on your PC, and you find that the best video
editing software runs much better on a faster system. But, unless the
software you desire to run demands a faster, better system, you’ll
probably do well to postpone an upgrade or building a new system until
you can get a factor of three in better overall performance.
For editing the photos in this book,
Adobe Photoshop was used on the 2000+ Athlon we built. The ultimate
level of power your computer needs is determined by what you want to
do
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How to Build Your Own PC (http://www.PCGuide.com/byop/) on PCGuide.com
Version 1.0 - Version Date: May 4, 2005
Adapted with permission from a work created by Charlie Palmer.
PCGuide.com Version © Copyright 2005 Charles M. Kozierok. All Rights Reserved.
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