Need a larger hard drive? More RAM? A faster processor? Not sure? You may not need a new computer after all; an upgrade could be the answer! We at Macrolevel could tell you when you can save money by adding newer and faster cards and components to your existing system, and when it is better to buy a new one. When an upgrade is a consideration, we will provide you with all the facts and let you determine if the upgrade investment is worth the expense.

You are advised to seek assistance before upgrading any computer system unless you are sure as to what is required. You can get advice from your experienced consultants and technicians, but in case you know what you want, you could take a look at our Store.

Why should you consider Macrolevel upgrade solutions for your business and home?

Not IT professionals, but regular home users too are looking for ways to make their budget dollars go further. The days of replacing desktop computers every two to three years are over. Businesses realize that stretching the PC lifecycle into a fourth or even fifth year means huge savings when calculated over the entire installed base.

Computers are not a throw away item. A computer need not be fully replaced every year or two to keep pace with technology. Utilizing our extensive line of desktop, workstation and server upgrades we can extend the life of a PC well beyond the supposed date of antiquation.

Technology
Macrolevel currently holds many techniques invoke to rise systems performance and usability. Our engineering team continues to design cutting edge products that will add years to your PC, MAC and server, as well as increase overall system speed and power.

Upgrades fall into one of two categories:

• Features - for example, if you upgrade your CD burner to a DVD burner, you'd be upgrading your system's features.
• Performance - if you replace your Celeron 700 MHz, say, with a Pentium 4 @3GHz you'd be upgrading your system's performance.

Typically, Features upgrades are easier to justify than Performance upgrades, but Performance upgrades tend to be more prevalent .. hence the need for a strategy.

Goals
We at Macrolevel strive to provide an alternative solution for users to enjoy the latest computing technologies without incurring the major costs of purchasing and deploying new PCs / motherboards or other peripheral hardware. Our upgrades are used in all areas of PC "life cycle management”. Our products improve the value and re-marketability of PCs coming off lease while extending ROI in servers and workstations. Macrolevel is focused on increasing not just PC performance, but also the total value of existing hardware.

Unfortunately, slower systems mean loss of productivity, deferring the installation of operating systems or software, and general end-user dissatisfaction. With these challenges in front of them, IT professionals and consumers need to consider a right option: system enhancement with performance upgrades.

Some upgrades are more satisfying than others. Nobody enjoys spending their hard-earned money on upgrades that provide meager improvements, only to discover later they could've realized better results from a different course of action.

Specifics vary from person to person, making it difficult to craft a guide that covers every situation. Therefore this guide represents a general strategy. The best course of action will vary from user to user. It depends upon your current PC configuration & what you do with your PC.

Bright Ideas

• Internet connection: One of the biggest bottlenecks (cause for waiting) with today's PC is the Internet connection, especially for those with a dial-up connection (called a 'skinny pipe'). Therefore a broadband connection is usually the single best upgrade most users can make. Unfortunately, Cable or DSL service is not available in many areas.
• Monitor - the primary analog gateway to the digital world. As such, it's a crucial component. It's the thing you stare at whenever you use your PC. The monitor is the last place you want to skimp, which is why some people offer the following strategy for selecting a monitor:
  Find the best monitor you can afford. Buy the next-better model.
  A few things to consider when selecting a monitor:
  Size - A larger monitor offers more desktop real estate, allowing you to be more productive. Currently, 19-inch monitors hold the size/price sweet spot. If you have a 17-incher, consider an upgrade. If you have a 15- incher (or less), strongly consider an upgrade. Some may even want to consider a dual-monitor configuration.
  Image quality - a better quality monitor typically delivers better image quality. Image quality is subjective, so try to view for yourself a monitor before upgrading. Note that graphics card will also affect image quality.
• CD/DVD Burner - If you don't have one, a CD/DVD burner will add another dimension to your PC, especially now that the prices of blank discs are so cheap. There's no reason not to have one. Most new PCs come with a DVD burner pre- installed. Note that the burning software you use is at least as important as the burner you select, and probably more so.
• Memory: More RAM is usually a good upgrade decision, especially if you have less than 512-MB, and definitely if you have only 256-MB. It depends what you do with your PC or MAC, but generally, you want at least 512-MB. 1-GB is not unreasonable in some situations (Photoshop, video-editing, audio-editing). RAM is pretty cheap right now.
• HDD: Hard drive is the other bottlenech for todays systems. HDD upgrades fall into two categories: disk space and performance.
  Disk space - If you're running out of room to store files, you can buy a larger drive (more capacity).
  Performance - Whilst the performance of RAM & CPUs are measured in nano- seconds, the performance of hard drives is measured in milli- seconds. In other words, today's hard drives are a million times slower than than your RAM/CPU .. which means, whenever your system has to read to or write from the hard drive, it doesn't matter how fast your CPU is .. the system is dependant on the speed of the hard drive (the bottleneck).
  This is why most people typically notice a greater performance improvement from a faster hard drive, than a faster CPU. Look for a drive with a low seek time and fast spindle rpm when upgrading your hard drive - both increase hard drive performance (and therefore system performance). Consider RAID solution to maximize disk drive perf.
• Graphic (Video) card: A graphics card can make a big difference in the image quality your monitor presents. As with everything else on this page, it depends on what card you currently have. But you shouldn't skimp on your gfx card. Note that some cards are good at 2D (where you are now), and suck at 3D (gaming). Other cards excel at 3D while offering poor 2D performance. So tailor your selection to your particular uses.
• CPU: Central Processor performance is typically one of the more overrated upgrades. If your CPU is less than 500MHz, consider an upgrade, especially since prices are dropping so low, as clock-rates have blown past the 3-GigaHz barrier.
  PC manufacturers like Dell & Gateway tend to categorize PC performance by the CPU included in their offerings. They tout, "You're getting a 3-GHz machine." A few years ago, this practice made more sense. But ever since CPUs reached the 2-Ghz mark, this has become is a deceptive misnomer.
  A 2-GHz machine is not twice as good as a 1-Ghz machine. 2GHz Intel Pentium M CPU is faster than 2GHz Intel Celeron in most cases. Most mass-manufactured machines are ridiculously over-powered in the CPU dept, with under-powered components. Balance is the key.
  As indicated above, there are many other factors more important than CPU speed. This is not saying that CPU speed is unimportant, but it's certainly no longer a prime consideration. CPU power is more important for CPU-hungry tasks such as 3D rendering, encoding, compiling.
• Sound: most PC speakers sound terrible, and built-in audio chips offer only basic functions and quality. You can get great-sounding speakers one high-end sound card for cheap these days. If you spend a lot of time listening to music on your PC, or you'd like to edit your videos and plays with your old vinyl records, those items should be moved up a few notches. If you have a broadband connection, it's more likely that speakers will be more important, cuz you'll be more likely to listen to Internet music.

Of course, upgrading your skills will always pay the richest digital dividends. Don't forget a comfortable chair, and other ergonomic factors.

Ready to discuss your system(s) performance and functionality upgrade? Contact Macrolevel today!