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Depending on the Age of your Desktop and the cooling requirements you can just gut it and replace all new to the biggest and best(that you can afford).
If it is a Latop you can buy new for the hardware then strip the garbage preinstalled programs or just do a drive wipe and a clean instal.
I have not found a Decent White box laptop parts supplier.
or
buy refurbished and hope you don't get back one with the same problem it was sent back for.
You can find some decent prices that way.
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Are you daft? I haven't purchased a new PC since 1993. When the old one no longer works with current tools, I build a new one. Since I'm not currently developing any new apps, the tools I have aren't being upgraded and I expect this 7 yo machine to continue serving me nicely for some time yet. 
Will Rogers never met me.
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I too have not purchased an off-the-shelf system since the early 90's; I build all my own machines.
The difficult we do right away...
...the impossible takes slightly longer.
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Sometimes a shiny new bare-bones machine. This is from the sweet-spot in the market - $250 or so, which stays pretty consistent over the years.
Recently, a few refurbs (my upscale laptop because new is too expensive, cheap-o for Mrs. Wife as it's just a browser/email/text-editor for her/A duel-core box w/Video card as a TV-Set server)
The last of these seemed to be the only way to get a cheap HDMI-ready video source for my living-room PC. I was looking at (new) CuBox-i4x4 but it seems to not be very available, and the new HDMI PC-sticks, but all had lousy O/S's (Intel's Linux stick is no longer available). The Refurbed Dell will also serve to turn the TV into a full-blown PC when I need it - like working from home whilst lazing in a recliner.
I tend to keep them a long time - most things I do don't require high horsepower (not a gamer for many a year, nor do I do video editing). The odd cleanup and they last a really long time. Upgrades rare as I usually do that to start so I can try to wear-out the extra RAM, etc.
Donations, however, will be cheerfully accepted in order that I might learn the error of my ways for not buying the latest and greatest.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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This problem is real.
The last time I upgraded my PC (Dell Precision M6600, i7Core, 32GB Ram, Dual 1TB SSDs),
it took me nearly 80hrs to deal with moving all of my software and development environments.
The cost of moving the software FAR EXCEEDS the hardware costs.
Currently, it would take a LOT less. We started back then using VMs for older development environments we have to support. And all new development is done INSIDE of VMs. We also have other VMs for specific Databases.
We rebuilt a developer machine in no time. We are talking 8hrs. Probably spread over 2-3 days when the developer gets it, and sets up email, office, etc.
The problem now is that I don't see MUCH improvement in future machines to justify the expense of the upgrade. So Much so, we have a few spare M6600s floating around, when this one fails, I will simply move the drives over, move the memory and move on.
Gone are the old days of buying a new computer and SpeedTest shows a 36 TIMES FASTER score! The peripherals are getting faster. But my CPU rarely goes about 10% as it is.
Of course, my drives are getting full. Luckily the 2TB SSDs will upgrade easily
(Unfortunately, my NAS box looks old/small at 15TB to back it up to)
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Kirk 10389821 wrote:
The last time I upgraded my PC (Dell Precision M6600, i7Core, 32GB Ram, Dual 1TB SSDs),
Nice spec. I'd guess that'd have run to around 2500-3500? Work machine?
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Well, I bought 16GB from Dell, and ONE SSD (256GB)
But it was still > 3,000 back in the day!
I added the other 16GB immediately.
Once I realized how fast the SSDs were, I moved to 512, then to 1GB.
I use them as my ANNUAL Backups. Literally clone the drives to larger drives,
and set them aside.
Once you go SSD you can't go back!
But still, consider 80hrs of moving/installing software, finding licenses, etc.
at even $100/hr that's DOUBLE the price of the computer! Not worth the downtime.
But it is a SWEET machine. Newegg sells refurbs that only go to 16GB for about $650.00
which is a bargain. I have a spare sitting on a shelf. It is about the same price to
have DELL support for 3 more years. Hmmm.
I just looked at the 2TB SSD. Probably by June/August the price will be ~ $500. I will
replace my D: drive and double its storage. It has 20% free space now. If I really needed it,
I would by it now, but $863 is like the price of my 1TB when I first bought it! LOL.
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Yeah SSDs are totally worth the money
How about video cards? Do you spend upwards of 1K on high end cards?
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Nah.
First, I have a laptop (mobile workstation).
Second, I am a business user, the last time I played a PC game with graphics it was Duke Nukem or Descent. A LONG time ago.
I want graphics to be fast enough, but insanely fast graphics doesn't impact performance for me.
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I occasionally do video editing (family and friends, birthday parties, etc.). I don't play games really. So that's my video card requirement situation basically
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With laptops, I just get a newer faster one. With desktops, I add memory, get faster SSDs, newer video cards etc. My desktop buy-new cycle is closer to 4/5 years, compared to the laptop cycle which is usually 2-ish years.
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I understand that SSD has a life time. Do you experience any failure of SSD? How long does the SSD takes before it becomes malfunctioned?
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I have never had an SSD die on me. Recent advances in SSDs make them as reliable as hard drives, for most practical purposes. Lots of pro-level hosting servers have started using SSDs in RAID configurations.
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Nish Nishant wrote: Recent advances in SSDs make them as reliable as hard drives, for most practical purposes.
That's true. I read a review on Tom's Hardware where they wrote hundreds of terabytes to some SSD's before they started to show wear.
The difficult we do right away...
...the impossible takes slightly longer.
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I know that I am splitting hairs, but I build my own machines rather than buying them off the shelf. I have never been satisfied with a pre-built machine before.
Off the shelf PCs do not have the same amount of flexibility as a machine you built yourself. You know exactly what components are going in there, and you will tend not to cut corners. There is also a satisfaction of building your own that you just won't feel when buying it from a PC reseller.
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Same here. Have built my own for the last 20 years.
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP.
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Another reason to build one yourself is simply the bloatware that comes with pre-built computers. It's used to be manageable, but lately it's gotten to the point where it's almost impossible to get rid of the bloatware without a clean install, and it just hinders the computer far too much with useless programs.
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Agreed, and I've done that for the most part with desktop machines (besides the ones a client of mine used to send me!)
However, I also really like working on a laptop, even as a desktop. Built in battery backup, I use a "Plugable USB" device to add a couple big monitors when working at home, it's quiet, and I'm not complaining about 16GB, 8 core, 256GB internal SSD with 512GB external SSD on a USB 3 port. It's "only" 2.3Ghz, zippy enough for me!
Marc
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... and beg for the simple tools needed to do their bidding.
We recently upgraded my group's development machines to 16GB of RAM so we could run VS2015. Our current efforts use VS2008  .
I'm going to change my name to Dobby.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I do a check to identify what the cause of the problem...
Depending on the parts need replacing I may buy a new one, but may also buy only parts...
(I always buy my new ones as parts too anyway)
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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I do believe in this statement: "An attention to strive after technology is a pipe dream." (author: Maciej Los)
So, it depends on these factors:
1) how many modifications is necessary to run tool?
2) do i need to change a tool right now or can i wait yet?
3) how much it costs?
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I run a PC repair / networking shop with my wife.
People are forever dropping perfectly good (Better than ours sometimes) laptops on us in a fit "I'll just buy a new one" because of a dead drive or other minor inconvenience and they were just waiting for half an excuse.
I went from a Pentium mobile to a dual core to an i3 this way. The I3 cam from an elderly man who said "This just doesn't work right, you all want it?" - Um yeah. So far so good although it might have a problem on CompuServe, I don't now.
My wife has a Asus Zen book (Apple Wannabe) with back-lit keyboard and SSD drive. The SSD drive failed in it so the customer abandoned it here.
I am waiting for an I7 with a back lit keyboard now.
Although we NEVER lie to the customers. We don't have to. They do this all by themselves. But we do have a joke here when working on a sweet machine with the malware du jore, "Oh it's hammered" 
While the cobbler's children here have no shoes, we have some decent pc equipment.
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See, I don't charge myself for MY time.
Years ago, wealthy friends had a problem I fixed. They referred me to an even wealthier family.
Don King was a neighbor. HUGE houses, etc.
I came in as a favor. I don't normally do this. The machine was fine, the wife spent 4 years installing EVERY piece of software she could find. The hard drive was half dead. The machine had a restore Original OS feature built in.
So, I tell them. I will put a new HD in it, and restore the EMPTY OS, you re-install AOL and your other stuff. It is the most efficient way to do this. I charge my full rate to sit here and wait for downloads, and install and configure your software. It will cost 2 TIMES what the computer can be purchased for.
Their response: Then we still have to re-install all of that software. So just fix it.
It took forever. Downloading AOL over the phone, etc.
When I was finishing up, I asked for the Check, gave them the invoice. This was 3 evenings of work.
From after my day job until midnight or later. It was a PAIN. They were nice (the wife was).
But on that night, the husband had a few drinks and WENT OFF on me. He wrote the check. I finished, and I swore I would NEVER help people again with hardware issues!
The problem really is that you need a cheap employee (like I was a ComputerLand) to do the actual work. Just a really smart person to guide them. Otherwise it is hard. And it is expensive.
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