Should I Upgrade or Replace My Computer?
If the computer's processor is still reasonably capable and the bottleneck is storage or memory, upgrading is usually the better value option. If the processor itself is the limiting factor, no upgrade will fix that, and replacement is the more sensible path.
Good upgrade candidates
A computer with a mechanical hard drive and/or limited RAM, but a processor that was reasonably capable when new, is a strong upgrade candidate — an SSD and more memory can genuinely transform how it feels to use.
When upgrading won't help enough
If the processor itself can't keep up with modern everyday demands, upgrading storage or memory alone won't fully solve the slowness, since the processor becomes the new bottleneck almost immediately.
Working out which applies
A diagnostic assessment identifies exactly what's limiting a specific computer, which is more reliable than guessing. This page will be expanded with more detail in a future update.