Your PC has been with you through thick and thin, countless gaming marathons, and even more Netflix binges. But much like a favorite sweater that’s seen better days, there comes a time when your computer just can’t keep up anymore.
You’re CPU-limited in Games
PC gaming is a labor of love, or perhaps a labor of “I-just-want-to-crush-my-enemies-in-4K”. But when your once mighty machine starts to choke on those pixelated foes, it’s a telltale sign that your CPU might be struggling to keep up.
While graphics can be dialed all the way down to the “potato” setting, there no way to cut down many CPU-dependent features, like physics or AI. This means there’s a point where your frame rate is determined by your CPU as your GPU sits around twiddling its thumbs. So either crank up the graphics and bear with whatever frame rate your creaky old processor can manage, or prepare yourself for some CPU shopping.
You Spend Time Waiting For Mundane Tasks
Remember when you could switch your PC on and then instantly dive into browsing or working? If your morning routine now includes switching your PC on, brewing a pot of coffee, taking a quick jog around the neighborhood, and THEN coming back to a ready desktop, your PC might need either maintenance or an upgrade.
Even seemingly mundane software like web browsers, word processors, and your operating system, keep getting more sophisticated under the hood, which means you may need to beef up some components. While you may immediately think it’s a CPU or RAM issue, if your computer is still rocking a spinning-rust mechanical hard drive, replacing it with an SSD is one of the most transformational upgrades you can perform for everyday computing.
You’re Losing Software Support
Software evolves faster than a Charmander with a fistful of fire stones. So if your PC can’t run the latest OS update or your favorite software has stopped providing updates for your old system, you might have to face up to the fact that you need to make some changes.
The most infamous recent example might be Microsoft dropping support for otherwise perfectly good CPUs when it launched Windows 11, and with Windows 10 quickly heading towards its final support date as of this writing, plenty of people may find they need new hardware. Alternatively, have you considered switching to Linux?
Your PC Is Always Loud and Hot
A bit of a warm PC is not an issue. However, if your computer seems to be auditioning for the next installment of ‘Fast and Furious’ with roaring fans and heating like a stovetop, it’s a signal you shouldn’t ignore.
It might just be that you need to scrape off the old thermal paste and finally blow the dust out of your fans, but it might also be that your computer is now running at 100% to keep up. If the latest software apps or video games are making your CPU act like it’s running Prime95 on a loop, it may be time to open your wallet again.
You’re Constantly Running Out of Space
Modern life is digital, and all those photos, files, and games need space. If you’re deleting more files than you’re saving, it’s a clear sign that your storage solution is as cramped as a New York studio apartment slash pizzeria broom closet.
Every file type seems to be getting bigger and bigger, as more data is stuffed into everything from photos to video files. If you’re a gamer, you’ve probably noticed video game install sizes exploding, with modern AAA titles weighing in at over 100GB. Since most people probably have SSDs with a terabyte or less of space, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for much!
While the need to upgrade seems to be getting less and less pressing as time goes by, nothing lasts forever, so remember the good times, take your trusty PC out to pasture, and let it retire on a farm with all the other PC good boys.
