As software developers continue to improve their products, you may find that your laptop is not keeping pace with the changes in its current configuration. Because of this, you are faced with the choice of either buying a new laptop or upgrading the components to get the features you want. Go to any computer manufacturer's website and you can quickly see that the cost of a new laptop may be 50 percent higher or more than that for a comparably equipped desktop system. Consider upgrading laptop components if it is cheaper and it is possible. Other People Are ReadingHow to change a CPUHow to Find Out the Maximum Number of RAM Gigs My Laptop Can RunHow Do I Know If a Graphics Card Is Compatible With My Laptop?How Can I Tell If My Dell Laptop Has a Wireless Card?Instructions Things You'll NeedManufacturer's technical specification sheetManufacturer's hardware installation manualHardware profiling utility program1Determine what components you want to upgrade (for example, processor, screen, video card, memory, hard drive, CD/DVD drive) and make a note of them. 2Review the manufacturer's technical specification sheet that came with your laptop installation documentation to determine its configuration. The technical specification normally lists the maximums for component upgrades as well as the shipped configuration. You can download the technical specification sheet for your laptop from the manufacturer's website or ask a technical support representative to send it to you. 3Run a hardware profiling utility such as Belarc Advisor or LookInMyPC on your computer to profile your laptop in its current configuration. Make a note of any differences between the technical specification and the profile. 4Review the manufacturer's hardware installation manual that came with your laptop to find the component replacement instructions. You can download a copy of the manual from the manufacturer's website or ask a technical support representative to send it to you. If there is no instruction for the component replacement, that means an upgrade is probably not possible. You can consult with an authorized computer repair technician to confirm this. 5Get pricing for the components you want to upgrade and compare the total amount to the cost of a comparably equipped new laptop. If there is only a small difference between the two amounts, it may be that buying a new laptop is a better idea than upgrading the existing one. ReferencesComputer Buy Advice: Desktop vs Laptop ComparisonPC Magazine: Upgrade Your Laptop"Upgrading and Repairing Laptops"; Scott Mueller; 2005ResourcesBixNet: Laptop Upgrade Parts GuideBelarc AdvisorPC Magazine: Upgrade Your LaptopMore Like ThisHow to change a CPUHow to Find Out the Maximum Number of RAM Gigs My Laptop Can RunHow Do I Know If a Graphics Card Is Compatible With My Laptop?
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