Computers display signs of failing health before flashing the blue screen of death. If it takes more time to boot up your computer than it does to brew an entire pot of coffee: that’s a warning. If you can’t use your laptop without keeping it plugged in to an outlet, it’s near retirement age. The truth is that the lifetime expectancy of a desktop computer is roughly 5 years, while laptops usually last for 3 to 4 years. Here’s a quick primer on failing computer health symptoms, along with info on replacing your current computer or laptop.

It’s easy to get attached to your current desktop computer: it’s set up to manage your workflow just the way you like it. Still, if your desktop is more than a few years old, it most likely contains an older, spinning disc hard drive. These drives deteriorate over time, and it’s usually cheaper to set up a new computer than refresh your old computer. The same applies to new solid state hard drives though not as dramatically. Solid state drives also wear out over time and on average last 5-7 years under normal use. We are starting to see solid state drives fail or cause read and write issues. Here’s a few signs that it’s time to recycle your desktop:

• Performance is notably slower: powering up and opening programs takes too long, and everything slows down when several programs are open at once.
• Installing new version of programs like QuickBooks takes an hour instead of 5 minutes.
• The fan runs much more often, and it’s so loud it’s hard to hear audio.
• Programs randomly stop working while you are using them, especially if you have a lot of programs open at the same time.

In the same fashion, our laptops also become like comfortable couches we want to own forever. But a laptop’s life span is usually a few years shorter than a desktop’s lifecycle. You might even notice that your laptop loses some efficiency after two years of use. It’s compact and sleek, but it’s not as stable as a hardy desktop. When it’s close to replacement time, you’ll notice the same issues as the ones listed above, along with your laptop battery’s inability to hold a charge without the help of a plugged-in electrical cord.

While parting with your beloved laptop and sturdy desktop feels difficult, we’re experts at making this an easy endeavor. The good news about buying a new desktop or laptop is that all are available with solid-state hard drives. We recommend that all our customers purchase computers with solid-state hard drives. Solid-state drives are more efficient and reliable, making for even better workflow. We also recommend 32GB RAM for business computers since Windows 11 and many programs (QuickBooks) are RAM hogs. Trust me: you’ll prefer working on your new computer.

Still, you’re worried that transferring all your old data will be as bad as remodeling your kitchen, with the need for a hotplate while the floor is installed. This isn’t how it works! We’re here to make that transfer easy. Usually, our techs can transfer and prep your new computer with all your workflows and programs while you’re at lunch. Then, we’ll take a bit of time with you to make sure your new computer is set up and working the way you like it. If you are setup to use Microsoft 365 and OneDrive in the Cloud the process goes even quicker today than it did in the past when everyone’s Desktop, Documents and Pictures were stored on the hard drive. It doesn’t take days and days to get a new computer. And rest assured: your old computer or laptop will be recycled and put to good use once you part ways with it. Letting go of what used to work perfectly but no longer works well enough is much easier than you think.

This post was originally published in April 2019 and it has been revised and refreshed for accuracy and relevance.