Did you know that 302 million PCs were shipped in 2020? As the COVID-19 took a grip on the world, people took the opportunity to upgrade their laptops and work from home from their laptops.
If you are considering upgrading your laptop, what do you need to know? Do the computer problems you face really warrant you getting a new machine?
If you rely on your computer for work, you will not want to wait until it breaks down to replace it.
However, equally, getting a new machine, installing your programs, and possibly getting used to a new operating system takes valuable time. How long should you wait before getting a new laptop?
Why not find out more by reading about the major signs that you need a new laptop?
Table of Contents
1. Your Laptop is Old
If you are resisting getting a new computer you are probably telling yourself that there is “nothing wrong with my current computer”. This may be true. The hard drive, screen, and software may not have suffered any failure.
However, as time passes, the drivers on your machine and the RAM in your computer along with other parts of your computer age and start to slow down.
New programs are hungry for processing power and expect that users have the latest model machines with high-speed chips.
All of this can combine to give your poor computer a hard time. This situation is not going to get better. If your computer is not keeping up with newer software and operating system upgrades, it may be time to go shopping.
The good news is that at lenovo.com you can find high-end machines at a reasonable cost. Why not take a look today?
2. You Have Water Damage
Your laptop can suffer many types of impacts and damage during its lifespan, however, nothing is as damaging as liquids.
Freak accidents such as dropping your laptop in the pool or bathtub can cause critical damage to your machines. However, other types of liquids such as spilled wine, tea, and coffee can also do life-threatening damage to your computer.
If your laptop has received this type of damage, there is little you can do to salvage it. You may be able to extract the hard drive to save your files with the help of an expert.
If you heavily depend on your laptop for your business, it may well be worth investing in special insurance that will provide cover for water damage. Sometimes computer producers will even provide this as an extra warranty option when you purchase the machine.
3. Faulty Power Button
A faulty power button can be one of the most frustrating and unexpected problems to occur on a computer. Not only do you get little or no warning, but you may also instantly lose access to the files on your hard-drive.
There are some possible workarounds such as plugging into a different power outlet or even purchasing a new power cord.
If the problem is in the switch itself it may not be too difficult to repair. A computer repair shop may be able to get the spare part quickly and easily. However, if the problem is sourced at the junction of the power button and the motherboard, you could have a more expensive problem on your hands.
At this stage, you will need to evaluate whether it is better to invest in a new laptop that will work trouble free for the duration of its warranty.
4. Hard Drive Issues
If your laptop is older, you may find that it comes with a large capacity, but slower speed. Many older HDD drives came with a generous TB capacity or larger. However, now computers are more and more packing SSD drives as standard.
SSD drives are light years ahead of HDD drive in terms of speed. It is true that they may not be as cheap as an HDD drive and provide a smaller capacity in general. However, in 2021, we benefit much more from cloud-based storage and services than in previous years. You may find that you have not actually been using the capacity that the HDD drive provides.
If you want to run processor-heavy software for your business or play HD games, you will likely need an SDD drive to do so. If you invest in an SDD, you will not regret it.
5. Overheating
Overheating is one of the most common problems for an older laptop or PC. You may not notice it when you first purchase your machine, however as the months pass by and you load more software on your machine, you will likely notice that the heat is starting to rise.
As time passes by the cooling system in your laptop or PC can start to lose efficiency. Add to this the dust that builds up in the vents and cooling fan. All of these contribute to an overheating laptop.
Unwanted heat is very damaging to computers and their internal parts. In conjunction with other problems, it can often mean the end of its life. While there are some ways to slow the process, heating is inevitable for most computers.
If you notice that your fan is screaming and that your computer cannot get rid of the heat fast enough, it may be time to start backing up your files and look for a new machine.
6. Screen Issues
The screen on your computer is one of the most valuable and fragile parts of your setup. However, years of use can take their toll. Older screens can start to develop poor connections with the computer motherboard itself. This can lead to flickering or delay in responding when you open your laptop lid.
In other cases, a heavy impact may have led to a crack on the screen. As you will know from any type of crack, further pressure or stress can lead to the crack increasing and widening. Even a small crack will eventually start to prevent you from reading details easily.
While it may be possible to repair some of these issues, it takes time. If your computer is older and has other problems, you may want to evauate whether you need a new one.
7. Malfunctioning Keyboard
Annoying. If you have had the misfortune of working with a malfunctioning keyboard, you know that this is the only word for it. Whether the issue is a repeating key that seems to type by itself or a key that requires more pressure than normal to perform, the problem can truly be maddening.
The causes of these problems could be hardware, that there is damage to the connections of your keyboard, Or it could be software related or even as a result of a virus.
Regardless of the source of the problem, you will be without your computer while the problem is diagnosed and corrected. If the problem is software related, simply reinstalling Windows could be enough. However, if it is a hardware problem, sourcing an integrated laptop-keyboard part that meets your needs will take time and may prove expensive.
Why not take this opportunity to see what else is on the market?
8. Battery Damage
When you first purchased your laptop, you are no doubt impressed with the performance of your battery. However, even one year later you probably noticed the difference. As time passes by battery performance drops noticeably. Often this is a reason for purchasing a new laptop.
In some cases, you can access the battery, remove it and replace it easily. While it is not cheap to buy a branded replacement battery, it is still possible.
In other cases, your battery is sealed inside the casing and designed in such a way that you will not be able to access and replace it. If this is the case, it will likely require a professional to replace the battery. This may be the signal to look for a new laptop.
9. Weight
Computer technology has changed greatly in the last 10 years. Especially noticeable is the weight of computer technology. Producers have worked hard to trim any unnecessary weight from computers. You will likely notice that the screens are thinner, no DVD drives are included, and the profile slimmer in new machines.
All of this means that you can slip modern laptop computers into your bag or backpack and not feel the difference. If you travel and work from a computer, why not see if you can benefit from a lightweight machine.
How to Handle Tricky Computer Problems and Much More
Knowing when to replace your laptop or fleet of laptops is never easy. Some computer problems can easily be handled by your IT department. However, others, particularly those that are related to security will require remediation more quickly.
If you would like to learn more about IT and technical subjects, then we recommend you check out our blog. We write articles about the latest tech developments and share them each week. Why not take a look today?
