Computers nowadays are getting more and more expensive. Its prices have only gone up because of the global chip shortage. Even if you’re due for an upgrade from your slow, outdated, and old PC, it’s getting even harder to justify spending so much. However, you might have no choice but to buy one. Since you’re going to end up spending a fortune anyway, you could go all out on the parts and opt for those that can last you for a very long time.
You’ll want to get every penny out of your money’s worth on your new computer. That means having it up and running and serviceable for as long as it possibly can. Of course, there’s no sure or guaranteed way to achieve this. However, there are many preventive measures that you can do to minimize the chances of your computer slowing down or breaking apart. Here is a guide through the steps you can take to extend your computer’s life.
Investing in Knowledge First
Before you start taking your computer apart, the life-extending methods may require some level of technical know-how and a grasp of small tools. If you feel that these are way out of your capabilities, avoid doing them yourself. You wouldn’t want to risk damaging it and losing your important files, especially if you use the gadget for business. Approach the professionals at a computer repair service center who can do all these for you.
Clean and Pristine
Almost all computers get dirty over time. It’s usually because of dust buildup in the fans inside of it. While modern computers already have dust filters included, they can quickly accumulate dust to a point where they aren’t effective anymore. As a consequence of ineffective filters, the fans in your computer will move air less efficiently. That can slow down your computer’s performance and make it run significantly hotter.
Both are detrimental to its health and longevity. You should always check if your computer is starting to get dusty both inside and out. If you find that dust buildup is present, clean it off immediately.
If you can, regularly cleaning your computer around once or twice a month can help keep it running cool and smooth. And if you want to give it a deep clean, you have the option of taking apart your computer and cleaning each of its components individually. Doing so will ensure that all the parts of your computer won’t run into any issues caused by dust and thermal challenges.
Breathing Room
As we just mentioned above, your computer has fans inside them that help it stay within operational temperatures. And they manage to do that by blowing out the heat your PC produces and replacing it with cool air that it pulls from outside the case.
With that said, you must allow your computer to have enough open space for breathing room on all sides that a fan is present. Try to ensure that your computer isn’t right up against a wall on each of its sides so that the fans won’t choke and have trouble pulling in cool air.
Power Safely
Power surges are one of the most common reasons computers or a specific part suddenly dies. An abrupt surge or loss of power can damage them or render them unusable. Although, nowadays, modern computer parts already have surge protection and safety measures built into the hardware. However, they only protect the physical components of your computer. It doesn’t protect your files, documents, or whatever you’re working on before a power surge or outage happens. Luckily, there is a way to get around such a challenge.
A backup uninterrupted power supply is just the right tool for the job. It works as a backup battery for your computer. Depending on what model you choose, it can buy you a couple of minutes to save your work before completely shutting off. If the computer parts you currently have don’t have any safety measures for such events, uninterrupted power supplies also have surge protection.
All-Around Protection
While most of what we’ve mentioned so far are ways to extend your computer’s life at the hardware level, we’ll now move to at least one software solution. Those are in the form of anti-virus and anti-malware programs.
The problem with harmful malware is that you’re never sure what they’re doing to your computer. Some viruses and malware help their creators gain access to your computer. Once they can do that, they can hijack your computer to work for them without you knowing. It makes your whole system run harder and pushes it to the limit, making it degrade faster.
To avoid this, make sure to install anti-virus and anti-malware software from trusted brands as soon as you get your computer. They can help you identify or prevent an attack from viruses and malware before they can do any damage to it.
There are so many ways to prevent things that can degrade the performance of your computer or damage it. Make a habit out of making checks on your system regularly, both at the hardware and software level, so that you can keep it at its tip-top shape. It’s in these precautionary measures that you can expect excellent performance from your computer for a long time.
