Many users find themselves stuck with a computer that isn't giving the performance that the want or need, but don't have enough money to buy a entire new system. But what most people don't know, is that by upgrading the components in a system, almost anyone can increase performance without buying a whole new system. Eventually everyone will have to purchase a new computer system. However with a little money now, you can greatly improve the performance of your present system.

First, you need to decide on how much money you are willing to spend, and most importantly, what you will use the computer for. Companies like Intel that produce processors, and faster systems, want you to think that what you have isn't enough and that you need a new computer. (Hey that's the way they make their money)

First, before you start to upgrade, you need to consider what you plan to use you computer for. Usually, there are three main types of computer users:

• The business user who just uses a computer for applications such as word processing and maybe e-mail.

   

• People who work in the computer industry creating new software, or high-end graphics.

   

• Gamers who are looking to play with the best quality they can, experienced computer and internet users, and people in business working on multimedia presentations.

As you can probably guess, the second and third groups use their computers fairly often and there are many ways for each group to upgrade their computer systems.

Business users who just use applications for everyday work don't need a high-end computer system. A Pentium 100 based system will meet all their needs. The other two groups will most likely need to upgrade now or sometime in the future. They have the option of getting a entire new system, or if they don't have enough money, they can upgrade their systems component by component. This will save money, and depending on the quality and performance of the components they purchase, some upgrades may be able to be transferred to a new system when one is purchased.

When looking to buy new components for your computer, the internet can be a great buying resource. Some of the best deals can be found on the internet if you know where to look. Also, there is a large used hardware market. If you don't mind if something isn't brand new, you usually can get a good deal on something that has been briefly used. Also, if the component that you replacing isn't too old, you might be able to sell it used, for some extra cash.

When most people think about dealing on the internet the first thing that comes to mind is the possibility that they might send their money or credit card number to someone and get ripped-off. Unfortunately this is possible, but there are many ways to avoid it. One of the more common traps which catches comsumers is completey legal, but happens due to lack of comsumer attention.

When you purchase a product from a mail-order company one of the things you should check is there return policy. It is possible for people to make mistakes when buying hardware. Good mail-order companies should have a police that lets you return products within 30 days of your purchase and you only lose the money for shipping. But several mail-order companies will charge at least a 15% restocking fee. Often, you can get a better deal from companies that have restocking fees, but you should be totally sure of what you are buying. Also, check their policy on returning defective hardware, I haven't seen a restocking fee added for defective products ever, but you never know