Assess Your Needs

Before you upgrade, ask yourself these five questions to figure out why you're dissatisfied and what would make you happier:

1. Do I spend too much time twiddling my thumbs while my PC processes my data?
2. Does the computer seem too slow all the time or only during certain tasks?
3. How much money can I spend?
4. What do I want to be doing with my PC next year at this time?
5. What do I want to be doing with my PC three years; clown the road?

If your computer is too slow, you should consider an upgrade (question 1). Question 2 identifies specific bottlenecks. Money, as always, dictates how much upgrading you can do (question 3). Questions 4 and 5 refer to the future. The future can be expensive if you don't account for it.