PC worth upgrading or replace?

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Ultimate Geek
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EMT (R)

#2919389 27-May-2022 11:41

You have 16gb Ram which is great.

Yes, replace the Spindle with a SSD, you will get a noticeable improvement.
Get a 512gb SSD no smaller - even know you have very little data, - you need the size for optimum speed.
(going smaller significantly harms performance, due to how SSDs work with channels/chips) [for example, a 128SSD can be slower than a spindle drive....]

DON'T get anything that says QVO

Stick with MLC/TLC/V-Nand.

Regards AVs
Yes Microsoft Defender is fine, but if your committee says otherwise, then you are forced to have something else as well.

I'd suggest the following.
NOT AVG, McAffee, Norton

I would suggest maybe Eset or Trend for your 2nd AV

concordnz

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Ultimate Geek
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EMT (R)

#2919390 27-May-2022 11:43

Oh, and simply Cloning the drive is best for your situation.
You don't need the pain of a full reinstall,
I can guarantee it won't be simple in your circumstances. :)

1101

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#2919395 27-May-2022 11:55

SSD's : stay with the well known brands if you can. Samsung, Intel. Perhaps Kingston, WD , Seagate

Most of the failed SSD's Ive have been the cheaper brands, Adata ,Crucial etc.

More failed Crucial than all the others combined :-( It could be as thats whats in many of the PC''s we've sold . Id never buy one now.

RollyShed

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#2919400 27-May-2022 11:59

1101:More failed Crucial than all the others combined :-( It could be as thats whats in many of the PC''s we've sold . Id never buy one now.

Oh!

How old or how long have they been going, the ones you've dealt with?

I've never had a problem with them but that's not to say I won't get a heap of failures one day.

xpd

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#2919412 27-May-2022 12:38

Ive got a Crucial BX500 in front of me right now. Been fine so far.

XPD / Gavin

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kiwifidget

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#2919423 27-May-2022 13:27

You guys are funny!

I thought this SSD...

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/HDDSAM62720/Samsung-870-EVO-500GB-SSD-Samsung-V-NAND-SATA-III

I know those AiO cases are a PITA to get in to.

I did my mum's one quite a few years ago, and it was a nightmare.

You almost have to break it in half to get the back off.

That's why I was considering out-sourcing that bit.

Thanks for the advice re AVG.

It's good to know that in-built Windows AV is considered good enough these days for a public machine.

I have limited experience with Eset, but have used Sophos quite a bit when I was a sysadmin.

And its free offering is not too shabby if I recall.

Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!

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RollyShed

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#2919430 27-May-2022 13:49

If you think that is hard, try getting into some laptops. They range from one screw to get to the HD to the worst which had 20 screws on the bottom, 5 under the keyboard and then a "crowbar" to prise it apart enough to get at the HD and swap it for an SSD.

APC magazine (I think it was that one) does reviews each year on a range of things. Their virus checking reviews for free checkers have gone from Windows own checker, Defender(?), the worst to now about the best.

xpd

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#2919450 27-May-2022 14:36

Had an old Mac laptop given to me years ago...... needed a new HDD. I swear I took out 80 screws, and I still had at least another 30 to go. And that was following the official service manual.

I gave up and sold it as it.

XPD / Gavin

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darylblake

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#2919461 27-May-2022 15:25

I would suggest maybe Eset or Trend for your 2nd AV

These days, you should get security software. I have business info on my main machine.

Have been very happy with ESET. I bought the Advanced Protection.

https://www.eset.com/nz/

If you buy 2 or 3 years lic you get a discount.

RollyShed

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#2919464 27-May-2022 15:31

darylblake:Have been very happy with ESET. I bought the Advanced Protection.

Oh well, that's a hundred dollars a year I'm saving by not needing it. Two SSDs a year.

Behodar

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#2919466 27-May-2022 15:34

xpd:

Had an old Mac laptop given to me years ago...... needed a new HDD. I swear I took out 80 screws, and I still had at least another 30 to go. And that was following the official service manual.

I gave up and sold it as it.

Frustrating, isn't it? My first Mac laptop was about 20 years ago and at that time you could pop the keyboard off by pulling two tabs, revealing the RAM, HDD, internal PCMCIA expansion slot... and these days it's 500 screws. Apparently the newer machines have glue as well (!).

Edit: Apple even used to champion this stuff... https://i.imgur.com/2nFDv1i.jpg