As soon as the new computer smell is gone.
When TSA calls me next week to tell me that, shockingly, no Good Samaritan turned in the laptop I left behind at the security checkpoint on Thursday, it will be time to buy a new computer. :mad:
Another person saying that needing frequent reboots is rarely a hardware problem. And I am definitely against getting a new computer for software problems–unless, of course, you plan on letting me have the old one (something that used to happen to me a lot). Chances are that it’s better than mine.
I actually have a homebuild, so when I say “buy a new computer” it’s more like “buy a new component to swap out of the existing computer.” I also maintain my computer’s health and software with a multitude of cleanup programs and registry fixer-uppers so it doesn’t bog down. I’ve been running the same OS installation on the same hard drive without a wipe since 2005.
Love it!
I’m reporting back but it’s not my thread so I started a new one.
You could find an ide external enclosure, an adapter, or a pci ide card. Any of those would let you hook that drive up to another machine if you really need that information and have solid recovery software.
I just got a new one, but the old one:
- had originally cost 200€,
- went bonkers any time I moved it (a problem as I move often),
- had already had repairs to the tune of 60€,
- and had just received a budget for a new repair, for 158€.
So yeah, asking a friend “gee, do you think I should just toss it” was basically an excuse to chat. If it hadn’t been for that fragility, it would’a been chugging along for a long time - I hope the next one does.
If there’s a significant amount of new games that I want to play, but my computer can’t run them, it’s time to upgrade.
I have upgraded some of the components of my computer (bigger faster HD, new GFX card), but otherwise have had this comp for about 4 years. I want the new Sim City and the new X-Com at some point this year (birthday hint, birthday hint!), and I’m pretty sure my current comp (self built) will run both of them. So I’m not planning on upgrading anytime soon.
Note that I don’t play too many FPS games, which tend to have the highest reqs (or is that not true anymore?), and I don’t play THAT many new games. The last few games I’ve played are:
Anarchy Online (came out in 2000 or 2001, and the graphics look it)
Diablo 3
Guild Wars 2
Might and Magic collection (the first 5 games)
Wizardry Collection (the first 6 games)
Some small “indie” games (Jets and Guns, Trine, Eschalon)
The original X-Com games (bought the collection cheap on Steam)
Grand Theft Auto 4
Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas
some other really old games I bought on GoG
I just bought a new one last week. I started smelling smoke come out of my 7 year old desktop. I opened up the case and the fan had broken off my video card. I figured it wouldn’t be worth it to just replace the video card since the other components were so old.
I was replacing mine about every three years for one reason or another, but I’m hoping my last two purchases will last longer than that. The PC is a gaming computer, which means lots of storage space and lots of speed. It replaced a laptop that was only supposed to be a temporary replacement for the PC that preceded it, but ended up being our home computer for three years. Then one day I got a message that said there wasn’t enough memory left to save a document and remembered why I bought it in the first place.
The new laptop is a 17" HP, as I got tired of squinting at the eee Netbook.
That… I… I’m sorry, but…
How are the two at all equivalent? 
When my computer refuses to even turn on, if I can’t figure out why it won’t turn on it’s time for a new one if I can afford it
I’m averaging a new computer about every 7 years.