When should you be looking to replace your laptops and desktops?
Knowing when to replace the laptops and desktops in your business can be difficult. Many business owners want to hold on to existing devices for as long as possible, which often causes businesses to wait too long until they are replaced. This can prove costly in many ways: hampering your security, productivity and more, we’ve explained it here…
Why should I replace my computer?
Now, more than ever, we rely on technology. Like many people update their mobile phones every 2-3 years, your end user devices (laptops/desktops) should be on a five-year hardware refresh cycle.
This enables staff to benefit from up-to-date devices which have the latest hardware and performance improvements necessary to handle the demands of new applications and workflows; the way we use our devices is everchanging and after 5 years, older devices may no longer be able to keep up with the demands of the modern workplace.
This timeline is often proposed as a balance between cost and performance, as devices typically start to show signs of wear after 5 years of use and the cost of repairs and maintenance of older devices can begin to outweigh the cost of purchasing a replacement.
Investing in technology can be daunting, that’s why we recommend planning ahead and budgeting for the costs to replace devices across your business once they’ve reached 5 years.
It’s also important to keep track of the devices used within your business not only for security reasons but also to ensure your colleagues have a consistent experience, no matter the device they’re working from, and their productivity isn’t being affected. As part of our IT support contracts, we monitor our clients’ systems and send monthly hardware reports highlighting their replacement status, get in touch to find out more.
We’ve listed below a few reasons businesses should refresh their devices…
Device security
Aging devices don’t always work with new security updates and/or don’t support new security measures, which can leave businesses vulnerable to cybercrime.
Moreover, aging systems can be end of life (EOL), for example older devices still running Windows 7 could fall victim to cybercrime due to Windows no longer providing security updates and patching for this operating system, read more about it here.
Updating hardware can help protect against security vulnerabilities and threats, as newer hardware is often better equipped to handle the latest security threats.
Device compatibility
Aging devices also may no longer have the specifications required for certain apps, leaving the user with either old software or unable to use certain software which can increasingly affect the users productivity and, you guessed it, leave the user with security risks as the older version may no longer be supported.
New hardware is often better suited to work with the latest software, which can help ensure that employees have access to newer tools and technologies.
Device CPU
Another aspect is the device’s CPU. New CPUs are generally released frequently and with a new release comes many improvements.
Usually, the newer the applications and software are, the more CPU power they require. This can put a strain on older CPUs and could be the cause of overheating. Also, after years of use, your devices CPU may become overworked causing a sluggish performance.
Device memory
Nowadays, most PCs have 8GB RAM as standard, whereas older PCs may have less than this. Some users may even require more than 8GB RAM, usually 16GB or 32GB if they are regularly using large applications such as video-editing software or working in large documents.
RAM allows you to do more things simultaneously, it’s where the computer stores things temporarily and each application uses RAM whilst it’s running. Hence, with more RAM the user can open more applications and tabs without the speed of the PC being affected.
Device storage
Newer PCs are also likely to have a solid state drive (SSD) for the devices storage, whereas older PCs may have the more traditional hard disk drive (HDD).
The main difference between the two is that a HDD uses mechanical system to access data while an SSD is a newer, faster device which stores data instantly, requires less power and is significantly faster. They are also shock resistant – meaning if you drop your device, there won’t be data failure.
If your device is running slowly, the device storage could be the culprit, with SSDs you can have a large capacity to store more information.
User productivity
Altogether, with a better CPU, larger RAM and an SSD, you’ll find a noticeable performance increase! With all these components, the processing of your workload will be much faster and your browser will be more responsive.
You’ll also find your devices will likely require less power, not only because the battery is not worn but also the newer components are typically more energy efficient.
Newer hardware models are also intelligently designed, they look, feel, and operate in a slick and professional fashion to enable productivity from your staff.
What should I do?
Devices with aging specifications may well be performing poorly when compared to your newer desktops and laptops and where possible, we’d suggest considering a replacement for devices aged 5 years or over.
As part of our managed services contracts, we monitor our clients’ systems and send out monthly reports regarding the replacement status of their desktops, laptops, and servers. We can also recommend a laptop/desktop with the correct specification based on our client’s requirements. Get in touch, our friendly team are happy to discuss this with you.
