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How to pick
Work out whether your machine is old or just clogged, because they look identical from the outside. A computer that was quick two years ago and crawls now is usually not worn out. The single biggest fix is swapping a spinning hard drive for a solid state one, which costs a fraction of a new machine and makes it feel new. Add memory if it has 8GB or less. Between them those two rescue most machines people are about to throw away. One caution: on most current Macs and a lot of thin laptops, both are soldered in and cannot be changed, so check your exact model before buying anything.
What I recommend
The two that actually work
Do these before you spend anything on a new machine. Check your model first, because plenty of laptops have both soldered in and cannot be changed.
NVMe or SATA solid state drive
If your computer takes minutes to become usable, this is almost certainly why. Swapping the old spinning drive for a solid state one is the difference between waiting and not waiting. Check whether yours takes an M.2 stick or a 2.5 inch drive before ordering.
- Transforms an old machine for a fraction of replacing it
- Fitting is straightforward on most desktops
- No moving parts to fail
- Some laptops have the drive soldered in
- You have to move Windows across or reinstall it
- Check which type your machine takes first
- Impact
- The upgrade people feel most
- Check
- M.2 stick or 2.5 inch drive
- Size
- 1TB is the sensible default
- Brands
- Samsung, Western Digital, Crucial
Laptop or desktop memory upgrade
If the machine has 8GB or less and bogs down whenever a few things are open, more memory helps. Look up your exact model to find what type it takes and whether it can be changed at all.
- Cheap for the improvement
- Easy to fit on most desktops
- Fixes slowdown with many tabs open
- Frequently soldered in on thin laptops
- Must match the exact type your machine takes
- Does nothing if memory was not the bottleneck
- Worth it if
- You have 8GB or less
- Check first
- Whether yours is soldered in
- Type
- Look up your exact model
- Buy as
- A matched pair where possible
Getting your files across
The bit people forget until the new drive is already in.
SATA to USB adapter
Lets you plug the old drive in over USB so you can copy everything off it before it goes in a drawer. A few dollars, and it saves the whole awkward question of how to get your files onto the new drive.
- Turns any old drive into an external one
- Also useful for checking whether a drive is really dead
- Very cheap
- Only works with SATA drives, not M.2
- No enclosure, so the drive sits bare
- Slower than the drive would be internally
- Does
- Old internal drive over USB
- Use for
- Copying files off before you wipe
- Also good for
- Testing a drive you think is dead
- Cost
- A few dollars
Related reading
Not sure if it is worth upgrading?
Send me the model and I will tell you honestly whether to spend the money on it or put it toward a new one.