Monday 16 May 2011

Explain and Justify Improvements that could be made to a Computer System (D2)

When using old computer systems, it is important to realise how the system can be modified and modernised to improve the computer performance. The improvements to old system could include new hardware or software depending on the existing equipment and its current performance. The computers I reconfigured in the computer room hold the same hardware and software and the performance of these computers’ isn’t great. Realistically, the computers within the room all need major improvement but smaller updates can be made to improve the performance slightly.

One of the main ways of speeding up an existing system is to increase the amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) held within it. Having more RAM allows the computer to process more applications and processes at once. For users who like to have multiple applications open improving the RAM can improve the users’ use of the computer. RAM is relatively cheap and easily upgradable; therefore this simple upgrade is a brilliant way of improving an existing system.



Another improvement to make to a system could be to upgrade the Operating System used within the computer. The computers I configured were installed with Microsoft Windows XP, a 9 year old piece of software. The newer Windows 7 operating system has improved features would increase the users delight with the system. The newer operating system however requires a reasonable system to run, but a compatibility check can be found on the internet telling the user if they need to upgrade. The newer operating system can be purchased for around £100, and can be upgraded from your old system so there is no loss of documents or settings. However, a clean install can be performed meaning that the hard drive is formatted and only new data is put onto the new machine.


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