The Myth of Upgrading

Recently, I had to upgrade my computer by buying a new graphics card and processor. Since I was anticipating having the computer for quite some time, I choose to look for fairly high end components in order to make my computer last as long as possible. That it would help with my gaming was a nice side benefit. After shopping around for good deals, I ended up with an Athlon 64 X2 4200+ and a X1900 XT, considerable improvements over my previous parts which were several generations behind. The first thing I did after installing the new parts was procrastinate and load up some games to see what difference there was. To my disappointment, I noticed some benefit but hardly the massive leap that I was expecting. Madden, as far as I could tell, didn't look any better though I did have some better frame rate and no slowdown. The same when I was using other programs; some but nothing like what I thought I'd be doing. What had happened? Had I not set or installed the new components properly or install the drivers? Then I realized the reason - I'd fallen for the hype of upgrading.

As computer users and as gamers especially, we are always looking for a nice enjoyable experience. FPS and anti-aliasing may not mean much if you're playing Zuma or other casual games, but no one likes to play games when the experience is sluggish and painful to look at. And waiting for Excel or Photoshop is equally as painful when part of our productivity time spend just waiting for a program to run. Inevitably, we end up having to upgrade be it new parts or a whole new system. Whether one is looking at the high end or the low end, usually we upgrade to get major improvement. Usually we do get improvements but much of the time, it's not nearly the sort of improvement that the marketing and reviews would have you believe.

Why is this? Partially, it's a matter of what's in the system and how someone uses their system. A fast graphics card may be slowed down by a slow processor. Mismatched RAM can cause a processor to throttle down. The refresh rate and resolution of a monitor can take or put more stress on the graphics card. Someone running many programs at once has a different environment than someone who only runs one or two programs at once. These things are parts of a system so one new part will not always bring it's full benefit as it must work within a unique environment for gaming.

But it's also a matter of what companies don't say and it's that no matter how powerful a system is, that system and any other system, is still bound by one single thing that's a forgotten part of a system: the program it's running. A person may have a $10,000 system but that does not turn the original Doom into a 3D realistic first person shooter. On more recent games, the quality of the textures packaged in the game can not be improved beyond what they already are. Models can not be made with more polygons or animation systems changed. Outside of patchs and mods, games can not become more than what they were shipped with, only less.

This aspect of upgrading is why upgrading is more complex than simply buying the most expensive or most popular component on the market. For a person that plays mostly Java web games and buys games from the bargain bin, then they may never see the benefit of a powerful graphics card. Someone that runs their desktop computer as a combination media center and workstation will need a different card than someone who uses their desktop to play a few games at 1600x1200 resolution. These sorts of situations are what I ask for when people ask me what they should get when upgrading.

I also ask what their computing habits are and what their plans are for the future of the computer. What resolution do you usually run at? When you play games, are you looking for the prettiest experience, the fastest experience and don't care about the looks, or something in the middle of the road? Are you anticipating or wanting to use the system for other purposes such as 3d modelling or as a home network hub? Are you planning on upgrading another component (or the whole system) soon or do you hope to make your system last for a few years? It is these open ended questions that I find most important to giving someone advice. More so than the knee jerk first question of "What's the rest of your system like?"

So the next time you're tempted to upgrade, ask yourself questions like these and control the excitement generated by the hype. Create a plan and stick to that plan. The more you are aware of not only what it is you're trying to improve but how you are trying to improve and how you plan on using your computer, the better armed you are to combat the technobabble and the marketing jargon. Even if your decision doesn't change or you still don't know the technical details, you will be able to ask key probing questions. Most of all, be proud of what your purchase is. It may not be the worse or the best, but that's not important. It's important that it is your computer and set up for your needs, not the needs of hype.