Should I upgrade my computer or get a new one?

Question

I have an eMachines T3985. Should I get a new computer or upgrade this one?

this is a desktop

Answer 1

I had an Emachines DT and could not wait for something to happen so I could buy a new laptop. Yes go laptop.

Answer 2

Upgrading depends on your intended use.

Standard Memory 512 MB (removable)
Maximum Memory 2.0 GB
Memory Expansion 2 sockets
Model Comments 533MHz FSB, Intel 865GV Chipset.
Memory Comments PC2700 DDR SDRAM DIMMs.
Processor 2.93GHz Intel Celeron D 340

The eMachines T3985 is a "value" system. An automotive allegory would be a Chevy Cavalier VL (value leader) of the late 1980's... 4 cylinder, 5-speed stick, no a/c, rubber floor mats instead of carpet, and an AM radio... At a cheap price. It got you from point A to point B, but beyond that, nothing.

Your eMachines has a Intel Celeron processor.... A big negative. A Celeron is pretty much a Pentium CPU with the cache missing or disabled. That's about like a V/6 motor with two cylinders missing. It looks like a V/6, but runs like a four-banger. It's possible to upgrade the Celeron to a legitimate Pentium, but the costs start adding up fast.

Another drawback is the lack of an AGP graphics slot. Assuming the motherboard is a standard ATX design, the only way to upgrade your graphics is to change the whole motherboard and CPU. This is getting expensive.

The standard memory can be upgraded to 2 GB. I cannot find any documentation to verify this, but the Intel Pentium-D 805 processor should work as a replacement for the Celeron. A standard ATA/EIDE hard drive will swap right in, with 250 GB drives available for under $100. If you do the work yourself, you are looking at about $350 or so for the parts.

If you have to swap motherboards, you can easily add another $150 for the board, $125 for a video card, and another $100 for the faster memory.

Worthwhile? If you are surfing the Internet, checking e-mail, and churning out the occasional Word document or Excel spreadsheet, it will work just fine.

I can tell you what it won't do. Don't even think about running Windows Vista. It won't handle high-end gaming like Doom3, Halo 2, or similar graphics-heavy software. It will do little more than what it already does... Just a little faster.

For my money, replacement would be the best choice. If you have a reputable local "white box" computer vendor, they can assemble a really nice machine for under $1,000, and send you home with Windows XP Professional instead of Vista. If you shop name brand, you'll be stuck with Vista, sad to say.

Meanwhile, a larger hard drive and taking the memory up to 1GB would still make the eMachines a nice backup system for e-mail and web browsing, or a great way to keep kids and/or roommates off your new computer.

The bottom line: Because of the lack of AGP graphics support, a serious upgrade is not likely to be cost effective.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Really depends what you use it for. One thing I would try before buying a new one would be to refromatt the hard drive and reinstall windows. But again If you are just using it for internet and e-mail then it's not worth it to do either. If you are a gamer I would probaly get a new one, since this one just uses a celeron.

Answer 4

haha yes definately get a new computer it not worth upgrading

Answer 5

dude, get a NEW computer!!! that is soo old! get an iMac or a HP. I strongly recommend Macs though.

Answer 6

One word. Celeron. It should be a crime to put that piece of (enter explative here) in a pc.

Answer 7

Depends on what you are going to do with it and what problems you are facing with the old one.

Answer 8

One disadvantage of an e machine is that it's hard to up grade it.

Answer 9

oh heck!!! get rid of that piece of wal-mart crap. I won't even let an e-machine in my shop.

Answer 10

Sure,I don't see why not. I'm running 2GB Ram in mine.