Tag: buy computers

  • Is your older computer holding you back? We have a year-by-year breakdown on how your computer can breakdown with age

    Is your older computer holding you back? We have a year-by-year breakdown on how your computer can breakdown with age

    Computers and laptops are a significant investment, especially for business owners who need to supply staff with devices to work on (hardware costs typically represents a significant portion of many business owners technology budgets). You may be wondering how long that investment will last?

    Computers degrade in performance over time due to both hardware aging and software advancements that demand more resources. Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of how a computer can become less effective with age:

    Year 1

    • The computer performs optimally, handling tasks efficiently.
    • Software updates run smoothly, and the latest applications are fully compatible.
    • Cooling systems and thermal paste are fresh, keeping temperatures stable.

    Year 2

    • Newer software and OS updates begin requiring more RAM and processing power.
    • Dust accumulation in cooling fans may lead to slightly higher temperatures.
    • Battery capacity (for laptops) starts to degrade, reducing overall battery life.

    Year 3

    • CPU and GPU thermal paste may start to dry out, slightly increasing temperatures.
    • Hard drives (HDDs) may experience minor slowdowns due to wear and fragmentation.
    • Newer software and updates may introduce features that run slower on older hardware.
    • RAM usage increases, causing occasional lag in multitasking.

    Year 4

    • SSDs may start to show signs of wear (if heavily used), and HDDs may begin failing.
    • Newer graphics-intensive software and games may struggle to run efficiently.
    • The latest OS updates might no longer be fully optimized for the older hardware.
    • More frequent crashes or errors may occur due to aging components.

    Year 5

    • The cooling system may degrade, causing overheating issues and possible thermal throttling.
    • Some critical software may no longer support the aging hardware.
    • Motherboard capacitors may start to degrade, leading to instability.
    • More frequent hardware failures (e.g., failing RAM, storage corruption).

    Year 6+

    • The system may struggle with basic tasks, especially if newer web technologies or software updates demand higher specs.
    • The risk of complete hardware failure (motherboard, power supply, storage) increases.
    • Finding compatible hardware upgrades (RAM, CPU, GPU) becomes difficult.
    • Some online services and applications may no longer support the system.

    Beyond Year 7+

    • The computer may only be viable for very light tasks (e.g., basic web browsing, document editing).
    • Certain hardware components may have reached end-of-life and might not function reliably.
    • Many newer peripherals (e.g., printers, webcams) may no longer have drivers for the aging system.
    • Major security vulnerabilities arise due to the inability to install the latest OS updates.

    Regular maintenance, such as cleaning the cooling system, replacing thermal paste, upgrading RAM or storage, and switching to lightweight software, can extend the usability of an aging computer. However, at some point, upgrading to a new system becomes the more cost-effective solution.

    That’s where Valley Techlogic can help, we have offer procurement services exclusively for our customers. We can help you pick out the best devices for yourself and staff to make the most of your technology investments. Learn more about our procurement services here or reach out today for a consultation.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, leading provider of trouble free IT services for businesses in California including Merced, Fresno, Stockton & More. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on X at https://x.com/valleytechlogic and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/valley-techlogic-inc/.

  • Need computers for your office? Purchasing before the New Year could save your business a ton of money

    Need computers for your office? Purchasing before the New Year could save your business a ton of money

    Every year we promote the tax savings benefits of Section 179 to our clients, new clients are often not aware that the computer hardware (and even some software) they use in their business is a tax deductible expense. Making these purchases before year end saves them a boat load of money on the next years tax bill and effectively works as a discount on the equipment they need.

    What is Section 179? Section 179 is an immediate tax saving deduction on any depreciable asset – such as vehicles, hardware and software. Rather than depreciating these items in future tax years and having to track that, you can benefit from lowering your liability right now.

    This especially helps our clients when making larger technology purchases such as replacing aging servers. A new server can easily run $10,000 or more, but when you factor in the benefit of Section 179 it makes for a sizeable discount on a purchase of that size.

    The maximum discount for 2022 is $1,080,000, so the sky is the limit no matter what size purchase you’re planning to make. To maximize the benefits however, we do find that making these purchases at the end of the year is the most beneficial as you see the deduction much sooner when rolled into the next years taxes.

    Here’s a chart on what a $10,000 purchase would look like after utilizing Section 179:

    Of course, every business set up is different and just looking at the numbers may not give you enough of an idea of how you can use Section 179 in your business, so we also made this chart of things our clients often look to do before the year ends that may be an inspiration to you as well.

    Software is a great way to use Section 179 this year in particular, with Windows 7 and 8 for desktops and Windows Server 2012 all losing mainstream support access in 2023.

    While you’re looking to upgrade your Windows software you will probably also want to consider new hardware, the useful life expectancy for computer hardware and servers is around 5 years with typical use and any machines that came from the factory with Windows 7 or Windows Server 2012 installed will be well past that window.

    You may also not know that Microsoft has announced it will no longer allow updates for their Office suite of software on outdated machines, so the time is ticking to get those upgrades done before your office staff loses the ability to use Office software on their devices. You can learn more about the updates coming from Microsoft in 2023 with our free guide here.

    If you’re looking for assistance in procuring technology solutions for your business, Valley Techlogic can help. We have partnerships with Microsoft, Dell, and Lenovo as well as other technology vendors and can help you replace aging equipment easily before time runs out on the benefits of Section 179 this year. Reach out today to learn more.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley Techlogic, an IT service provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.