The world of PC building is an expansive one, allowing you to pull apart your rig, remove or add a component or a few of them, and then put everything back together and enjoy a more powerful computing experience. But when should you upgrade? And when should you buy a whole new PC instead?
Windows Central community member "pbilk" started a thread on our forum asking that question, noting that he is looking to do something with an aging PC from around 2012.
Depending on just how old your PC is, it's generally a good idea to upgrade the CPU if possible, which could require a new motherboard, which in turn may lead to the need for new RAM. Components like a solid-state drive (SSD), GPU, power supply unit (PSU), and other cards do not necessarily need to be replaced unless there are significant performance gains to be made and you absolutely need to do so.
That said, if you're looking to replace everything, like in pbilk's case, you'll want to analyze a new PC build versus purchasing a pre-built system. What are your thoughts on upgrading compared to purchasing a new system? When does upgrading make sense? And when doesn't it?
From the forum: Replace or Upgrade my aging desktop?
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Don't have TPM support? Try one of these motherboard modules.
If your PC somehow does not have Trusted Platform Module (TPM) support through firmware and your UEFI BIOS, we'd recommend checking your motherboard manual for a TPM header. If you have one present, you can try to see if one of these will be compatible to get you ready for Windows 11.