Hardware

Your computer is made up of many different parts, each of which can wear out, get too slow, or need upgrading to a larger size. We can advise, supply and install any of these.

Hard Disk Drives (HDD): With the storage of digital photos and videos, your hard drive can quickly get filled. The good news is that new disk capacities are now exceeding 1,000 Gb (1Tb). We can quickly fit a bigger drive, and also transfer all your Windows operating system, data and files to your new disk. Quite often this can even speed up your PC a little as well. You can even keep your old HDD as a second disk either in your computer, or as a "USB Hard Drive" for even more storage or backups if you wish.

Memory (Random Access Memory - RAM): As new software is released, it consumes more RAM. Running several programs at once (multi-tasking) can use up all your available RAM. While this is not a major problem, it can make your computer slow down to a crawl. This is because it has to repeatedly load the same information from the Hard Drive as there is not enough memory to hold all the information. Depending on the amount of RAM fitted and the age of the computer, it is a quick task of fitting new memory, and this can be a cheap way of speeding a PC up.

If you are currently running Microsoft Vista (the new Windows) or thinking of upgrading to Vista, you should consider if you have enough RAM for the task, especially if your computer seems to run more slowly, or you get lots of errors or "crashes".

Processor (Central Processing Unit - CPU): This is the "brain" of your PC, and comes as a chip. The CPU does all the calculations, and the faster it calculates, the faster everything runs. Upgrading a CPU can be tricky as the specifications constantly change with new versions being released. The availability and price of an upgrade can vary significantly between computers. Laptops, usually cannot have their CPU upgraded.

Graphics Cards (Graphic Processing Unit - GPU): To free up your CPU, the GPU (if fitted) will take over the processing of graphics (for games, videos, DVD's, TV). A GPU can speed up a system. As new specifications are released an older GPU may become outdated and unable to run newer games, or newer standards like High Definition (HD) TV or videos like BlueRay. GPU's are fitted as a "card" that slots into your computer, and these can usually be upgraded to a newer model (depending on your PC specifications). Laptops, usually cannot have their GPU upgraded.

Network: If your computer is connected to broadband internet, or to other computers or printers around your home or office, you most likely have your own "network". Sometimes this network can breakdown if a cable or network connection fails, which we can diagnose and repair. Often customers want to install a "wireless" network, so you can move a computer anywhere in the house, without having a cable to plug into the internet. This can be a very convenient addition, especially if you have a newer printer that also has a wireless connection.

What else?

We can supply, install, or configure any item you need. Other items often upgraded include Monitors (screens), Broadband internet, TV tuner cards, USB devices (like USB Hard Drives, web cams), keyboards, scanners, printers. If it attaches to a computer, we can help. We can even provide training or advice if you require.

Repair

In today's consumer society prices are continuously dropping and newer products being released. The computer industry is one of the worst affected. This means that if a hardware part breaks, it may not be worth repairing. This is especially the case with items like printers which have many mechanical parts that can go wrong. Printer manufacturers are now pricing printers so low that they are almost "throw away" items. Printer manufacturers may even sell their printers at a loss, and then recoup their profits on the ink, which you have to keep buying for the life of the printer.

Consequently, it is often cheaper to replace the faulty item with a newer, better model. In this case we will advise you on the best (cheapest) solution, and of course will remove the faulty item from your computer and either repair it, or supply and install the replacement, and configure all the new software so it is working properly.

What does it cost?

As the price of hardware changes on a weekly basis we will provide a quote for any items you require.. Our work is guaranteed, and there's always the free phone support about the problem after we've fixed it. All our labour charges are fixed. Please check our charges page for more information.