A computer, unlike mobile phones, has a very long useful life, a life that we can extend over time by replacing some of its components. Depending on the type of equipment it is, desktop or laptop, the expansion possibilities are different and, sometimes, we cannot come up against an insurmountable wall that establishes the limit that we cannot overcome.
Depending on the type of component of our PC we want to replace, it is not always necessary to install Windows again by reformatting the computer, since not all of them have the same weight on the operation of the operating system. If we are considering expanding our equipment to extend its life, first of all, we must know what repercussions they may have on the operation of the equipment.
keyboard and mouse
The keyboard and mouse, when we talk about a desktop computer, fall into the peripheral category. And, like any peripheral, replacing them does not affect the operation of the equipment in the least. In fact, if we replace the keyboard and/or mouse with others, Windows will use the same drivers it used up to now, the only thing that changes is the identifier in the Windows registry.
If the keyboard or mouse includes its own software to manage the operation of the additional keys that it includes, we can install it on the computer without any problem, as if it were another application in order to get the most out of it. In this case, Windows will replace the drivers used by these devices automatically without requiring any further changes to the system.
If we replace the keyboard or touch panel of a laptop, we are not going to face any problem either, since the components we use are designed by the manufacturer, so it is the same keyboard and touch panel, so Windows will not know if we have replaced some of these.
Monitor
The monitor, like the keyboard and mouse, fall into the category of peripherals, and, like most, it does not interfere with the operation of the operating system. However, when replacing it, we must take into account the maximum output resolution offered by the graphics of our equipment, whether it is a dedicated graphics or the one integrated into the motherboard.
If we buy a 4K monitor and the maximum output resolution of our graphics is 1080p, we will never be able to take advantage of the output resolution. If our graphic allows us to display content in 4K, but our monitor’s resolution is limited to 1080, we are going to find ourselves with the same problem.
If we plan to change the monitor of our computer, it will not be necessary to make any changes in Windows, however, if we want to make the most of it, we must first make sure if the video output of our computer is compatible with the resolution of the monitor . If we are talking about a laptop, we must check the HDMI port specifications for the maximum output resolution.
Power supply
The computer power supply is not a peripheral, but rather a component, just like the motherboard, processor, memory and so on. Despite being a component, initially we might think that it can affect the operation of the equipment, however, this is not the case. This is not the case because the only function of this component is to provide power to the motherboard and the rest of the components that are connected to it.
Whether it is a desktop computer or a laptop, if we replace the power supply or charger, it will not be necessary to make any changes in Windows. In fact, Windows will not know if we have made any changes to this component, a component that does not interfere with the operation of the system.
The only problem that we can face is if the power supply does not have enough power to take advantage of all the components. To avoid this problem, we must always use a source or charger with the same power or higher, never lower. If we use a lower power charger or power supply, when the equipment needs to take advantage of all the resources, it will automatically turn off.
RAM
One of the cheapest methods of extending the life of a computer, regardless of whether it is a desktop computer or a laptop, is to expand the RAM memory. By expanding the RAM memory, the applications that are running will have more space and, not only will they open faster, but, in addition, we will also be able to open a greater number of applications together without having to resort to virtual memory.
Windows uses part of the free space on the storage drive as memory when it has reached its maximum limit due to being occupied by open applications. The reading speed of a storage unit is much lower than that offered by RAM memory, so the speed will never be the same.
If we replace the RAM memory, Windows will automatically detect the change and adjust its operation to it. It is not necessary to make any changes to the system, Windows will take care of doing it automatically for us.
HDD
Replacing an HDD hard drive with an SSD, along with expanding RAM memory, are the two easiest and cheapest methods of extending the useful life of our laptop or desktop computer. If we add a new storage unit to the computer, Windows will detect it and we will only have to access Disk Manager to format the unit and start working with it.
But if we replace the main storage unit, we will have to install Windows again, but not before making a backup copy of all the content that we want to keep, although we can also connect it to the computer later and copy all the data. If we do not want to reinstall Windows, the easiest solution is to clone the old hard drive to the new one.
When cloning the hard drive, what we do is copy all the content that is on the hard drive that we are currently using on the new hard drive. Once we connect the new hard disk once cloned, we just have to physically replace the equipment and start the equipment. If, in addition to changing the hard drive, we have also replaced some other component, such as RAM, the processor or some other peripheral, Windows will detect the changes and adjust the system with the modifications.
One of the best applications to clone hard drives, and which is also completely free, is CloneZilla. This application, like all those that allow us to clone storage units, we must install it on a USB and start the computer by changing the boot order to use this unit.
Next, we must select the source unit of the data and the destination unit. Obviously, the destination drive must have the same or greater capacity than the source drive, otherwise not all data can be copied. We can download CloneZilla from its web page that we can access from East link.
Graphic card
Whether we replace the dedicated graphics card that we have in the computer, or if it is a new graphics card that we have connected to the computer to expand the graphics capabilities of the motherboard, it is not necessary to format the computer or reinstall Windows. When we start the computer again after changing the graphics, Windows will automatically recognize the new hardware and install the basic drivers to use it.
But, if we want to get the most out of it, it is necessary to download and install the graphics drivers, be they NVIDIA, AMD, Intel or any other directly from their website. If we do not use the drivers corresponding to the model of card that we have installed on the computer, we will never be able to get the most out of it in terms of graphic performance.
Processor
The processor of a PC is the brain, it is the one in charge of carrying out the tasks at a higher or lower speed depending on its benefits. Despite being one of the most important components of any computer, if we replace it, it will not be necessary to format the computer and reinstall Windows. Once we have replaced the processor, Windows will detect the new model and adapt the performance of the equipment based on the benefits it offers us, also depending on the version of the operating system (32 or 64 bits).
If the control that manages the processor is not the same one that was in charge of the previous one, Windows will download the necessary controls, so it is not necessary, on our part, to make any other changes to the system, let alone format the hard disk and return to install Windows.
If we don’t quite notice much of a performance difference, it’s probably because the processor we’ve replaced is very similar to our current one, so first of all, we need to make sure that the performance change between the processor we’re using and the one we’re using we want to use is enough to make the change, otherwise all we’re going to do is spend the money and get no improvement in return.
Changing the processor of a laptop is impossible, since it is soldered to the motherboard. If we want to change the processor, we will have to change the motherboard, a motherboard that must be from the same manufacturer and a model similar to ours so that the connections are in the same place. In addition, most likely, the change involves an investment of money much higher than what we can invest in a new, more powerful computer.
motherboard
The motherboard is the most important component of any computer. The motherboard is the base (worth the redundancy) where each and every one of the components that are part of the computer such as the processor, RAM, hard drive, graphics card, peripherals and power supply are connected. which, through it, distributes the energy needed by the connected components.
If we replace the motherboard, without formatting the computer, when starting the computer for the first time, Windows will take a long time to start after detecting the change in the motherboard to find the necessary drivers to be able to use all the ports (USB, HDMI, PS2) and connections it offers (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ethernet port). Once it has adapted to the new graphics, it will show us a message informing us that the Windows license is invalid.
What does this mean? With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft began to use digital licenses, licenses that are associated with the Microsoft account that manages the computer and which, in turn, is associated with the computer’s hardware, specifically the motherboard. In this way, Microsoft ensures that the licenses are only used on the computer where they are associated.
If we replace the motherboard, we are replacing the most important part of the computer, so Windows will detect that it is another computer, even if it is actually the same with another motherboard, and it will deactivate Windows until we enter a valid license. The solution to this problem is not to buy another license, but to take advantage of the same one we had.
Microsoft allows you to use the same license on the same computer where the motherboard has been replaced, as long as, before making the change, we deactivate Windows before making the change. To deactivate the team’s license and stop being associated with that team, we must use the following command through CMD with administrator permissions.
slmgr /upk
Then, once we have deactivated Windows, we can replace the motherboard and, incidentally, take advantage of formatting the hard drive and for Windows to recognize the new configuration of the computer based on the motherboard that we have replaced. We can start the computer without formatting, but, in the long run, performance will be affected, so it is advisable to format the drive, previously making a backup and installing Windows.
Next, we enter the data of our Microsoft account and access the System section of the Windows configuration options (Win + i) to activate the equipment. Here a message will be displayed informing us that there is a problem activating the equipment. We just have to click on that message to inform Microsoft that we have made a hardware change on the computer so that the license we used is available again on the computer.
