PARTS I
RECOMMEND
The parts I'd pick for each job, from a budget option to a step up. Buy one and bring it in with your computer (the labor is the same as when I supply the part), or I'll order the right one for you.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn't change your price, and I only list parts I'd put in a customer's computer. I check that a part fits your exact model before installing it.
SSD
Memory
Processor
Graphics cardAny laptop or desktop
SPEED UP AN OLDER COMPUTER
Older laptops and desktops with a 2.5-inch drive bay (like a 2012 MacBook Pro). Swapping an old spinning hard drive for an SSD is the biggest speed-up for the money.
Samsung 870 EVO 500GB
Windows, programs and everyday files.
Samsung 870 EVO 1TB
Room for photos, music and a few games. The size most people should get.
Installed for $40. Moving your files and programs over is +$50, or a fresh install +$40.
Same drive in three sizes: pick by how much you store.
FASTER OR BIGGER DRIVE FOR A NEWER COMPUTER
Newer laptops and desktops with an M.2 slot.
Kingston NV3 1TB
Budget pick. Plenty fast for everyday use.
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB
Fast, runs cool and easy on a laptop battery.
Samsung 990 PRO 2TB
Top speed and room for gaming or video editing desktops.
Installed for $40. Moving your files and programs over is +$50, or a fresh install +$40.
Some small laptops (Surface and some Dells) need a short 2230 drive instead. I check your model first.
MORE MEMORY (RAM)
Computers that slow down with lots of tabs or programs open.
Laptop: Kingston FURY Impact. Desktop: Corsair Vengeance.
16GB
Lots of tabs, Office, streaming and photos. The sweet spot.
32GB
Gaming, video editing and running a lot at once.
Installed for $45.
Memory has to match your computer exactly (laptop or desktop, DDR3, DDR4 or DDR5), and some laptops have it built in. Get a quote or call before you buy, and I'll tell you the exact one.
Desktop towers
MORE STORAGE: ADD A SECOND DRIVE
Desktops running out of room. Your main drive stays as it is.
Seagate BarraCuda 4TB
Hard drive. The most space for the money: photos, videos, backups.
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
Fast SSD for games and programs.
Samsung 990 PRO 4TB
A big, top-speed game and video library.
FASTER PROCESSOR (CPU)
Desktops that feel slow even with an SSD and enough memory, or that hold back a graphics card.
6-core
Everyday use and 1080p gaming.
Faster 6 to 8-core
Gaming and lots open at once.
Top gaming
About as fast as gaming gets on your desktop. An i9 or Ryzen 9 costs more for little or no gain in games. Needs a good cooler.
Installed for $80.
A processor has to match your motherboard: AMD AM4 (Ryzen 1000 to 5000), AMD AM5 (Ryzen 7000 and up) or Intel 12th to 14th gen. Pick the button for yours, or get a quote and I'll check it and update the BIOS if it needs it. Newer Intel Core Ultra desktops: get a quote.
GRAPHICS CARD
Gaming, video editing or more monitors. Desktop towers only: laptops, all-in-ones, mini PCs and Macs can't take one.
Intel Arc B580
Budget 1080p gaming.
Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
1080p and 1440p gaming with room to spare.
GeForce RTX 5070 or Radeon RX 9070 XT
High-settings 1440p gaming and video editing.
Installed for $50.
Most need a bigger power supply (see below) and a case with room for them. Prices move a lot, so get a quote and I'll find the best one for your budget.
NEW POWER SUPPLY
Desktops with a failing power supply, or a new graphics card that needs more power.
Corsair RM750e
Most gaming desktops.
Seasonic FOCUS GX-850
Big graphics cards, room to grow.
Installed for $70.
Don't go cheap on a power supply: a bad one can take other parts with it.
COOL DOWN A HOT OR LOUD DESKTOP
Desktop towers that run hot or loud under load.
ARCTIC Freezer 36
Quiet, simple, fits most cases.
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
Big dual-tower cooling for the price.
Noctua NH-D15 G2
Top air cooling and very quiet. Needs a roomy case.
Installed for $50. A hot laptop is usually dust: Deep PC Cleaning is $60. Learn more
A cooler has to fit your case and processor. I check yours first.
BETTER AIRFLOW: CASE FANS
Towers that run warm because the case has too few fans, or loud old ones.
ARCTIC P12 PWM PST (5-pack)
Quiet, and a whole case's worth for the price of one premium fan.
Noctua NF-A12x25 G2
The quietest, strongest 120mm fan.
Protect it, or do it yourself
BACK UP YOUR FILES
Everyone. A drive can fail without warning, and a backup is the only fix for that.
Seagate One Touch or WD My Passport 2TB
Portable hard drive. The most space for the money.
Samsung T7 1TB
Portable SSD. Much faster and tougher than a hard drive.
Samsung T7 Shield 2TB
Rugged, rubber-covered SSD with more room.
Nothing to install: plug it in and copy your files.
PROTECT IT FROM STORMS AND OUTAGES
Desktops, and anyone who's lost work to a power blip.
APC SurgeArrest surge protector
Blocks power surges. Every computer should have at least this.
APC Back-UPS 600VA
Battery backup: keeps a desktop on for a few minutes in an outage so you can save and shut down.
APC Back-UPS Pro 1500VA
For gaming desktops and bigger setups.
Nothing to install: plug your computer into it.
REINSTALL WINDOWS OR MAKE A RECOVERY DRIVE
Making a Windows recovery drive or install USB yourself.
Samsung FIT Plus 64GB
Tiny, stays plugged into a laptop.
Samsung BAR Plus 64GB
Metal USB stick. Big enough for a recovery drive.
Or let me do it: OS restoration is $60 flat, OS included. Learn more
FREE SOFTWARE I TRUST
You don't need to pay for most of this. These are free and safe.
Windows Security
Antivirus built into Windows. Keep it on and up to date; for most people it's all you need.
Malwarebytes Free
A second-opinion scan when something seems off.
Bitwarden
Free password manager, so every account gets its own strong password.
LibreOffice
Free documents, spreadsheets and slides that open Word and Excel files.
Want them set up? Software install is $30 for up to 3 apps. Already infected? Virus & malware removal is $80. Learn more
RATHER I ORDER IT?
Get a quote and I'll pick the right part for your exact model. Parts are priced upfront and paid when you approve the quote, before I order them.
GOOD TO KNOW
- Bringing your own part costs the same labor as when I supply it.
- I check that it fits before I install it. If it doesn't, you can usually send it back.
- My 30-day warranty covers my installation; the part's own warranty covers the part.
- Not sure what fits? Call (800) 292-8397 before you buy.
Photo credits
The part photos are freely licensed photos from Wikimedia Commons, cropped and resized to fit. Each one is the product named under it, or the closest free photo when there wasn't one of the exact model (the caption under it says which).
- Samsung 870 QVO (same size and shape as the 870 EVO): photo by PantheraLeo1359531, CC BY 4.0
- Kingston NV2 (the model before the NV3): photo by Jacek Halicki, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Samsung 990 EVO Plus: photo by Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Samsung 990 PRO: photo by PantheraLeo1359531, CC BY 4.0
- Kingston FURY Impact: photo by ITEagle Europe - Sebastiaan Broekhoven, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Corsair Vengeance DDR5: photo by Jacek Halicki, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Seagate BarraCuda: photo by ITEagle Europe - Sebastiaan Broekhoven, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Intel Core i5-12400F: photo by Fritzchens Fritz, CC0
- AMD Ryzen 5 9600X: photo by Fritzchens Fritz, CC0
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (in its box): photo by ZMASLO, CC BY 3.0
- Intel Arc B580: photo by Jiahwang, CC0
- Radeon RX 9060 XT (PowerColor): photo by Padgriffin, CC BY 4.0
- GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition: photo by Daniel Lu, CC BY-SA 4.0
- A Corsair power supply (CX600M): photo by Fastily, CC BY-SA 4.0
- A similar single-tower cooler (DeepCool AK400): photo by Qurren, CC BY-SA 4.0
- A similar dual-tower cooler (Noctua NH-D15 in black): photo by Kaleb Kloppe, CC BY 2.0
- Noctua NH-D15 (the earlier version): photo by Kaleb Kloppe, CC BY 2.0
- ARCTIC P12 Pro A-RGB (same 120 mm size): photo by Chaddy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Noctua NF-A12x25 G2: photo by 4300streetcar, CC BY 4.0
- WD My Passport Ultra: photo by Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Samsung portable SSDs (T3, T5 and T7 Shield): photo by Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Samsung T7 Shield: photo by Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- APC SurgeArrest: photo by Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
- APC Back-UPS ES 525 (a European model, so its outlets look different): photo by MSDN.WhiteKnight, CC0
- An APC Back-UPS tower (1100VA): photo by Gpkp, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Samsung FIT Plus: photo by Hayden Schiff, CC BY 4.0