5 reasons I decided to upgrade my Windows 11 PC (and why you should too)

After I purchased my Dell XPS 15 in 2018, it was the perfect PC. It was my first Home windows laptop computer with an SSD, a devoted GPU, and a high-end Intel processor. Nevertheless, as laborious as it’s to imagine, 2018 is now a distant reminiscence, and the PC landscape has undergone vital adjustments within the seven years since then.

Whereas my outdated XPS 15 runs Windows 11 easily for fundamental duties, I observed it falling behind in different areas, reminiscent of its show, efficiency in demanding apps, and battery life. Listed below are 5 causes I made a decision to improve my Home windows 11 PC, and why you would possibly take into account doing the identical when you’re in an analogous state of affairs.

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5

Efficiency and RAM

Say goodbye to Home windows being gradual

The essence of any PC improve is primarily about enhancing efficiency. Relying on how outdated your present PC is, even a small improve can result in a noticeable enchancment. Just lately, Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel have launched new AI chipsets that not solely provide better energy however are additionally, crucially, extra energy-efficient.

If you happen to’re experiencing gradual loading instances and your laptop computer struggles with fundamental duties reminiscent of searching a number of internet tabs, it is a good indication that an improve is critical. One other very clear signal to look at for is whenever you begin listening to your followers working extra time to chill the system and stop overheating.

Moreover, many laptops include 16GB of RAM now, which represents a considerable enchancment when you’re upgrading from 8GB. A RAM improve, paired with a modest CPU enhancement, could make investing in a brand new Home windows 11 PC extraordinarily worthwhile. You needn’t lay our a fortune both; there are tons of Home windows 11 PCs accessible for below $1,000 that come outfitted with 16GB of RAM and a contemporary processor, making them extra inexpensive than the newest MacBook Air.

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4

Battery life

Use your PC longer with out plugging it in

One other key indicator that it is time to improve your Home windows PC is battery life. If you cannot take your PC anyplace with out bringing the charger in concern that it may die, that is a telltale signal that its battery may be on its final legs.

The purpose of a Home windows laptop computer is for it to be moveable, and a sluggish battery does not assist with that. What prompted me to improve from my 2018 Dell XPS 15 was that the battery could not final greater than an hour earlier than needing to be recharged. Whereas changing the battery in some laptops is completely potential, as a substitute of shelling out a whole bunch of {dollars} for a alternative battery, I opted to avoid wasting that cash towards a brand new PC.

Newer CPUs, GPUs, and SSDs are extra power-efficient, and battery life on Home windows 11 PCs has improved considerably through the years. Due to this fact, choosing a brand new Home windows 11 PC not solely enhances battery life but in addition improves battery effectivity. Specifically, the Asus ZenBook 16 I am utilizing contains a bigger 78Whr battery and a extra highly effective AMD Ryzen AI CPU, designed to assist scale back battery consumption with out compromising efficiency.

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3

SSD storage

By no means wait lengthy for something to load once more

After I received my XPS 15 again in 2018, SSD (strong state drive) storage was nonetheless thought-about extra of a luxurious. Many individuals I knew again then nonetheless had laptops and desktop PCs with laborious disk drives (HDDs), as SSDs had been way more costly. Quick-forward to 2025, and quite a bit has modified. Not solely are SSDs considerably quicker, however they’re additionally extra inexpensive. HDDs have largely been changed by SSDs in most trendy laptops and desktop builds.

When you’ve got a Home windows 11 PC that’s nonetheless operating on an HDD as a substitute of an SSD, then that could be a key cause why upgrading could also be helpful for you. The primary main profit is boot instances. With Home windows on an SSD, it boots up and wakes up a lot quicker than it will on an HDD. Secondly, apps, video games, system processes — nearly all the pieces — load and run extra easily on an SSD.

If you happen to’re uninterested in your outdated PC endlessly loading, a contemporary SSD will assist remove that drawback. In case your older laptop computer already has an SSD, then the soar shall be much less noticeable however nonetheless impactful, because it’s prone to have extra cupboard space and probably a quicker learn/write velocity.

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2

Stronger GPU

Run any sport you need in your PC

Whereas a GPU (graphics processing unit) is tied to efficiency, I imagine it deserves its personal highlight due to the numerous affect it might probably have on the efficiency of video games and different demanding purposes that make the most of the GPU, reminiscent of Adobe Premiere Professional. In case your present Home windows PC struggles to maintain up with the newest video games or run software program like Premiere or Blender, on the lookout for a brand new Home windows 11 laptop computer with a stronger GPU — whether or not devoted or built-in — may make a considerable distinction.

My XPS 15 from 2018 had a devoted Nvidia GTX 1050, which was first rate for operating video games at medium to excessive settings on the time. Nevertheless, quite a bit has modified within the GPU panorama since then. Nvidia has launched its RTX collection of graphics playing cards with new AI options, and AMD has notably launched some highly effective CPUs with exceptionally quick built-in GPUs, with the ROG Flow Z13 being a major instance of this.

If you happen to’d like to open Steam, Epic Video games, or the Xbox app and play any sport you need in your PC with out worrying about poor visuals and stuttering, then contemplating a Home windows 11 with a stronger GPU is worth it.

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1

Increased-quality show

OLED laptops have extra vibrant colours

I am a sucker for stunning shows. After I switched from an LCD display to an OLED for the primary time on a laptop computer, I used to be amazed by how beautiful it appeared, and from then on, I knew OLED shows had been the longer term. Not solely did it provide a a lot quicker response time and refresh price, however the colours appeared brighter and extra correct.

If you end up watching reveals and films extra usually in your Home windows PC than on a TV, upgrading to a laptop computer with a higher-quality show is certainly worthwhile. 4K laptops are way more widespread these days, so you probably have a laptop computer with a 1080p show, transitioning to 1 with a 4K decision will present considerably higher readability and element, it doesn’t matter what you are doing — whether or not you are enjoying video games, enhancing images, or tackling an Excel spreadsheet.

It does not simply need to be an OLED and 4K both. There are many laptops with IPS shows that also look nice and provide greater refresh charges at a decrease value. 1440p decision (2K) can also be a pleasant center floor between 1080p and 4K, so when you see a brand new laptop computer you want with a 1440p show, don’t be concerned, it’ll nonetheless look nice.

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