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As computers age, there's a seemingly inevitable slowdown in performance that comes along with the passing years. But, unlike with human bodies, it's not really the aging itself that causes wear-and-tear and makes the hardware slower. Sure, there can be some degradation over time, but more often than not, the real problem is that the hardware simply becomes dated as software demands increase. For example, newer computers come with more RAM out of the box than machines from just a few years ago. That's largely necessary to support the ever-increasing demands of updated operating systems that deliver more performance and features, but that also demand more of the hardware. 

Newer apps and programs also require more resources, from RAM to processing power, making it tougher to run them on older systems with less capacity. Of course, there's normal hardware degradation due to heat (which can also kill your storage component) and dust buildup that blocks vents. And if you are still rocking a spinning hard disk drive (HDD) and haven't upgraded to a solid-state drive (SSD), you'll also notice a significant slowdown over time. That's because  HDDs have moving mechanical parts during reads and writes, making them a mismatch for some newer software that's optimized for use with SDDs.

The other final issue is the software included with your build. There's plenty of bloatware that comes standard with most computers, and you should probably uninstall some of those apps right away — or later on if you notice performance slows down. Having those unneeded programs fighting with resource-hungry OS upgrades can lead to your computer feeling much slower than it used to.  Managing installed programs can be a way to alleviate the problem, at least in the short term.

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With RAM and new storage solutions skyrocketing in price, it's only natural to feel reluctant about replacing your old hardware. Thankfully, if it's an issue of speed and storage constraints, it is a bit easier to maintain your hardware so it doesn't feel as sluggish. If you're running a Windows-based operating system, built-in tools like Storage Sense and Disk Cleanup can help de-junk your computer by removing temporary files, clearing corrupted cache, and removing redundant files that take up unnecessary space. Systems running macOS generally do this automatically, but users would have to rely on third-party tools if more maintenance is required.

When you need to consider upgrading your computer, it depends on your needs. Most computers are equipped to handle casual browsing and lightweight apps, so it shouldn't be too RAM-intensive, unless you rely heavily on AI or hardcore number-crunching. Still, if you're doing a lot of multitasking or even gaming, the demands for better hardware simply increase. Your GPU or CPU is another tell-tale sign: newer, heavy-duty software might start listing recommended minimum specs that don't match your own. Moreover, upgrading the GPU or CPU can be tricky, since it can require replacing your motherboard, RAM, and other supporting components. At that point, you are basically replacing the whole computer, giving you a whole new set of options to consider.