Computer Upgrades in Melbourne
Laptop & PC upgrades at our Melbourne CBD & Mitcham workshops, with a free assessment before you spend anything
Upfront Upgrade Pricing
Free assessment first, then a quote covering both labour and parts before anything is ordered.
Computer Upgrades for Laptops & Desktops
A well chosen upgrade is the cheapest performance you will ever buy. A poorly chosen one is money spent on a machine that was never going to get faster. The difference is knowing which is which before you commit, which is what our free assessment is for.
Two Melbourne Workshops
CBD and Mitcham
Bring your laptop or desktop to our Queen Street store in the CBD, or our Mitcham workshop. Walk ins are welcome at both, and there is no charge to have a machine assessed.
On site service is available for businesses, which usually makes more sense than carting a row of desktops across town.
Free Assessment First
Before you spend anything
We test the machine, find the actual bottleneck and tell you what upgrading it would achieve. Sometimes that is a hundred dollar part and a transformed computer.
Sometimes it is a machine that has genuinely reached the end, and we will say that too. There is no charge either way.
What We Upgrade
Laptops, desktops, workstations and servers
- SSD and storage upgrades
- RAM and memory upgrades
- Windows 11 upgrades and assessments
- CPU replacement, desktops
- Graphics card upgrades, desktops
- Motherboard and platform upgrades
Slow Computer? Upgrade or Replace
Before anything else, the honest question. Not every slow computer is worth upgrading, and not every slow computer needs replacing either. Most fall clearly into one camp once you know what to look at.
Usually Worth Upgrading
Good machine, one weak link
- Still running a mechanical hard drive
- 8GB of RAM or less with heavy multitasking
- Storage nearly full and slowing everything down
- A desktop with a capable processor and a weak graphics card
- A machine that was well specified when new and is only a few years old
- Business machines where a small spend defers a fleet refresh
Usually Better Replaced
When the money belongs elsewhere
- An old processor that will bottleneck whatever you add
- Soldered RAM already at its maximum
- Hardware that cannot meet Windows 11 requirements
- Multiple upgrades needed, adding up past the value of the machine
- A laptop with existing physical damage or a failing battery and hinge
- Anything where the upgrade cost approaches a decent new machine
We Will Tell You Which One You Have
Plenty of shops will happily sell you an upgrade for a computer that will still be slow afterwards. We would rather tell you the truth and keep you as a customer, whether that means a $30 installation or pointing you at a replacement laptop.
Our technicians have written about this in more detail in Is Upgrading RAM and SSD on Your Laptop Worth It?, which walks through the numbers on both sides.
Windows 11 Upgrade & Compatibility Assessment
Windows 10 reached the end of Microsoft support in October 2025. Machines still running it keep working, but they stop receiving security updates, which is a real risk on any computer handling email, banking or business data.
What Windows 11 Requires
The checklist that catches people out
- TPM 2.0 security module
- UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability
- A processor on Microsoft's supported list
- 4GB of RAM as a bare minimum
- 64GB of storage or more
Often It Is Just Switched Off
The most common false negative
A great many machines that report as incompatible actually have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on the board, sitting disabled in the BIOS from the factory.
Enabling them properly, without breaking the existing Windows installation, turns a failed compatibility check into a straightforward upgrade. This is the first thing we check.
If It Genuinely Cannot Upgrade
Your realistic options
Where the processor itself is unsupported, no amount of configuration will change that. On a desktop, a motherboard and CPU upgrade can bring the machine forward. On most laptops, it cannot.
We will lay out what each path costs, including doing nothing, so you can weigh it against a replacement rather than being pushed towards one.
Running Windows 10 Past Support
Your computer will not stop working, and there is no need to panic buy a new one. What changes is that newly discovered security flaws stop being patched, and that gap widens over time.
If you are staying on Windows 10 for now, at least make sure your backups are current and your security software is up to date. We can help with both, and there is no obligation attached to asking.
CPU Replacement & Processor Upgrades
A processor upgrade is one of the bigger performance gains available on a desktop, and one of the more common wasted quotes on a laptop. The honest position on each is below.
Desktop CPU Upgrades
Usually possible, within limits
Desktop processors sit in a socket and can be replaced, provided the new chip matches the socket and the motherboard chipset supports it. A BIOS update is often part of the job.
We check socket compatibility, power delivery and cooling capacity before quoting, because a faster processor in a system that cannot feed or cool it delivers nothing.
Where the platform is too old to take a worthwhile chip, a motherboard and CPU upgrade together is usually the better answer.
Laptop CPUs
Almost never upgradeable
On essentially every laptop made in the last decade, the processor is soldered directly to the mainboard. It is not a removable part, and there is no upgrade path.
We would rather tell you that on the phone than have you bring a machine in for a quote we cannot give. If a laptop needs more processing power, that is a new laptop conversation.
The good news is that most slow laptops are not short of processor. They are short of memory, or still running a mechanical drive, and both of those we can fix.
Graphics Card Upgrades & Installation
For gaming, video editing, 3D and CAD work, the graphics card is usually the component that decides how the machine feels. On desktops it is also one of the easiest things to improve.
What We Check First
Before recommending a card
- Power supply capacity and the right connectors
- Physical clearance inside the case
- Whether the processor will hold the card back
- Cooling and airflow under sustained load
- What you actually run, and at what resolution
Supply and Installation
Or fit a card you already have
We can source and fit a card, or install one you have bought yourself. Either way we handle the physical fit, driver installation, clean removal of the old drivers and testing under load.
Where the existing power supply is not up to the new card, we will tell you at quote stage rather than after.
Two Honest Limitations
Worth knowing before you ask
Laptop graphics are soldered to the mainboard and cannot be upgraded. An external enclosure is occasionally an option on machines with the right port, but it is a niche solution.
We also do not carry out chip level repair on faulty graphics cards. This is upgrade and installation work. If a card has failed, replacement is the path.
Motherboard & Platform Upgrades
Replacing a motherboard to gain newer features is a different job to repairing a faulty one, and the two get confused constantly.
Platform Upgrades
A newer foundation
A motherboard upgrade normally brings the processor and memory with it, since a newer board takes a newer socket and a newer memory standard. In practice it is a rebuild around your existing case, storage and graphics card.
It is the right answer when a desktop is otherwise sound but the platform is too old for Windows 11 or for the processor you want.
We handle Windows reactivation as part of the job, which is a common sticking point when the board changes.
Not the Same as Board Repair
Different job, different page
If your board has a fault rather than an age problem, a component level repair is usually far cheaper than replacing it, and on laptops it is often the only option.
That work is carried out at our Mitcham workshop under magnification. See motherboard repairs for the detail.
SSD & Storage Upgrades
Still the single most noticeable upgrade for any computer running a mechanical hard drive. Boot times, application launches and general responsiveness all change character rather than simply improving.
What Actually Changes
Where the difference shows
An SSD does not make your processor faster. What it removes is waiting, and on an older machine most of what feels slow is waiting on the drive.
Startup, opening programs, switching between applications and searching files are all transformed. Heavy calculation work is not.
Clone or Fresh Install
Two ways to do it
Cloning copies your existing Windows installation, programs, files and settings across exactly as they are. Nothing to reinstall and nothing to set up again. This is what most customers want.
A fresh install starts clean, which is worth considering if the machine has accumulated years of clutter or has been unstable. We migrate your files across, but programs need reinstalling.
We will recommend one, and the choice is yours.
How Much Storage
Practical guidance
500GB suits general office and home use comfortably. 1TB is the sensible default for most people, and where photo libraries or a lot of software live. 2TB and above is for video work, large media collections and gaming libraries.
On desktops we can often keep the old drive in as secondary storage, giving you speed and capacity together.
RAM & Memory Upgrades
Memory is what lets you keep things open at once. If your computer is fine with two programs running and struggles with ten, this is usually the fix.
Do You Need More?
The telltale signs
- Slowdown that arrives as you open more applications
- Browser tabs reloading when you switch back to them
- The drive working hard while memory usage sits near maximum
- Large spreadsheets, image editing or virtual machines struggling
- Windows warning that memory is low
Compatibility Matters
Not all memory fits
Memory has to match the generation your machine takes, and mixing speeds or capacities can leave you slower than before. Matched pairs also let the system run in dual channel, which is measurably faster than a single stick.
We check what is installed, what the board supports and what is worth fitting before quoting anything.
Maximum Capacity
Including when the answer is no
Desktops usually have four slots and plenty of headroom.
Standard laptops typically have one or two slots, often with one already free.
Ultrabooks and many current business laptops have memory soldered to the mainboard. Whatever it shipped with is what it has permanently. We check your exact model before you make a trip.
Gaming PC Upgrades
Gaming machines respond well to targeted upgrades, provided you spend on the part that is actually holding the system back rather than the part that is easiest to sell you.
Finding the Bottleneck
Where the frames are going
Poor frame rates at high resolution usually point at the graphics card. Poor frame rates that do not improve when you lower settings usually point at the processor.
Stutter with plenty of headroom elsewhere is often memory or a saturated drive. We test under load rather than guessing from the spec sheet.
Cooling and Power
The unglamorous upgrades
A machine that is fast for ten minutes then slows down is thermally throttling, and no new component fixes that. Cleaning, repasting and improved airflow often recover performance for very little money.
Power supply capacity is the other quiet limit, and the one most likely to cause instability after a graphics upgrade.
Gaming Laptops
What can and cannot be done
Storage and, on many models, memory can be upgraded. Processor and graphics cannot, since both are soldered.
What does help is thermal servicing. A gaming laptop two years into its life is often running hot enough to throttle, and a clean and repaste frequently restores most of the lost performance.
Business & Server Hardware Upgrades
For businesses, upgrades are usually a capital deferral question. A modest spend across a fleet can push a hardware refresh out by a year or two, and that maths is often compelling.
Server Upgrades
Memory, storage and capacity
- Memory expansion, including ECC
- Storage capacity and SSD migration
- Additional drives and array expansion
- Network and expansion card installation
- Work scheduled out of hours where needed
Fleet Upgrade Programmes
Assessed, quoted and scheduled together
We assess the fleet, report on which machines are worth upgrading and which are near the end, and quote the work as a batch rather than one desk at a time.
Rollouts are staggered so nobody loses a working day, and we can work on site or collect in batches.
Fleet Windows 11 Readiness
Know your numbers
We can audit an entire fleet for Windows 11 compatibility and give you a straight breakdown: what upgrades cleanly, what needs a BIOS change, what needs hardware, and what needs replacing.
That turns an awkward unknown into a budget line you can plan around.
What We Assess Before Recommending Anything
The assessment is free because it is in everyone's interest. You avoid spending on the wrong part, and we avoid a customer who is disappointed a month later.
Find the Real Bottleneck
We measure processor, memory, storage and thermal behaviour under load. The component that is actually limiting the machine is frequently not the one people expect.
Check What It Can Take
Maximum supported memory, socket and chipset limits, soldered components, free drive bays, power supply headroom and physical space.
Rule Out the Free Fixes
A drive that is full, startup clutter, failing storage, a thermal problem or a malware issue can all masquerade as a machine that needs new hardware.
Weigh It Against Replacing
We put the upgrade cost next to the cost of a new machine and give you our honest read, including when the answer is to spend nothing at all.
Upgrade Pricing & Turnaround
The figures below are installation labour. Parts are quoted separately, because a memory stick and a workstation graphics card are not remotely the same purchase. Your quote shows both, itemised, before anything is ordered.
| Upgrade | Installation from | Parts |
|---|---|---|
| SSD upgrade | $30 | Quoted to the capacity and type you choose |
| Memory upgrade | $30 | Depends on capacity, generation and whether a matched pair is needed |
| Hard drive installation | $49 | Quoted to the capacity you choose |
| Data migration and cloning | $120 | Not applicable |
| Backup setup | $150 | External drive or cloud storage where required |
| Data recovery assessment | Free | Recovery work quoted after assessment |
| Windows 11 upgrade | Quoted after assessment | Licence where a new one is required |
| Graphics card installation | Quoted after assessment | Card supplied by us or by you |
| CPU replacement, desktop | Quoted after assessment | Processor, plus cooling where required |
| Motherboard and platform upgrade | Quoted after assessment | Board, processor and memory |
Same Day
Parts in stock, simple jobs
Memory upgrades and many SSD swaps where we have the part on the shelf. Call ahead with your model and we will check before you travel.
1 to 3 Business Days
Cloning and most upgrades
Where a part is ordered in, or where your data is being cloned to a new drive. Cloning takes as long as it takes, and it is not something worth rushing.
Larger Rebuilds
Platform upgrades and fleets
Motherboard and CPU work, and multi machine business jobs, are scheduled with you. We give you a realistic timeframe with the quote rather than an optimistic one.
What Happens to Your Data
Unlike most repairs, upgrades often involve moving your data from one drive to another. Here is exactly how that is handled.
Everything Comes With You
Storage upgrades
When we fit a new drive, we clone your existing installation across. Windows, your programs, your files, your settings and your desktop shortcuts arrive exactly as you left them.
You should not be able to tell anything has changed, other than the speed.
Your Old Drive Stays Intact
Until you are satisfied
We do not wipe the original drive as part of the job. It goes back with you, or stays in the machine as secondary storage, so there is always a fallback if something has been missed.
Back up before any upgrade regardless. It is the one precaution nobody ever regrets.
Untouched Where It Does Not Apply
Memory, graphics and cooling
Memory, graphics card and cooling upgrades do not involve your storage at all. Nothing is copied, moved or reinstalled.
For encrypted or domain joined business machines, let us know at drop off and have the recovery key accessible. If a machine will not start, our data recovery services can help first, and the recovery assessment is free.
Computer Upgrade FAQs
How much does a computer upgrade cost in Melbourne?
Installation starts from $30 for SSD and memory upgrades, and from $49 for hard drive installation, with the part quoted separately. Data migration starts from $120 and backup setup from $150. Larger jobs such as CPU, graphics and motherboard upgrades are quoted after a free assessment, since the parts vary enormously.
Will upgrading actually make my computer faster?
It depends entirely on what is holding it back. An SSD in a machine still running a mechanical drive is transformative. More memory in a machine that already has plenty achieves nothing. That is what the free assessment establishes before you spend anything.
Can you upgrade my laptop's processor or graphics card?
No. On essentially every modern laptop, both are soldered to the mainboard and cannot be replaced. Storage and, on many models, memory can be upgraded, and thermal servicing often recovers performance that has been lost to heat.
My computer says it cannot run Windows 11. Is that final?
Often not. Many machines have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot present but disabled in the BIOS, and enabling them correctly resolves it. Where the processor itself is unsupported, a desktop can sometimes be upgraded and a laptop generally cannot. We check for free either way.
Will I lose my files and programs?
No. Storage upgrades are cloned, so Windows, your programs, files and settings all move across exactly as they are. Your original drive goes back with you intact. Memory and graphics upgrades do not touch your data at all.
How long does an upgrade take?
Memory upgrades and many SSD swaps can be same day where we have the part in stock. Most upgrades, including cloning, take 1 to 3 business days. Platform rebuilds and fleet work are scheduled with you.
Book Your Free Upgrade Assessment
Our Upgrade Promise
✓ Free assessment before you spend
✓ Installation from $30, parts itemised
✓ Straight advice on upgrade or replace
✓ Data migration from $120, old drive returned
✓ Laptops, desktops, workstations and servers
✓ Walk ins welcome at both stores