This weekend the United States will be celebrating the 4th of July which means it is time for a three day weekend.  Do you have your computer upgrades planned?  A three day weekend is a great time to complete any DIY computer upgrade projects you have been putting off.  During your weekend, you will have enough time to complete the installation and configuration while still being able to focus on other projects during the weekend.  Unless you plan on completely rebuilding your computer this weekend, completing a simple computer upgrade project will take about 15 to 30 minutes. So jump right in and upgrade something during the 4th of July weekend and you may start to believe that you have an entirely new computer.

1. Install more memory - Installing memory is one of the quickest and simplest upgrades you can perform.  The most difficult part of this project is making sure you purchase the correct memory components for your computer, but using one of the many memory selector websites will help you find the memory modules you need.  Most computer manufacturers make it easy to upgrade memory so why not take 15 minutes and install more memory. 
2. Install another hard drive - If your constantly having to remove files from your hard drive, or have several external hard drives cluttering up your work space, install a second hard drive inside your computer and liberate your desk space.  Internal hard drives are much faster then most external hard drives you plug into your USB or Firewire ports and can make organizing your computer files much easier. 
3. Speed up your life with a new CPU - If you have some time to devote to you computer and your upgrade, you should consider upgrading your CPU.  Upgrading your CPU is actually a fairly easy project as long as you follow the step-by-step instructions carefully.  You will also need to spend some time researching 
4. Replace your current monitor - OK, not really an upgrade you need to install, but the 4th of July is a great time to catch a sale at your local computer and electronics store and pick up a new larger monitor. 
5. Replace your keyboard and mouse - We have all seen reports on how dirty our keyboard and mice become.  Have you turned over your mouse lately?  This upgrade should take no time at all and make you feel like you are using an entirely new computer. Besides upgrading your memory, replacing your keyboard and mouse is really the simplest upgrade you can complete.
   

If you are anything like me, you will start the weekend with a list of plans and projects you want to complete, but once Sunday rolls around you will discover that you only got through one or two of the items.  Avoid having to return to work on Monday without any projects completed by starting off your weekend with a quick computer upgrade.  Then when everyone in the office asks what you did this weekend, you can tell them you upgraded your computer.