As budget-conscious consumers are tempted with holiday visions of faster, more reliable computers, a new study reveals that a majority of Americans are making some costly miscalculations regarding the  performance of their existing computers.

In a nationwide survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive in October among over 2,000 U.S. adults on behalf of Crucial.com, 64% said they believe it is a financially smarter decision to replace their slow  computer before attempting to upgrade parts of it on their own. Furthermore, 56% said they thought it is worth  paying more to upgrade their computer's memory through the manufacturer of the device than by doing it themselves.

"When confronted with the choice of buying a  new computer versus fixing their existing computer with a memory upgrade, Americans  are woefully misinformed about their options, potentially causing them to spend  hundreds of dollars unnecessarily," said Greg Go, co-founder of Wisebread.com,  an award-winning personal finance blog focused on helping consumers make savvy  purchasing decisions. "The best-kept secret in the computer retail industry is  how easy it is to upgrade a computer's memory on your own. With the improved  performance benefits, lower cost of RAM, and ease of installation, it makes  sense to give that older machine a few more years of life before breaking the  bank on a new one."

At a time when year-end finances and household  budgets result in sleepless, anxiety-filled nights for many, 53% of Americans report that the  thought of opening up their computer themselves and installing parts is more  stressful than handling their personal finances.

"Paying someone to install computer memory is  like paying someone to change the batteries in a television remote control,"  added Go.

The survey also revealed some interesting  insights into the role computers continue to play in people's lives.  A resounding 82% of U.S. adults say they rely on their computers when managing  their personal finances, and 79% feel more secure managing their finances on their computer than they do on their  mobile device. Providing more reason to extend the life of a computer with a  memory upgrade, 75% said they plan  on handing down their old computer to their son/daughter.

"In the past, people replaced their computer  more regularly as it would struggle with new programs, operating system  updates, and evolving Internet browser technologies. Today's computers are engineered  with processing power that far surpasses the demands of most users," added Roddy  McLean, marketing director at Crucial.com. "Most computer performance issues  result from not having enough RAM memory, thus forcing the computer to  prioritize the use of RAM.  Upgrading a  computer's RAM memory is an easy, cost-effective fix that often yields  immediate results."

Visit the Do Your Personal Finances Compute? press room to view a supporting infographic, helpful videos and expert tips to help consumers get the most out of their new and existing computers.

Founded on the concept of  making upgrades easy for the everyday computer user, Crucial.com has been  serving customers for more than 15 years, while providing  the knowledge and tools needed to select and purchase the right computer memory upgrade. Just go to Crucial.com and run the Crucial® System Scanner to find the right upgrade to  improve performance and extend the life of an existing computer.

Visit www.crucial.com for more information, follow Crucial on Twitter at @CrucialMemory, "LIKE" Crucial at www.facebook.com/CrucialMemory, and subscribe to our videos at www.youtube.com/crucialmemory.