As businesses grow, so do the demands you place on your point-of-sale (POS) system. What worked well a few years ago might now be slowing you down, frustrating customers, or holding you back. Upgrading your POS hardware isn’t just about staying trendy—it’s about staying efficient, competitive, and ready for tomorrow. Here are five signs it’s time to consider a hardware upgrade, and how modern Volcora POS terminals can help.

1. Slow transaction speed and frequent lag

If your terminal takes too long to boot, processes are sluggish, or it struggles when you run inventory, promotions, or concurrent customer checkouts, that’s a red flag.

What to look for: faster CPUs, more RAM, SSD storage instead of older disk types.

Volcora example:
The Volcora POS Terminal Pro (15.6″, Intel Core i5 11th Gen, 16 GB RAM) is built for fast-paced environments. It handles multitasking with ease.

2. Outdated display or screen size causing usability issues

Smaller, lower resolution, or aging touch screens can make it harder for staff to see what they’re doing and for customers to interact with sales/customer-display screens. Flickers, unresponsive touches, or inaccurate inputs degrade experience and slow operations.

What to look for: capacitive touchscreens, higher resolution, dual displays (for customer view), or larger screens if you have more complex workflows.

Volcora example:
The Volcora Standard Plus – 18.5″ touchscreen monitor gives you more real estate, improving visibility and ease of use.

3. Incompatible with modern software / OS requirements

If your POS hardware can’t keep up with updates, or the OS/software your business needs requires resources your current system doesn’t provide (e.g. security patches, cloud sync, analytics), you risk being insecure, inefficient, or unable to offer desired features.

What to look for: modern OS (e.g. Windows 11), good support from the vendor, compatibility with latest POS applications.

Volcora example:
Many Volcora terminals come with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed, ensuring you can run current software suites reliably. 

4. Hardware failures, maintenance, or reliability issues

Frequent crashes, broken ports, worn-out touchscreens, overheating—all these add up to lost sales, frustrated staff, and higher repair or replacement costs.

What to look for: solid build quality, reliable component vendors, good warranty, strong after-sales support.

Volcora example:
Volcora offers a lifetime warranty & US-based customer support for many of its POS terminals, giving peace of mind.

5. Business has scaled up / operational complexity increased

If your business has added more locations, more registers, more products, mixed retail + café + online orders, multi-user interactions, or added features like loyalty programs, promotions, reporting—your POS needs to scale, too.

What to look for: scalable hardware, options for dual screens or multiple peripheral connections, strong network connectivity (WiFi, Ethernet), modern input/output options.

Volcora example:
Volcora’s lineup includes variants with multiple USB ports, Ethernet, WiFi & Bluetooth, dual screen options, and various size/form-factor terminals. For instance, the Standard Petite line (15″ 4:3 touch screen) or the Pro line with optional customer displays are good fits for businesses growing in complexity. 

How to Approach an Upgrade

• Audit your current usage & pain points: Talk to staff, check logs, monitor speed. Where is the bottleneck?

• Define what’s required vs what’s nice-to-have: Maybe you need an OS that supports cloud sync; maybe dual screens are just a bonus.

• Plan for ROI: Savings in time, fewer maintenance calls, less downtime all contribute.

• Select a vendor you trust: Reliable support, warranties, clear specs.

Upgrading your POS terminal isn’t just an expense—it can be a strategic investment. When you pick the right hardware, it can speed up checkouts, reduce errors, delight customers, and enable growth. Volcora has a broad selection of POS terminals with modern OS, strong component specs, and durable build to support businesses at all stages. If you see any of the signs above, it’s probably time to explore an upgrade—and ensure your operations don’t just keep up, but stay ahead.