to arm / upgrade
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to arm
To increase a country's military strength by acquiring or producing more weapons, soldiers, and equipment.
Als Reaktion auf die Bedrohung begann das Land, seine Armee massiv aufzurüsten.
In response to the threat, the country began to arm its army massively.
to upgrade
To improve a technical device, especially a computer, by installing newer or more powerful components.
Ich muss meinen PC mit einer neuen Grafikkarte aufrüsten, um aktuelle Spiele spielen zu können.
I need to upgrade my PC with a new graphics card so I can play current games.
'Aufrüsten' (to arm / upgrade) is a separable verb. The prefix 'auf' separates from the verb stem 'rüsten' in a main clause and comes at the end of the sentence.
Die Firma rüstet ihre Computer auf.
The company is upgrading its computers.
The verb is based on 'rüsten' (to prepare / equip). The related noun is 'die Rüstung' (armor / armament), which refers to military equipment or weapons.
Die Ritter rüsteten sich für die Schlacht.
The knights prepared themselves for the battle.
You can recognize the meaning easily from context. If it is about the military, weapons, or politics, the military meaning is intended. If it is about computers, technology, or devices, the technical improvement is meant.
Die Spannungen führten dazu, dass beide Länder aufrüsteten.
The tensions led both countries to arm themselves.
If you want to state what something is upgraded with, use the preposition 'mit' followed by the dative. The pattern is: '(etwas) mit etwas aufrüsten' (to upgrade something with something).
Er hat sein Fahrrad mit besseren Bremsen aufgerüstet.
He upgraded his bike with better brakes.
to update / refresh
Aktualisieren and aufrüsten can both improve a technical device. Aktualisieren usually means installing a new software version or adding current data; aufrüsten emphasizes installing more powerful components. Choose aufrüsten when the device’s hardware is meant to become more powerful.
Wir rüsten den Computer mit mehr Arbeitsspeicher und einer größeren Festplatte auf.
We are upgrading the computer with more RAM and a larger hard drive.
Wir aktualisieren das Programm auf dem Computer auf die neueste Version.
We are updating the program on the computer to the latest version.
