Fix slow computer part 1
One of the most common problems i hear with computers is that it is slow, and why is it slow ?
There are couple of easy steps to Out rule before making a conclusion.
1. What hardware are in your computer, maybe it is under powered for your use of the computer.
a way to see that is using the build in task manager in Windows, by pressing ctrl+alt+Delete and select Task manager.
In the task manager your are able to determent how much of you computer capacity you are using.
Start by looking on the performance tab, and start from the top.
CPU:
Should not be at maximum this means if it is over 80 % constant it either means your CPU are having a hard time keeping up with the tasks
Go to the Process tab and sort by CPU to which process is using most CPU, it could be a task you started or a program using alot of CPU power, there can be a lot of reasons why some of them could be:
- Application using allot of resources
- Malware
- Virus
- System idle process (That is okay – ignore that)
- Under powered CPU
It is not always easy to spot what is right and what is wrong, especially for users not to familiar with computers.
but take a look at and try to google the process name, to see if it malicious or normal.
Memory:
Is kind of the same as CPU if there is nothing left it will be slow. check what using your memory and determent what it is.
Maybe you don’t have enough for the things you are using your computer for.
Memory(RAM) is mostly easy and cheap to upgrade, and if you are not comfortable doing it yourself take it ti your local Hardware dealer, or ask a friend or family.
Disk:
The disk is your Hard-drive where you store all your data and where you programs are running of, this is not the same as the other two, even if performance is low on the disk
it still possible you have a problem with it, it could old and worn out, or just a slow mechanical disk, often seen in cheaper laptops.
This is also realitivly easy to upgrade, you would prefer to upgrade it to an SSD(Solid state drive) disk
The benefits are massive here i will list some of the benefits below.
+ Pros
- SSD is many times faster than a regular mechanical disk
- No mechanical fragile parts
- Lower heat generation
- less power consumption (Useful on laptops = Longer battery life)
- Faster boot time
– Cons
- Lesser capacity than mechanical considering prices
It is a little more expensive but it is well worth the extra money, i have seen slow computers rescued by this upgrade an adding a couple of years to a old computer.
So if everything seems fine above another thing to look at is the state physical state of your computer, does it feel like its overheating, is the fan running at full speed constant ?
Is it filled with dust ?
Clean up your computer if it is a laptop you can remove the back cover with a couple of screws on some models others are not so easy.
Warning: You may remove warranty on some vendors if you remove it.
You can then clean it with some canned compressed air or an air compressor, but you have to be careful not to use to high pressure, and make sure you are not spinning the fan with air, because you could end up detroying the bearings in the fan, and you would need to replace it.
There are ways to see if your computer is to hot without tearing it apart.
In most computers there are temperature sensors on; Motherboard, Graphics card, CPU, And Disks.
There are many programs to do this.
My favorite is Speccy, and it is free
As you can see it displays the temperatures of essential hardware, on this example everything is just fine.
It will show the temperature in Yellow or Red if it is to hot.
It will also depend on the hardware how hot it is allowed to be, some CPU for example are operating at higher temperatures than others.
Regarding of how hot it is, it never hurt to clean your computer from dust, it will expand the lifetime.
