7 Ways to Speed up Your Computer's Performance

Computers are wondrous machines; they make completing tasks a breeze, and we bet that you cannot imagine life without your trusty PC. However, these marvels of modern technology are not infallible. From time to time, you may notice your PC experiencing what we like to call “hiccups.” Instead of holding your breath while restarting your computer, hoping that the issue disappears, how about you find the root of the problem? If your computer is acting up, try our next few tips to make it faster.

Clicking “later” whenever you get a software update is rather convenient, isn’t it? After all, your PC does not really need these updates, right? Well, although dealing with updates every few weeks might be annoying, leaving your computer running on an old software version will create many problems down the line. You see, with every fresh update, new bug fixes are added. So, by just installing the latest firmware version, you may finally find a solution to your problem and manage to make your computer a little bit more responsive. In any case, you can always roll back to a previous version if the new one does not fix the issue or simply is not to your liking. However, updating your system is definitely worth a shot.

No, we are not telling you to get more storage. For tech novices, the distinction between RAM and storage is not always clear, considering that many use the terms “memory” and “storage” interchangeably. In a nutshell, the main difference between RAM and storage is that RAM is temporary memory and the primary resource that your system uses to run programs. On the other hand, storage is the space your disk drives have, the one you use to save files. If you are in the habit of running multiple programs simultaneously and only have 4 GB of RAM, then it is definitely time for an upgrade. Rest assured that this does not cost an arm and a leg, as 16 GB RAM sticks are as cheap as $50.

If you always get bombarded with a dozen windows when you boot up your computer, you might have accidentally enabled several startup programs, which can make your system much slower. For Windows users, you can fix this by going to “Settings,” choosing “Apps,” and selecting “Startup.” There, you can disable all the programs that automatically start when you boot up the system. Mac users can do the same by navigating to “System Preferences.” Click “Users and Groups” and select your nickname. Finally, open the “Login Items” tab and remove the startup programs you do not need.

As you use your computer more, it is expected that you may accumulate a lot of unnecessary files. Nonetheless, the more your disk drives fill up, the slower your PC will be. So, it is often recommended to clean up your storage every once in a while. You can start by emptying your Recycle Bin. Then you can review the files that you have not deleted yet and remove the ones you do not need. Make sure that your HDD has more than 10% left because if it becomes more than 90% full, this will slow your computer down. If you have an SSD, make sure that you do not use more than 75% of its storage capacity. Moreover, you can always get a bigger hard drive or move your files to a USB stick or external drive if you do not want to delete them.

macOS users may not know this struggle, but Windows fans are familiar with the bloatware that comes preloaded on their computers. We do not know who gave Windows developers the idea that adding a few pay-to-win games to the system is peak technology, but here we are! Fortunately, these programs do not have to take up space or make your PC laggy anymore. You can simply navigate to “Apps” under the “Settings” menu and remove all the programs you do not use to free up some space and make your system snappier.

Reducing your power consumption is extremely crucial, especially if you have a laptop. However, the more conservative with your computer’s resources you are, the slower it gets. Low power settings usually slow down your PC to save up resources and increase your battery life. Putting your laptop on the “Battery Saver” mode all the time will indeed reduce its power consumption, but it will also make it slower. To find a happy medium, put it on “Balanced” instead.

Sometimes, viruses and other malware might be the reason why your PC is slower than you’d like. For this reason, you must run a scan every few days to make sure that everything is in order. To make sure that your system is always protected, invest in good anti-virus software. You may also read reviews to guarantee that you are picking the right program.

A slow computer makes it more challenging to finish ordinary tasks. In case your PC has suddenly become laggy, give the above hacks a go to solve the problem. If all but fails, you can try the factory resetting your computer but make sure to back up your data first. Hardware might also be the issue, so let a professional take a look if these fixes do not work.