Just about a dozen and a half years ago, the word “laptop” was associated with a successful entrepreneur, holding a small suitcase - a laptop computer. Since then, much has changed. Now, when buying a home computing system, most often preference is given to compact laptops. However, the application requirements for the performance of hardware components are growing every day, so it is not surprising that yesterday, a top-end laptop today suddenly turns out to be objectively slow. On it, documents are opened with a delay, games are slowed down, high-quality video comes with jerks and so on. As a result, the owner begins to think about how to improve laptop performance.
Solutions
Despite the apparent simplicity of the task, it can be solved in several ways. It is permissible to increase the productivity of a laptop by upgrading the hardware of the system, configuring and selecting the “right” applications, and making changes to the operation of components (overclocking). Since the result and cost of funds in this case are directly dependent, each owner chooses the best solution for himself, how to improve laptop performance.
Replace and add
Laptops inherited from laptops a modular construction principle: the central processor is responsible for the calculations , the video adapter is “engaged” in processing graphics, temporary data is stored in RAM modules, etc. The main units directly affecting the final performance include a processor, a video card , memory, hard drive. Often people who are looking for an answer to the question of how to increase laptop performance lose sight of the fact that replacing one of the key blocks with a more productive one allows you to “breathe a second life” into the laptop. We cannot say what exactly needs to be replaced, since it depends on the circle of tasks being solved on the computer. In general, the procedure is as follows:
- Using diagnostic utilities (Aida64, Sandra) or by studying the specifications on the website of the laptop manufacturer, the parameters of the installed components are determined. It is enough to find out the type of processor, video card, hard drive model and the amount of memory modules.
- Choose more productive solutions compatible with the standard for connecting to the motherboard.
- Replace old components with new ones. With a lack of experience, it is recommended to consult with consultants in a computer store.
So, sometimes a trivial increase in memory seems to remove performance restrictions. Such modernization is most effective, but involves additional costs.
How to improve laptop performance programmatically
Very often, the cause of slow operation is non-optimized programs. For example, the latest 64-bit Windows operating system installed on a laptop with 2 GB of memory uses the lion's share of the free volume of modules for its own work. Because of this, other programs are forced to use the swap file, which negatively affects performance. Therefore, the choice of the version of the system must be given special attention. You can also increase the performance of the hard drive by defragmenting the disk. Third-party applications such as O&O Defrag show better results. We recommend that before starting the "heavy" programs to study their recommended requirements and compare with the configuration of a laptop computer. You can also speed up the work by cleaning the system with CCleaner.
How to increase laptop performance with overclocking
Unlike desktop computers, most portable models do not have built-in capabilities for overclocking components (raising standard parameters using settings). Therefore, the only way to speed up components in this way is to use programs.
Overclocking the video card can be done in the driver settings or using the programs Power Strip, MSI Afterburner, Riva Tuner and so on. After starting, it is necessary to slightly shift the frequency slider and check operation. All such applications have developed reference documentation. The CPU can be overclocked with SetFSB and ClockGen. Increasing productivity in this way, you need to monitor the temperature and prevent overheating: the cooling system is too compact and can not cope with the increased load.