Each user must have noticed that immediately after the first installation, the operating system, as they say, flies, but over time it starts to slow down quite a lot. What is the reason, and how to improve computer performance, read on. A lot of ways to carry out such actions can be offered, but we will dwell on the most significant ones.
How to conduct a computer performance test?
First, let's see how to look at overall performance. You can visually track the load on system resources in the most common “Task Manager”, using the performance tab for this.
It is just as easy to sort active processes by the maximum load on the central processor or RAM. But there is another tool in the system that allows you to perform a computer performance test, which, so to speak, will give your device a rating. To do this, go to the "Control Panel", go to the system section and use the corresponding item to start the assessment. The results will show several ratings for the main equipment, but the overall score is set based on the lowest score. If you see that the ratings of the processor or RAM are higher than that of the hard drive, you should consider replacing it.
How to increase computer performance: main areas of action
Now let's see what actions can be taken to make your computer work much faster than it is currently observed. Among the priority areas, the following can be highlighted:
- installation of a more modern hardware;
- factory reset or BIOS update;
- transition to a newer operating system;
- Disabling unnecessary services, processes, and components
- HDD optimization ;
- installing the latest drivers;
- use of third-party programs.
Replacing hardware and resetting BIOS
Let's start with the "iron" components. It is believed that computer performance depends on the type of processor, the amount of RAM, graphics accelerator and speed of access to the hard drive.
That's just mindlessly replacing components is not worth it. For example, if you are planning to install a new processor, it should have a speed of at least 30% more than that installed in the system. At lower rates, you will not get a noticeable increase in speed, and the assessment of computer performance will remain at the same mark.
RAM can also be added, however, its type and size should be taken into account here, since the installed memory bars and their volumes may simply not be supported by the motherboard.
To a no lesser extent, computer performance depends on the speed of the hard drive. If you have a hard drive with a rotation speed of 5400 rpm, you should change it to a disk with 7200 rpm. Even better, install an SSD (provided that the motherboard supports its connection).
The most desperate users, called overlockers, can overclock the processor (fortunately, now it can be done programmatically, not physically). But there isn’t much point in this, since new generation CPUs are relatively inexpensive.
Finally, you can install a modern video card, but you definitely need to fork out for such equipment, and on laptops it is almost impossible to do this at all (we mean discrete accelerators).
Another problem may be related to incorrect settings of the primary BIOS I / O system. Among users, there are many fans who want to experiment with such parameters, and through ignorance, you can set such options that all the hardware will not work correctly. Therefore, as one of the solutions, you can apply a full reset to the factory state.
Install a new operating system
In the matter of how to improve computer performance, one of the options may be to change the operating system. If you, for example, are working with Windows XP on a more or less modern PC, you should install at least the "seven". If it works fine, you can upgrade to Windows 10, as the system requirements are not much different.
On computers with 2-core processors of the budget category and 2 GB of RAM, the “ten” works perfectly fine. But immediately after installation, the performance rating of the computer will increase.
Disabling unnecessary startup processes
Now directly about what tools can be used in the Windows-systems themselves. To increase the performance of a computer with Windows 7, for example, you can be quite elementary if you turn off all unnecessary processes that start with the system.
To do this, in the "Run" console, you need to enter the msconfig command, and in the configurator go to the startup tab and uncheck all unnecessary processes. You can leave only ctfmon (if there is one in the list) - the process responsible for displaying the language bar and changing languages.
In Windows 10, this tab has been moved to the "Task Manager", there are no checkmarks on the processes, but you can disable them using the corresponding button.
Deactivating Unused System Components
Another solution about how to increase computer performance (speed of any type of operation) is to completely deactivate unused system components. For example, if you are not going to use virtual machines, you do not need to keep the Hyper-V module active, if there is no printer, then the print service can be turned off.
To do this, go to the section of programs and components of the "Control Panel", go to the system components, and then remove the selection from unnecessary services in the list. After the restart, the performance will increase very noticeably.
Hard Drive Actions
Not everything can be in order with the hard drive in the system, although there are no obvious violations in its operation. But the appearance of errors can indirectly affect the general state of the operating system or the applications used. Inspection and cleaning should be done at least once a week.
Another point is defragmentation. This is the process of organizing files in order to move the most frequently used program files to speed up access to them in the fastest areas of the hard drive. After performing this operation, the time taken to launch the program will be significantly reduced. It is recommended to carry out such a procedure at least once a month.
Drivers
In the matter of how to improve computer performance, you can not ignore the issues of updating device drivers. To do such things manually is absolutely pointless and time-consuming. Therefore, it is easiest to use automated programs to search for and install updates.
The best recognized utilities are Driver Booster and DriverPack Solution. At startup, they scan all installed equipment, and then automatically update drivers, referring directly to the resources of software developers or device manufacturers. All user participation in this case is reduced only to agreeing with the installation.
Using Optimizer Programs
Finally, specially optimized applications can be used to optimize the system. Some programs for checking computer performance can only set points, others after the test offer optimization online, others are installed on the PC and monitor its condition, accelerating either automatically in the background or on demand.
In principle, the use of any type of application will help to identify system malfunctions and eliminate them. But standard programs for checking computer performance are too limited in capabilities, while optimizers are even able to clean or defragment the registry (and its size and the presence of incorrect or outdated keys significantly increase the start of the operating system itself).