Ah, the notorious slow PC – nothing could be more frustrating than that! Your click here, your pause, click there, but everything you do doesn't seem to work as fast as it used to, and it is making you feel desperate! But if you have a slow PC, you shouldn't worry because you are definitely not alone in this! Many people have experienced this before and had to wonder what exactly went wrong with their computer.
The best part is that most times the slow PC problem is not about the system being doomed – it's just a call for help. I am familiar with this issue because I have dealt with slow computers myself, and there are plenty of causes of your PC being as slow as it is. Let me explain them to you.
Usual Suspects: Software Overload & Digital Clutter
Very often the causes of computer slowdown are those which have been installed, opened or simply not closed by their users. The computers just as houses tend to collect dust, but it happens to be digital one.
Too Many Programs Running at Startup
At the moment of turning on your computer, there aren’t only programs to work properly, there are also many applications, which have been programmed by developers to run automatically along with the operating system. Every single one of those, even the smallest ones will eat some portion of your very limited RAM and CPU resources. You can imagine yourself starting a race while being overloaded with bricks in your backpack – you won’t be able to reach your top speed.
Review Your Startup Apps: For Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to start Task Manager and click on the 'Startup' tab where you can quickly turn off any unnecessary applications that start together with Windows. As for macOS users, go to System Settings > General > Login Items, just be careful not to mess up the system processes!
Close Unnecessary Background Apps: Do you have unused applications constantly working in the background? It doesn't really matter whether you have them in your taskbar or dock, close them once you're done with them!
Browser Resource Hunger
Let's face the truth, who doesn't enjoy having several tabs opened at once? It's so handy to switch between research, social networking sites, and a few YouTube videos which you didn't manage to watch to the end. However, even if you have only a couple of tabs opened with active content such as videos and web-based apps, each one requires considerable computing resources and memory. Modern browsers are quite advanced and powerful, however, there's a price to pay especially if you have lots of tabs opened in several browser windows.
Manage Your Tabs: It may be useful to use an extension that helps you manage tabs if you regularly open a lot of tabs. In addition, remember to close tabs that you no longer need.
Restart Your Browser: Sometimes it may be sufficient simply to restart the browser itself, as it will free up plenty of memory space.
Lighter Browser Can Help: If you use a lot of tabs simultaneously, there are some browsers that can suit you.
The Hardware Troubles: When Your PC Is Not Optimized for Speed
Sometimes, the problem may not be in what you do, but rather in what you actually have (or lack) in your computer.
Lack of Sufficient RAM (Random Access Memory)
Consider RAM as the short-term memory of your computer or its workspace. Whenever you launch an application or document, the system loads it into the RAM. In case you do not have sufficient RAM, the system needs to keep swapping the data from the slow storage device into the RAM and vice versa. This leads to tremendous bottle-necking.
Monitor Your RAM Usage: Check the Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS) to determine how much RAM your computer uses. Should it be almost always close to 100%, you might want to increase this amount.
Get More RAM: Upgrading your memory might be one of the cheapest ways to speed up an older PC.
Slow/Fully Used Hard Drive
This is probably the biggest problem when it comes to performance issues. For many years, most computers used Hard Disk Drives (HDD) which were good when it came to storage but very slow compared to today's SSDs. It means that should your operating system run on an HDD drive, especially an old one, it will be terribly slow. On top of that, should any of your drives be nearly full (regardless of whether it's an HDD or SSD), its performance will be severely affected.
Switch to an SSD Drive: Should your computer be running on an HDD drive, switching to SSD drive for your operating system is one of the best things that you could do.
Free Up Disk Space: Frequently delete old files, remove programs that you don’t use anymore and temporary files. In Windows there is a tool called 'Disk Cleanup', while in macOS you can manage disk space through the System Settings.
Defragment (HDD only): If you have an HDD, you should consider defragmenting the disk as it will allow you to optimize your access to files. Do NOT defragment SSD! It is a waste of time and it is harmful for its lifespan.
Outdated or Damaged Hardware
Components of the computer have their lifespan just like cars. Old processor can have problems with running recent software, old video card can run slower and in the worst case some components might start dying, causing strange problems with your computer performance and crashes.
Upgrade Components: If your computer is old and all other methods do not work – consider upgrading your CPU, GPU or even the entire system.
Check Components Health: Special programs such as CrystalDiskInfo or HWMonitor can help you check the health of your components.
Nasty Stuff: Malware, Viruses & Old Drivers
There are times that the lagging is more than just an inconvenience; it might be caused by something more sinister or just simply neglected.
Malware, Viruses, and Adware
These unwanted programs can run in the background while using up system resources and showing pop-up ads or even taking information from you. When an unexpected slow down occurs, it could mean that your PC has a digital pest on board. This type of program will always be invisible but very stubborn, which makes your PC do more work than it needs to.
- Always Run Scans: Have up-to-date antivirus software downloaded on your PC.
- Always Be Cautious: Be careful when clicking on files or links.
Drivers Are Outdated Or Corrupted
Drivers are small software which allows your operating system to interact with your hardware devices (graphic card, sound card, network adapter and so forth). Outdated and broken drivers are the reasons of slow operation and problems with hardware. Besides, by not updating your operating system, you miss important updates, security patches and other performance increases.
Update Drivers: Go to hardware manufacturers' websites and look for the newest drivers, specially for graphic card. You can also use device manager in Windows.
OS Up To Date: Update your operating system at any possible moment. It contains many optimizations which will improve the performance and security.
Overheating Of Components
When your CPU and GPU become too hot, they start reducing their frequency to prevent burning. In fact, you won't notice any difference between performance degradation and overheating. The most popular reason of overheating is dust accumulation in fans and heatsinks.
Clean Out Dust: Regularly remove dust buildup from internal components of the computer, especially from fans and heatsinks with the help of compressed air.
Watch Your Temperature: Make use of applications like HWMonitor or Core Temp to monitor the temperature of your computer’s CPU and GPU.
Proper Airflow: Check whether there is a good airflow in your computer, and if your PC is not packed in too tight space.
Wrapping It Up: Reaching for That Speed
Well, here we go – another long section on why your PC might be slow! And yet, to understand the problem properly, you need to do a bit of investigation. Most likely, there will not be a solution that magically solves everything; however, it is possible to check some of the most common factors. First, try to solve the problem by implementing some of the simplest and most affordable solutions, such as managing startup programs and applications or getting rid of any disk space. If the problem is still there, try to find out whether you need to buy some additional hardware. In particular, you should think about increasing your amount of RAM or buying an SSD (if you have not done that before).