As the prices of memory and components soar, affording a new computer is becoming more and more challenging for some people. Average computer prices are expected to increase by as much as 20% before year’s end.
That’s forcing many computer owners to make do with what they have. But if your desktop or laptop is feeling sluggish, it doesn’t mean it’s obsolete. A few fairly easy steps could give you a speed boost that may not equal that of a new machine running the latest hardware, but will still feel like a notable leap from what you experience today.
Here’s how to tune up your machine for a lot less than you’d pay for a new device.
Clean things up
The older your laptop or PC is, the better the chances it has accumulated a layer of dust inside the case. (That’s even more likely if you have pets.) That dust acts like a blanket on the components and heat sinks, which can trigger thermal throttling in a device. That in turn slows down the CPU and/or GPU, resulting in lag or reduced performance.
Use compressed air to blow out the dust from your computer’s case, if you use a desktop. Be sure to hold any fans in place when cleaning them to avoid damage to the fan motor. If you’re cleaning up a laptop, short bursts of air through the vents can clean things up. You’ll want to clean your PC of dust every six months or so—and every three months if you have pets.
Search for cheap upgrades
If you’re realizing you’ll be stuck with a particularly old machine for some time, it’s possible some components can be upgraded without having to buy brand-new (and expensive) replacements. Goodwill, for instance, resells donated technology in specialty stores, such as The Grid, and several of those items are sold online via Ebay. The organization also has partnered with Dell to support Dell Connect, refurbishing some electronics and sending nonfunctional parts to Dell for recycling.
Got old machines? Cannibalize them
If there’s nothing to be found at Goodwill or that’s affordable on Ebay, your own old computers might be able to give you a boost. Check to see if the hard drive or RAM in those devices is compatible with your current machine and consider adding that to your PC, assuming you have space and your power supply unit can handle the extra energy demands.
If your device has an old PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) solid-state drive, you can buy an enclosure for that for just a few dollars, transforming it into an external drive that can quickly access data and greatly expanding your storage space.
Make software fixes
Your hard drive could be clogged with junk files and applications that are slowing your system down as well. Open your Task Manager and head over to the start tab to disable any nonessential programs that slow your boot time. Clean out temporary files as well and uninstall apps you no longer use.
This is also a good time to do a deep scan for malware, which is a leading cause of computer slowdowns. Windows Defender is a good tool that most PCs have for this.
Consider a fresh start for your hard drive
If you do find a virus or have a PC whose hard drive is crammed full of programs you don’t need, you might want to consider wiping it entirely and reinstalling your operating system and essential files and programs.
Step one in this, of course, is backing up all critical data, including documents, photos, and essential files. You’ll also want to be sure you have copies of your operating system as well as any programs you use regularly so you can reinstall them.
This is a time-consuming step that can be frustrating, but it can do away with bloatware, broken registry keys, clogged caches and more. It won’t make your hard drive any faster, but it can give you a temporary speed gain. Just keep a close eye on the apps and files you save moving forward.