Everyone wants to get the most out of their computer and we want to tell you how to speed up your computer in 2020. A common complaint is that the computer seems to be significantly slower than when it was brand new. These are the best ways to speed up your computer.
What is the Computer’s Speed?
There are two main factors when dealing with the responsiveness of your computer for daily use:
- How fast your hardware is.
You’re Only as Fast as Your Hardware.
Depending on how much RAM, how fast the CPU is, and the read/write speed of your hard drive all determines how offline programs run. There isn’t always a magic software to speed up your computer. A phrase we like to use around here is: “Can’t turn a Corolla into a Ferrari.”
Technology is constantly changing and evolving. It feels like every other day a new cell phone or device is released. Unfortunately that means a “fast computer” is relative when compared to the latest and greatest which is always on the horizon.
However the longevity of your hardware often times depends on how much you are willing to spend. There are some who decide to spend several thousand dollars on a gaming compute. That specific machine will be able to stay relevant for several years due to how much was spent initially. After 3 years it might not play a brand new game on Ultra High settings but it will work perfectly fine.
A budget work machine purchased 5 years ago is unlikely to be able to play that same game but this might not be a concern.
It’s important to know your intentions for that computer rather than go overboard paying for something which will only be streaming Youtube and browsing Facebook
- How fast your internet connection is.
Programs like your web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer Opera, Safari) are restricted mainly by your internet connection speed.
This means streaming services like Netflix or Youtube could still run poorly on a computer with amazing hardware, only because the internet connection speed is too slow. If the internet connection is too slow it may lead to skipping or buffering for audio and video. Switching internet providers or getting a better internet plan from your current one is a great way to speed up your computer experience.
Based on your area (and how much you are willing to pay) you may be more limited on which providers as well as the services plans are available. This website will help you narrow down some of the options in your area and for your budget: https://www.allconnect.com/results/providers?zip=33436
What can you control?
You can control the strain you put on the machine. Some questions to ask yourself while using your computer should be:
- Do I need all of the browser tabs which are currently open?
- Have I ran a virus scan lately to make sure there isn’t any infection eating up my available resources?
- Do I have all of the current software updates available for my computer?
- Are there any programs running in the system tray that don’t need to be there?
Depending on the computer’s make and model upgrading your hardware is a option as well. Increasing the amount RAM or changing your hard drive are popular ways of improving your computer’s potential.
However just always be mindful of the cost vs benefit. Unfortunately nothing last forever. Depending on the situation, it may be more cost effective to buy a brand new computer than to continue to sinking money into an older machine as its components fail and slow down.
Periodic Tune Ups
Microsoft recommends that each computer get at least one tune up done each quarter to speed up your computer.
Every three months, computer users, especially business owners, should be using a technician, or proper software, to clean up the “junk” that accumulates over time. Every move you make, especially online, creates a path for the computer to remember, so that the sites you visit frequently load faster.
This is a great idea, and will cause a great experience for the user, for a time, but in the long run, it can have a big impact on the performance of the machine and the storage space available.
Each site you visit creates cookies, cache, and temporary internet files on your computer. The reasoning is that it is faster to access the files on your hard drive than it is to download them each individual time you visit the site.
The more sites you visit – the more files build up. This will overtime slow down the computer’s performance. While the user won’t notice the impact immediately, we constantly see people letting the computer go too long without a tune up and then when one is finally done, the computer runs like new again.
We become accustomed to the slowness because it crept up slowly
It is considered to be like an oil change for your car, you don’t wait until you are broken down on the side of the road before you get one, instead, you schedule them to be done.
Conclusion
While it is always great to have a brand new computer, the cost benefit of keeping it clean is huge for the long-term health of the machine (and your wallet). We recommend software like CCleaner (don’t touch your registry!), and Malwarebytes as great, legitimate software that can speed up your computer.
However you don’t have to undergo this process alone! As always if you are uncomfortable with maintaining your computer on your own, call Rush Tech Support 844-880-7874. We would be happy to have a technician run a complimentary tune up and run a security scan to make sure nothing is lurking in the background.
