Have you noticed your computer getting a little sluggish recently? When your computer was new, booting up seemed practically instant... but now it wakes up with a yawn and says “five more minutes”. It's not all bad though! It could just be your computer needs a little TLC to feel like its old self again.
Simple steps to boost your desktop PC
One of the best ways to fix a computer slowdown? Simply give it a bit of a clean. And not just a digital one- actually get the dust as well as the data off your hard drive!
This may sound complicated, but it’s actually really easy and shouldn’t take too much effort. Here’s how to give your computer a basic clean, inside and out.
Cleaning your computer’s inner workings
The inside of a computer is an area that often gets neglected. After all, taking the case off and checking out the components can be a bit scary. There’s no need to worry – cleaning dust and fluff away is quick and easy.
Dust and fluff gradually builds up inside your computer over time. They coat all the chips and clog up the fans, meaning the computer can’t keep cool properly. As the computer heats up it won’t work as efficiently. The computer becomes noisier as the fans struggle to keep things cool, putting extra strain on the components.
All you need to clean your computer is a can of compressed air and a lint-free cloth. Additionally, you may want to wear an anti-static wristband to avoid the risk of damaging the electronics if you touch them by mistake.
Remove the computer case
Following the directions on the can of compressed air, blow away the dust and fluff from the inside of the computer
Spray from the inside towards the outside
Hold the fans still while you spray through them to ensure they’re well cleaned
Blow excess dust of any heatsinks and chips
Use the lint-free cloth to brush away any remaining dust, being very gentle if you touch any components
Replace the case once you’ve finished
Important: We'd really advise against using a vacuum cleaner on the inside of your computer. Vacuum cleaners can produce static electricity that may cause major damage to your computer. Not good!
Cleaning your hard disk
1. Clean up your mailbox
Unless you’re very lucky, you probably get a fair bit of junk mail every day. Your computer probably sorts the worst of it into a separate folder, but it’s worthwhile emptying this out every so often to free up a little space. While you’re at it, now is a good time to go through your mail mailbox and archive or delete any messages you no longer need.
2. Empty the recycle bin and clear out temporary files
All those documents, images and videos that you’ve banished from your computer tend to hang around in the recycle bin until you finally evict them. Your computer will also tend to horde lots of temporary files. Give them their marching orders for a bit of extra space. Here’s how to do it in Windows 10. Windows 11 is pretty similar.
From the Start menu, select Settings
Choose Storage
Click on This PC and choose your hard drive
Select Temporary Files
Under Recycle Bin, select Empty Recycle Bin
Under Temporary Files, select Delete Temporary Files
Under Downloads, select View Downloads and delete any you no longer need
3. Uninstall any programs, apps and games you no longer need
The more space you have on your hard drive, the better it tends to perform. Getting rid of old programs is good practice and frees up resources your computer can use.
From the Start menu, select Settings
Choose System and select Apps & Features
Wait for the list of installed programs to appear
From here you can see how much space everything takes up
Delete anything you no longer need, but do double check if you’re not sure what the program is
If you’ve not given your computer a good once-over in a while, you should notice a reasonable performance boost now!
How to clean up your Operating System for a speed boost
If you're looking to give your operating system a speed boost, there are a few key steps you can take.
Remove bloatware - those pre-installed applications that you never use but take up valuable system resources. Maybe it’s an antivirus software trial that came with your laptop or a companion app to a piece of tech you don’t even use anymore. You can do this by going to your system settings and uninstalling any unnecessary programs.
Disable startup programs to reduce the load on your system when it boots up. When you install apps, lots of then default to starting up when you switch on your PC, but this can be a huge drain. Disable them through the Task Manager (on Windows) or System Preferences (on macOS).
Optimise background processes by ensuring that only essential services are running in the background. Again, this can be an unintended option you selected during installation. But it can be managed through the same Task Manager or Activity Monitor, where you can end tasks that are consuming too much CPU or memory.
Best free software tools to clean and optimise your PC
CCleaner - CCleaner is a popular and highly effective tool for cleaning up temporary files, clearing browser caches and optimising your system. It also includes a registry cleaner and a tool to manage startup programs.
Glary Utilities - Glary Utilities offers a comprehensive suite of tools for system maintenance, including disk cleaning, registry repair and performance optimisation. It also has a user-friendly interface and a variety of additional features like file shredding and duplicate file finder.
Advanced SystemCare - Advanced SystemCare is another all-in-one tool that helps you clean, repair and optimise your PC. It includes features like a registry cleaner and a startup manager.
Defraggler - Defraggler is a powerful disk defragmentation tool that helps improve your system's performance by organising files on your hard drive for faster access.
Malwarebytes - While primarily an antivirus tool, Malwarebytes can help keep your system clean by removing malware and other harmful software that can slow down your PC.
Speccy - Speccy provides detailed information about your system's hardware, which can be useful for diagnosing performance issues and ensuring your system is running optimally.
Wise Disk Cleaner - Wise Disk Cleaner is a lightweight tool that helps you free up disk space by removing temporary files, system cache and other unnecessary data.
Autoruns - Autoruns is a more advanced tool from Microsoft that allows you to manage and disable startup programs and other autorun entries, helping to reduce boot times and improve system performance.
How upgrading your hardware can make your computer faster
Upgrading your hardware can significantly boost your computer's performance, making it faster and more efficient. Here’s how upgrading RAM, switching to an SSD, or adding an external GPU can speed up your PC:
Upgrading RAM (Random Access Memory)
What it does:
Improves multitasking: More RAM allows your computer to handle more applications and processes simultaneously without slowing down.
Faster application loading: With more RAM, applications and files load faster because there is more space to store data temporarily.
Enhanced performance: Tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and running multiple virtual machines benefit greatly from additional RAM.
How it helps:
Reduced swapping: When your computer runs out of RAM, it starts using the hard drive as a temporary storage space (known as virtual memory or swap file). This process is much slower than using RAM. More RAM reduces the need for swapping, leading to smoother performance.
Faster boot times: With more RAM, your computer can load the operating system and essential services faster during startup.
Switching to an SSD (Solid State Drive)
What it does:
Faster data access: SSDs read and write data much faster than traditional HDDs (Hard Disk Drives).
Quicker boot times: Your computer will boot up and shut down much faster with an SSD.
Faster application launches: Applications and files load much quicker, reducing wait times.
How it helps:
Improved overall performance: SSDs significantly reduce the time it takes to access and transfer data, making your entire computing experience more responsive.
Enhanced durability: SSDs have no moving parts, making them more durable and less prone to mechanical failure.
Lower power consumption: SSDs use less power than HDDs, which can extend battery life in laptops.
Adding an External GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
What it does:
Enhanced graphics performance: An external GPU (eGPU) can significantly improve graphics performance, making it ideal for gaming, video editing, and other graphics-intensive tasks.
Better compatibility: eGPUs are often more compatible with laptops and small form factor PCs that don’t have the space for a full-sized internal GPU.
How it helps:
Improved gaming experience: Games run smoother and at higher resolutions and frame rates with a dedicated GPU.
Faster video and image editing: Graphics-intensive tasks like video rendering and image processing are much faster with a powerful GPU.
Future-proofing: An eGPU can extend the life of your current system by providing a significant performance boost without the need for a complete system upgrade.
Check out our PC components and upgrades for everything you need.
What’s next?
If your computer is still sluggish, maybe it’s time for an upgrade? Our Desktop PC Buying Guide is a great place to start!
