How to Fix a Slow Computer? [7 Causes & Fixes]

In this generation, we don’t want to use the things that make us slow. A slow computer is also one of them. It is the most common problem for PC users.

Here you can find the causes for the slow performance of your PC along with the fixes. So, you can speed up your PC by yourself after reading this article.

The performance of a computer depends on different factors like PC components, the software you are using, working temperatures, etc.

Remember, I will help to fix the performance issue on your PC. If you need more output than your computer components support, then you need to replace your PC components or upgrade your PC.

For example, a 4 GB RAM computer can perform 5 to 10 apps at a time. You must increase the RAM capacity of your PC if you want to use more than that. 8 GB RAM is the minimum required configuration for software like PhotoShop, Premiere Pro, etc.

Reasons for slow computer performance:

Mostly, normal users and light users are facing this problem because a hard PC user like a gamer needs a High-end PC. And the high-end PC capabilities are more compared to normal PCs.

Considering a normal PC user and his/her system properties, the following reasons are exposed that can slow down a PC. 

Outdated hardware:

First things first. The hardware in a computer determines its capability or performance. A system with outdated hardware can’t compete with up-to-date computers.

For example, a computer with an i3 processor is supported to play Prince of Persia (my favorite game) but it is not possible to play big games like PUBG, Fortnite, etc. Some PCs can open the game, but the performance when you are playing the game is very poor.

Up-to-date PCs with i7 or i9 processors can easily handle old games like Prince of Persia and perform well for big games too like Fortnite, Call of Duty, etc. Of course, the GPU on a computer also matters here.

Here I took the processor as an example, but all the other parts are also in the count to determine the system performance.

Fix it:

If one or two components in a computer are outdated, you can replace them with new ones. Otherwise, it’s better to build a new PC with the required configuration.

The motherboard is the main component in a computer that will decide the entire system’s performance. Here you can find which is the right time to upgrade the motherboard on your PC. To find the motherboard efficiency, you need to know its model. Here are multiple ways to find the motherboard model on a computer.

Insufficient storage:

This is the common thing that most people ignore. 

When the storage on your PC will reach the maximum level or full, then the operating system like Windows will indicate the local disk color in Red by default. It is a sign that your PC is struggling with the performance issue.

You must keep the free storage on your disk, whether it is a drive with the operating system or a normal drive. 

When the local disk with normal files is full, you’ll face trouble while accessing those files. But, when the local disk C is full on your PC, the computer doesn’t have any option except to reduce its performance.

“A system with a 250 GB local disk drive is occupied with 245 GB of memory and guess what the system performance is? Obviously, the system is very slow. Even the basic function buttons also do not work well. On the other hand, only 90 GB of memory is occupied in a 250 GB disk drive. This will help the Operating System to read and write the disk properties without any restrictions.” In this way, insufficient storage will affect the system’s performance.

Fix it:

Two ways to solve this problem.

  1. Remove unwanted or useless data from your PC to save storage.
  2. Buy a new storage device (Hard disk, SSD) and make the disk partition in the right manner.

Unwanted cached data:

The system can store the application data to run it smoothly on a computer. It is common in every system and good to improve the system’s performance. Find more about cache memory on a computer.

But if it exists more than the acceptable limit, then a system will indicate slow performance. 

In order to maintain stability, the computer can split the operations based on the running programs. If the computer has more junk data, it will be confused in giving priority to the operations and resulting in lag performance.

Fix it:

Basically, there is no need to remove cached data every time. I hate doing it because I’ll try to improve my system capability instead of removing cached data every time. It is a time waste process.

Malware attack:

The malware attack is another important thing you need to care about. If a computer is affected by a malware attack, it will impact its performance.

The data threat will occur in this case. However, it’s better to keep your data safe from online threats by providing enough protection.

Fix it:

To find whether your PC is suffering from malware or not, run a ‘Quick Scan’ in Windows security.

However, it is suggestible to use premium protection services like K7, Avast, etc. Find a complete guide to protect your computer here.

Operating temperature levels exceed:

The electronic devices are designed to operate under specific operating temperature ranges. If the temperature levels exceed that, the system will get damaged.

We use liquid cooling for processors and air cooling for other PC components. Too much hot air in a CPU case is also a reason to slow down the system performance.

Fix it:

Here you can find the importance of CPU cooling in a computer. And here are the multiple ways to fix the overheating computer.

Dust causes a problem:

Dust is a bad element to the computer and its performance. If a fan holds so much dust, it affects its spinning or RPM and results in the temperature of the CPU increasing. This leads to damage to the entire system.

As a PC user, you should know the importance of PC cleaning. The more dust enters the CPU case, the more problems the system needs to face.

Fix it:

Regular PC cleaning is suggestible to avoid problems coming from the dust. You shouldn’t ignore the IO shield placement while building your PC. Here is the importance of an IO shield and installation guide.

The power supply is not enough:

We knew that the computer was working with the electrical power supply. All the components in a computer must use the power supply from the source, whether it may be AC or DC.

What will happen if computer components don’t get enough power supply? It leads to a lag in the system performance and sometimes the monitor will freeze and will cause the problems like one below.

Fix it:

If you have a problem like this, immediately change the power source PSU, otherwise, the PC components will get damaged.

Hope the information on this page helps you to fix the issues on your PC and improve its performance. If you want to share your thoughts, feel free to make a comment.

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