How to Check the Performance of Your PC and Speed It Up
Many factors can contribute to sluggishness
So your PC is running slower than usual. What can you do about it?
You’d be surprised by the number of factors that contribute to a computer’s sluggishness. To really dial in on the cause, you’re going to need to run diagnostics. This is the only way you’ll get to the root of the problem.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to perform a benchmark test. We’ll also provide some tips on how to improve your computer’s performance.
Windows Resource and Performance Monitor
Windows has a built-in diagnostics tool calledPerformance Monitor. It can review your computer’s activity in real time or through your log file. You can use its reporting feature to determine what’s causing your PC to slow down.
To access Resource and Performance Monitor, openRunand typePERFMON.
This will open the Performance Monitor.
Go toData Collector Sets>System. Right-clickSystem Performancethen clickStart.
This action will trigger a 60-second test. After the test, go toReports>System>System Performanceto view the results.
In the report above, Performance Monitor noticed high CPU load from the top process running, which in this case is Google Chrome.
This lets me know that Chrome is stressing the PC out.
The diagnostic tool can offer more detailed explanations. You just need to dive deeper into the subsections if you need to know more.
Improve
Your PC Speed
There are several actions you can take based on the results of your speed test. Below are just some of the actions you could take.
Sometimes you PC settings can get in the way of optimal performance. Take your power settings, for example. Switching to high performance can give your PC the boost it needs to run faster.
OpenControl Paneland switch toView by: Category.
Go toHardware and Sound>Power Options. SelectHigh Performance.
If your PC is only slow during boot up, then it’s possible that it’s being bogged down by applications that launch on startup.
Right-clickStartand selectTask Manager. Go to theStartuptab. Here you’ll find a list of programs that run as soon as you start your computer. You can disable applications you don’t use frequently.
Right-click on an unnecessary app and select Disable so it wouldn’t run during startup.
If you find that only the internet is running slow, turning offOneDrivecould actually help.
OneDrive works by constantly syncing your files to the cloud which can bottleneck your internet speed. The same principle applies to other cloud-based services like Dropbox.
Go to your System Tray and right-click on the OneDrive icon. ClickSettings.
Under the Settings tab, untick theStart OneDrive Automatically When I Sign In to Windowsoption.
You can also choose to unlink your OneDrive by clickingUnlink OneDrive.
Windows 10 has a feature called Storage Sense. It automatically deletes files that you don’t need so storage never causes your computer to slow down.
Go toWindows Settings>Storage. Turn onStorage Senseto activate the feature.
Clicking onChange How We Free Up Space Automaticallywill give you control over how frequently it deletes files.
When all else fails, you can use Windows Troubleshooter to figure out what’s causing the problem.
OpenControl Paneland go toSystem and Security>Security and Maintenance. Expand theMaintenancesection.
ClickStart MaintenanceunderAutomatic Maintenancesubsection.
Christopher Jan Benitez is a freelance writer for hire who provides actionable and useful web content to small businesses and startups. In his spare time, he religiously watches professional wrestling and finds solace in listening to ’80s speed metal.Read Christopher’s Full Bio
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