We love our gadgets, but sometimes they frustrate us, especially if they're slow. There's nothing worse than PCs that have lost their pep, or slow network connections and sluggish smartphones.
Fixes for Windows, memory, hard disk and more
We've created an ultimate guide to giving your gear new life. Follow our tips, and you can fire up your system and your other tech essentials.
Supercharge your PC's hardware
To get top performance from your PC, use high-performance hardware. No amount of tweaking inside Windows can give you the same kind of speed boost that a few judicious hardware upgrades can - the most effective way to soup up any computer is to start by updating the components inside.
Here we'll explain how to upgrade the two most vital components: the RAM and the graphics card.
WARNING: Before you attempt any of these upgrades, take precautions against static electricity by moving your PC to a clean, uncarpeted workspace and using an antistatic wrist strap to discharge any static electricity from your body.
Upgrade your RAM
Adding RAM is often the most cost-effective upgrade you can make to speed up a sluggish computer. When a system runs short of RAM, it must swap the overflow data to the hard drive, which can significantly slow performance. Here's how to add more memory to your desktop, laptop, or netbook.
RAM comes in many flavours, such as DDR2 and DDR3. Newer technologies offer faster performance, but most motherboards accept only one type of RAM.
Check your PC's manual to find out what type of RAM modules you need and how you have to install them. RAM dealers such as Crucial and Kingston offer handy online tools that identify the appropriate RAM for many PCs and motherboards.
Also, to take advantage of more than 4GB of RAM, your PC needs to run a 64-bit operating system; Windows 7 is available in a 64-bit version, and we highly recommend it.
To begin, open your PC's case and look for the memory slots. In laptops and netbooks the RAM slots are usually under a removable panel on the bottom of the machine.
To remove existing RAM, release the clips at each end of the module so that it pops loose. With the slots clear, gently but firmly insert the new module.
On a desktop machine, it's often best to seat one corner of the module first and then press the other end into place. Once you've fully inserted the module, the clips should close to hold the memory securely.
On a laptop or netbook, press the end with the metal leads into place first, and then press down until the clips snap tightly around the ends.
Replace your graphics board
Even if you're not a gamer, upgrading your graphics board can give your PC a serious boost, since Windows 7 and Windows Vista both feature fancy effects in their user interface. Though you can upgrade the graphics on some laptops, in this article we'll focus on desktop PCs.
When shopping for a new graphics board, select one that fits the slot on your PC. In most newer systems, it will be a PCI-Express slot; some older systems may have only PCI or AGP slots. Fortunately, graphics card makers still sell products to fit older slots, so an outdated motherboard need not be a total obstacle.
With your new board at the ready, open the PC's case and locate the existing graphics card. Before attempting to pull it loose, remove the screw holding it down and release any plastic clips on the motherboard that may be securing it.
Once the old card is out of the way, slide the new board straight down into the slot until it is firmly seated and the plastic clip on the motherboard has snapped tightly around it.
Newer PCI-Express graphics boards often use so much juice that they require a special PCI-E power line from the computer's power supply.
If you've installed such a card, connect this power line (the board may have two) before closing up the case. Then boot the PC and install the drivers from the disc the manufacturer provided.
NEXT PAGE: Streamline Windows
- Fixes for everything from your PC to your smartphone
- Streamline Windows
- Accelerate your network
- Choosing a faster hard drive
- Speed up your printer
- Even more ways to speed up your printer
- Give your smartphone a boost
- Even more ways to give your smartphone a boost
- Speed up your camera
- Capture fast-moving subjects
- PC performance myths
Comments
Cyteck said: As someone who has used literally every version of MS windows since it was created back in the late 1980s I have 20 years of experience I can tell you that a cleaning the windows registry can definitely help improve speed amp performance however it has to be done with extreme care b system restore is not only a waste of resources its dangerous because it to can become infected by viruses so disabling it IS advantagous but you should still make your own backups though c Disks still get major benefits from being regularly de-fragmented amp I wouldnt rely on any so called automated or built in windows de-fragmentation methods
Cyteck said: I have to 100 totally agree that any computer running ANY Microsoft desktop operating system needs regular disk defragging in order to keep speed amp performance lively I have all my machines run a daily defrag session as an automated windows task usually at night though Disk de-fragmentation can make a dramatic difference to performance
vofsanity said: As a PC Support professional I find your comments on XP and defragging your hard disk unbelievable I am constantly coming across disks in XP that need to be defragged and doing so increases performance by at least 10 especially if the disk is more than 60 full For older XP systems a monthly defrag is essential
Humm! Who forgot to upgrade th said: Faster hardware equauls more power equauls new PSU The manufacturer of the computer only give you about 80 to 100 watts spare if your luckyIts a common error that people make when upgradding a computer Your memory useses about 10 watts per 128Mb of ram Your PCI-E cards use about 100 watts etc So dont miss your PSU out or youll find your computer will turn off during boot up or even not at all if your well and truely exceeding the PSUs ratings
steg said: I didnt read this expecting the comments to turn into a Linux Mint love-in However I have Linux Mint on a desktop I cobbled together with bits from the bin Every time I switch on my Windows laptop I appreciate Linux more Its a pity I havent mastered the virtual machine stuff yet so I can run Serifs PagePlus on it
jtt said: Re-install Windows - thats my favourite one
DieSse said: Ray Woods - I totally concur - Linux Mint is a really excellent up to date fast easy to handle - and better still - FREE - OS
chris2var said: U having a laugh here Ive just looked at 15 downloads to invigorate your PC and what do you recommend registry cleaners and registry defraggers
Ray Woods said: No 34Install Linux Mint on to your PC Quicker boots run applications faster and save on the Operating Systems footprint currently used by Windows equivalent to up to 5000 music tracksThe system will be ready to work as soon as the desktop loads not waiting while anti-virus programs load in the background etc and lights just flash on the panelLinux Mint is free and comes with many of the applications needed in our busy lives The vast majority of PC users would benefit from loading Linux Mint