Some of us would like to take every dollar from our investments – be it a car, a house or a computer. The best way to get the most out of a computer is to upgrade hardware or software, or both. Sometimes a fresh installation of the Windows operating system or an upgrade to a later version of Windows OS can work wonders. You can give your PC a second life with these performance settings.
Operate your old PC like new
Your PC may have a second life, that is to say, however, depend on certain choices you made during your purchase. When you choose to buy a new PC, it is best to do your research. Before buying a new PC, you should try to make it as scalable as possible:
- Get the latest Windows operating system
- Look for the laptop and brand version, make sure it can be upgraded (should support additional memory, newer hard drive technology, etc.)
- Make sure the hardware is the latest but backwards compatible
- Create a bootable copy of the Windows operating system from your new laptop. Use CD, DVD, flash drive.
- Keep this boot image of the operating system safe for future emergencies.
You may not have been able to get all of the latest hardware at the time of purchase, but you can take whatever you can get, but also make sure the PC is upgradeable. When all of the above has been done, the PC will likely be changed later.
- Upgrade to a new version of Windows OS
- Refresh your Windows 10 operating system
- Perform regular system maintenance
- Adjust your diet plan
- Switch to Solid State Drive
- Add more RAM
- Use cooling devices.
Let’s explore them in detail.
1]Upgrade to a new version of Windows OS
Some of us are very resistant to change, and when we find something that works, it’s hard to let go. However, it is sometimes in your best interest to upgrade to a newer version of Windows OS. Unless you are using custom software, you will likely find a compatible version of your software compatible with the new Windows operating system. The new Windows operating system will come with a multitude of upgrades and security features. They will be even more able to use your equipment. Remember that your hardware will perform as well as the software that controls it.
1]Refresh your Windows 10 operating system
It may sound obvious, but it’s not necessarily as easy as you think. Some people are reluctant to perform a clean installation of their Windows operating system because they were not prepared. The best preparation is to create a bootable copy of your Windows operating system when your PC was new. It is also easier to do a fresh installation of your Windows operating system if your important files are backed up. This is because they will be safe if you decide to do full formatting. Downloading these important files to Microsoft One Drive, an external drive, or another computer would make it easier.
Resetting the Windows 10 operating system or restoring the OEM image would delete all old files, programs and residual registry and file files that could slow down your PC. Old cookies, cached items, and duplicate files would be deleted. Refreshing your Windows operating system would be like spring cleaning. Updating your Windows operating system would take care of fragmented files, registry items, old software settings, etc.
3]Perform regular system maintenance
A wide range of utility software is available to facilitate the maintenance of your Windows PC. The Windows 10 operating system has a built-in utility that will help you defrag the hard drive, find bad sectors on the hard drive, scan and clean up malicious apps, and clean up unwanted files.
There are also third-party utility software that can do this on time. It is worth noting that the software will most likely be built with general / default functionality. This leaves it to the user to make changes based on their purpose. Most utility software can do much more than the default settings allow, so it’s good to read it and configure it to do more.
Maintenance can also be done on the PC hardware. Depending on your environment, the PC picks up things such as dust, lint from materials, animal and human hair and other elements from the environment. Dust and other particles will block the vents and cause overheating. Overheating will cause the devices to deteriorate more quickly. The heat also causes the circuits to become dimpled (holes in the solder). Honeycombs are like potholes on road surfaces – they slow traffic. This will slow down the PC. Honeycombs will also compromise the integrity of the circuits, and will eventually break, preventing them from working.
The largest and most important circuit in the PC is the motherboard; all hardware devices go through the motherboard. If there are honeycomb circuits on the motherboard, it will slow everything down. This could cause the motherboard to fail and replace it. Hardware components should be cleaned as often as possible to prevent dust from entering. Dust also causes moisture to accumulate; moisture in the dust will cause the devices to short circuit.
Try to make your PC work environment as clean as possible. When cleaning, be sure to turn off or put the PC to sleep. This will prevent the cooling fans from sucking up dust and chemicals from the air due to cleaning.
Another way to keep your PC healthy is to look for malware. Malware can help slow down your PC, so it’s good to have proper anti-malware software. Windows Defender is good anti-virus and anti-malware software. Make sure to keep it up to date with the latest updates.
4]Adjust your diet plan
Your diet plan can do much more than you think. With more power allocated to a device, it will perform better. Set the diet plan to work differently depending on your needs at a given time. High performance can be for software that requires a lot of power to function properly. Balance between performance and energy consumption for capable devices. The balanced diet plan may include moderate-use hardware and software. The energy saver saves energy by reducing PC performance when possible. Each diet plan can be further modified by going to their Advanced power options and change the software and hardware settings. The high performance diet plan can give you good performance, but you will have to decide which diet plan you should use on your PC.
5]Switch to Solid State Drive (SSD)
One easy way to modify your PC is to make the hard drive faster. Faster search, read and write time means faster data recovery and storage. This might not seem to make much difference. However, just think about the fact that the speed of your hard drive also affects the speed of your Internet browsing. The fastest hard drive would be a solid state hard drive.
SSD drives are so much faster than traditional drives. SSD have no moving parts, so there will be no more search time. Reading and writing are much faster; navigation is a breeze. Without moving parts, SSDs produce less hearing, so they don’t wear out quickly. However, remember that in most cases you get what you pay for, so look for brands that are said to be good. They might cost a little more, but it will be worth it.
Before buying the SSD:
- Know the current hardware and its interface in your computer (SATA, IDE, etc.)
- Find out the cost of adapters if you need them
- Decide if you’re ready to bear the cost of the upgrade, keep it, or just buy a new system
- Search the SSD, look for the one that will be fast but durable
6]Add more RAM
In anything in life, there has to be a balance, and computing is no different; there is no magic formula. If you increase one thing, you will have to increase another. If you have a fast SSD and other components, but RAM is weak, you could end up with a bottleneck. Think of two six-lane highways bordered by a narrow bridge. Passing from one to the other would be an obstacle because there would be stops as traffic tries to cross. The same goes when you increase certain hardware and software components but do not increase the RAM. RAM contains information / data for quick recovery. However, if the RAM is too small, the PC should slow down to this point. Make sure your PC can handle an increase in RAM before buying more. Research your PC before purchasing to make sure it can be upgraded later.
7]Use cooling devices
Like our bodies, PCs are created to be able to regulate their heat. PCs can detect the heat of their components and slow performance if the components are too hot. You can change the PC settings to improve cooling. Sometimes, manufacturers will use less of it when assembling the PC, or better ones will have been made after your PC was made. You can choose to invest in these and make your PC last longer and run better, remember that too much heat is an enemy of the PC components. You can also use additional cooling fans and heat sinks depending on the design of your PC. Some people opt for water-cooled PCs. These can be purchased or the PC can be changed after purchase.
Lily: Best practices for keeping your computer cool.
Some people use PCs in air-conditioned rooms; laptops can be used on cooling mats. You can also simply place an external fan nearby and turn it on when the PC is in use. The heat of your computer will also be influenced by the ambient temperature. Additional care should be taken during the hot summer months or in a tropical climate. Be careful not to use a PC where the vents are blocked. If you notice a sudden drop in performance, check if the vents are blocked, feel if the PC is extremely hot. For desktop computers, the sides can be removed and the components cleaned. However, laptops could be a little more difficult; if you are not skilled at disassembling it, you may need to do it professionally. You can also use laptop cooling software.
Conclusion
The easiest way to give your PC a second life with performance adjustments is to buy the right PC. Make sure you research before you buy. If you decide to buy a car that you can boost, you are looking to see if it will be able to handle it. Do the same when buying a PC; see if it can handle future upgrades. Some of the ways to modify your PC for a second life may include updating the Windows operating system, upgrading to a new Windows operating system, upgrading to an SSD, new memory, make sure make sure it is properly cooled, adjust the feeding plan. Some of these can be done at home, while others may require professional help. Which one you choose will depend on the choice you made during your purchase. Research, read reviews and compare before making your purchase.
