Probably like a lot of people, I enjoy going really, really fast on the highway. The problem is, the laws prohibit me from going fast and the police monitor how fast I actually travel. I own a fairly fast car that can travel quicker than the posted speed limit no matter where I go. PC’s are kind of like cars this way.
I have a ton of people ask me what I can do to make their computer faster and how they can increase performance. Most people have computers capable of zooming at light speed; and like the speed limit, all of them are limited by certain things that bound their experience. I’d like to address most of the common issues of slow computers and see if I can get you into the passing lane.
Most people use computers to surf the web, write email, store pictures, and write an occasional document. So basically, the computer is nothing more than an appliance used to do these basic functions. It has a hard drive for storage, memory which is used when the computer is on, a processor that handles functions, and some way of communicating with the internet.
Without a doubt, the slowest part of the computer is the hard drive. It’s a mechanical box that spins when the computer is running. Like most mechanical things, they wear out and eventually break. An old hard drive doesn’t read and write data as fast as a new one. An option to the old mechanical drive is a solid state drive (SSD). SSD’s don’t have moving parts which allows the data to read and write faster.
Memory (RAM) can limit how fast your computer experience is too. Maximizing RAM will increase performance by helping programs and documents open faster. If you think of RAM as temporary storage – like a bucket – it may make its function easier to understand. Most modern systems can handle up to four gigabytes.
Boosting your engine from a slow four cylinder to a turbo-charged eight makes all the difference in your car. Right? In the same way increasing your processor from a sluggish single core to a modern multi-core processor will make your system run faster in general. New processors are designed to handle many computer processes simultaneously. Generally speaking, a minor processor upgrade won’t make a hill-of-beans difference with internet though.
Internet connection speeds are the most limiting for the majority of users. Dial-up is, of course, the slowest possible option. On the other end of the spectrum are cable and FIOS. Think of the latter two as the Autobahn of the information superhighway. Depending on your budget, you should examine your options and pick the fastest internet for the best experience.
No matter if you have the fastest car and are completely uninhibited by imposed speed limits, you will encounter potholes, stop signs, and other traffic issues which prohibit unlimited speeds. Viruses and spyware are perhaps the biggest issues which effect online surfing speeds. Installing and updating virus software combined with an occasional tune-up will keep you surfing at top speed.
It has been my experience that people who complain of slow speed have software issues unrelated to hardware or their internet connection. Most people who I talk to believe ,incorrectly, that clearing data (pictures, music, etc.) from their hard drive will increase speed. The number one thing you can do is clean your computer regularly and make sure your hardware is running at peak performance.
I am happy to say that my personal computer and internet are running at peak performance. However, now I have to keep my eyes open and maintain the speed limit when I’m driving. After all, in front of the keyboard I’m pretty much not limited. Behind the wheel, though, I still have to abide by the laws.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can e-mail him at remoquin@gmail.com or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)