PCs have generally gotten faster over time, thanks to hardware advancements and software improvements. The Windows operating system (OS) has greatly improved in speed and performance.
However, no matter what hardware and software you use, performance can vary based on your configurations and usage patterns. Even the latest Windows version, paired with the best hardware, isn’t immune to performance lags.
I’ve created this guide to help you understand what affects your Windows PC’s performance, and to share tips that will help maximize this performance.
You can implement most tips for free, but some require spending a little on software and hardware upgrades.
Read on to learn the best ways to optimize your Windows PC.
Download the latest updates
The first tip for maximizing performance is to have the latest OS and app updates on your PC. Your PC should be updated to the latest Windows version, as this will be built to deliver the best performance and security.
Occasionally, Microsoft observes some security bugs in its Windows OS and deploys updates to fix them. By installing the latest updates, you’ll patch the bugs so that malicious actors can’t exploit them. If such bugs are exploited, they can slow down your PC considerably, making prevention always better than a cure.
Another concern is driver updates, which Microsoft packages into broader Windows updates. Drivers are software programs that facilitate communication between your Windows OS and peripherals like your mouse, keyboard, and WiFi router.
When these driver programs become outdated, they take longer to communicate, and you’ll notice a performance drop.
By installing the latest Windows updates, you’ll also receive the latest driver updates and keep them performing efficiently.
Likewise, you should install the latest updates for the apps on your PC. These updates help fix security bugs and rectify performance issues over time.
No app can perform 100% efficiently, as there’s always room for improvement, but constant updates make it perform as efficiently as possible.
Free up your disk space
Clogged disk space can slow down your Windows PC. For optimal performance, your PC needs ample disk space to create temporary files and manage virtual memory.
When your hard drive is nearly full, it’ll struggle to manage this virtual memory, and PC functions will become noticeably slower. To avoid this issue, you should constantly monitor your disk space and, if needed, delete files to create more space.
Windows makes it easy to monitor your disk space. Just head to Settings > System > Storage, and you’ll see the volume of free disk space left. If your PC is low on space, it’s time to delete files, starting with the unused ones.
Scan through your folders, especially Downloads, and look for those files you no longer use. From pictures to videos to music and text documents, you’ve likely downloaded many files for one-time use, but didn’t delete them afterward. These unused files should be the first things to delete.
After deleting files normally, also delete them from the Recycle Bin to ensure immediate removal. Alternatively, you can use Shift + Delete to delete files permanently on the first attempt.
After removing unused files, check the Settings app to confirm that there’s now ample free space available. Otherwise, you may need to delete some more files. Abundant free space helps ensure optimal PC performance.
Check for malware
Nothing hinders a PC’s performance like malicious software (malware). Malware consumes excessive PC resources for malicious ends.
They not only harm PCs by stealing data, but also consume excess computing resources and frustrate legitimate applications. If your PC suddenly experiences poor performance and frequent crashes, malware could be the problem.
Malware is naturally sneaky. It’s not like anyone purposely installs malware on their PC. Rather, malicious actors sneak malware into legitimate-looking files that people unknowingly download online.
That innocent movie or music file from an unknown website could be laced with malware, so you should be careful about downloading files online.
However, if you suspect that malware has infected your PC, you should take immediate action by deploying an antivirus tool.
Windows PCs have a built-in antivirus tool called Microsoft Defender. With this tool, you can run a deep scan of your Windows PC to detect and remove malware files.
To do that, open the Windows Security app > Virus & threat protection > Full scan. A Full scan checks every file and folder on your PC for malware. It can take over an hour, but the wait is worth it to save your PC from any malware threats.
You can also choose Offline scan, which restarts your PC and runs a deep scan before Windows starts. Both options are effective at detecting malware files, which you’ll be prompted to delete immediately.
Likewise, you can use third-party antivirus apps instead of Microsoft Defender. Although Microsoft Defender does a good job, it may not detect the most sophisticated forms of malware.
To flush out these sophisticated versions, you can choose from some of the best antivirus apps available. Along with eliminating the most complex malware forms, these apps also provide complementary security features, such as a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your traffic while surfing the web.
After deleting malware-infected files, you should notice performance improvements on your PC. Otherwise, if malware isn’t detected, then you’re safe.
Change your power setting to Best Performance
This tip is simple yet effective. By default, your power setting is set to Recommended, but you can boost your PC’s speed by changing this to Best Performance.
The tradeoff is that your PC will consume more electricity, so you should only do this when close to a power source.
To change the power setting, open your Settings app, then head to System > Power & Battery.
In this menu, you’ll find Power mode. Click the right dropdown arrow to change the setting from Recommended to Best Performance. With this configuration, you should observe better performance when working with your PC.
Another related, simple tip is to plug in your Windows laptop to a power source instead of running on battery power. When your laptop is plugged in, it receives a higher-wattage power supply that enables it to run at peak speeds.
In contrast, your laptop will limit performance to conserve battery life when it isn’t plugged in. You’ll notice this change better if you use a gaming laptop.
Pause OneDrive syncing
OneDrive is Microsoft’s native cloud storage solution, and it plays a vital role in your PC.
With OneDrive, you can automatically back up your most sensitive files and folders, ensuring you have access to them even if your PC gets damaged or lost.
You can enable automatic backup for specific folders, allowing OneDrive to run in the background and scan these folders, uploading any new file additions online.
However, as OneDrive runs in the background it can consume computing resources and slow down your PC, particularly when uploading large files.
A temporary way to speed up your performance is to pause OneDrive syncing and save the random access memory (RAM) it would otherwise consume.
After pausing OneDrive syncing, restart your PC and monitor for improved performance. If you notice better performance, OneDrive may have been a major app clogging up your RAM and slowing things down.
If there’s no noticeable change, OneDrive may not be the cause, so you can focus on other tips.
Install a solid-state drive (SSD)
All PCs have internal disk drives that store long-term data, either a hard-disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD). If your PC has a built-in HDD, you wouldn’t have problems with storing and retrieving everyday data.
However, based on their internal architecture, HDDs have slower booting and application loading times than SSDs.
Technically, HDDs store data on rotating magnetic platters and use mechanical read/write heads to retrieve this stored data. Meanwhile, SSDs store data on memory chips, and this data is retrieved electronically, with no mechanical parts.
Because of the natural friction from a HDD’s rotating platters, it retrieves data at lower speeds than SSDs, where everything works electronically, with no mechanical parts to induce natural friction.
You can permanently boost your PC’s performance by replacing your HDD with an SSD. SSDs vary by capacity (up to 1 TB and above), and the higher, the better.
You can buy an SSD that fits within your budget and have an expert install it for you.
If you have experience in replacing and fixing hardware components, you can also install the SSD yourself to save costs.
Upgrade your RAM
Upgrading your RAM is another way to get a permanent performance boost. I’ve mentioned RAM earlier, but let me explain it technically.
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It’s your PC’s short-term memory, where it stores and retrieves data for current tasks.
Think of it as your PC’s high-speed workspace where it keeps all the information necessary to perform the tasks you’re currently working on.
Just like a PC’s long-term memory (HDD or SSD), your RAM is a physical device with a specific storage capacity. 8 GB to 16 GB capacity is typical for mid-range PCs, while 32 GB is the standard for high-end and gaming PCs.
The higher your RAM capacity, the more memory available to handle short-term tasks, translating to better performance.
If your PC has 8 GB RAM, you can upgrade it to 16 GB or 32 GB for better performance. This upgrade means removing the built-in RAM and replacing it with the new one.
On average, $40 to $50 can get you a 16 GB RAM, and $70 to $100 can buy a 32 GB RAM. After buying the RAM, an expert can handle the replacement, and you’ll observe significantly better performance.
Remove startup programs
You may have set some apps to start up automatically once your PC boots up. Understandably, this automatic startup makes it convenient to access the apps you use most frequently.
However, when apps automatically start up, they can run background processes that clog your RAM and slow down overall performance. To get excellent performance, you can turn off automatic startup for all apps, or at least for the apps you don’t use often.
Sometimes, PC owners aren’t even aware of which apps run automatically at startup. To confirm, after starting up your PC, look at the program icons in your notification area. If you see any program, hover your mouse over the icon to confirm its name.
You can control Startup Apps easily on Windows. Firstly, open the Settings app, then enter Apps > Startup. In this menu, any app set to automatically run at startup will have its switch toggled on. Simply toggle the switch off for all apps you want to remove.
By removing autostartup for unnecessary apps, you’ll save some RAM space that your PC can dedicate to other tasks.
Adjust Windows appearance
I usually don’t like recommending this tip, as it requires turning off a visually attractive feature of your Windows PC.
I appreciate the Windows animations that flash on my screen, but not everyone likes these effects. If you want to maximize performance, you may not be concerned about visual appeal, so you can turn off animations to conserve RAM for other tasks.
The first step is to click on your Start button and type Performance into your search bar.
Then, select the Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows option to open a new menu.
On the new menu, select Adjust for best performance > Apply under the Visual Effects tab.
This setting removes the animations and shadow effects that you’ll usually see on Windows. It’s a small yet incremental way, along with other tips, to increase your PC’s performance.
Uninstall unnecessary apps
The average Windows PC comes with pre-installed apps that are often unnecessary. They vary by manufacturer, but some brands, such as HP and Lenovo, have more pre-installed apps than others.
Microsoft, the company behind Windows, also includes pre-installed apps like Microsoft Tips, Microsoft Feedback, and Maps.
While the pre-installed tools can provide good functions if used well, you likely haven’t bothered to use most of them, so they occupy hard disk space for no reason. You can delete them to create space for other tasks and, in turn, boost performance.
To delete an unnecessary app, right-click on its icon in the Start menu and click Uninstall.
Repeat this simple step for all the apps you don’t need, and they’ll no longer occupy long-term storage space or run background processes that clog your RAM.
Enable Game Mode (for gamers)
Few things test a PC’s performance more than playing high-end games. The heavy resource demand means optimizing your PC for better performance is non-negotiable, even if it’s a naturally high-end gaming PC.
Windows has a built-in Game Mode setting that helps your PC deliver the best performance. It does this by throttling all background activity and preventing interruptions to your gaming sessions.
When Game Mode is on, your Windows OS drops every distraction and focuses solely on gaming, delivering the smoothest experience you can get.
To turn it on, enter your Settings app, select Gaming from the left-hand menu, and click on Game Mode. Finally, toggle the Game Mode switch on and enjoy the best gaming experience.
Restart your PC regularly
Putting your Windows laptop in sleep mode is convenient. This way, when you open your PC later you can continue exactly where you left off.
However, you shouldn’t substitute sleep mode for a full shutdown and restart. Too much sleep and too few complete shutdowns affect your PC’s performance.
Restarting your PC closes background processes that you may not have noticed, installs any available system updates, and gives your PC a refreshed memory that delivers optimal performance.
You should restart your PC at least once a week to maintain this optimal performance.
