There are many reasons why a computer can feel slow and many of these reasons have a simple fix. Here are the most likely causes of a slow computer and what you can do to help:

1. Too many programs running at once

• Web browsers with lots of open tabs
  Fix: close tabs as you go and bookmark where necessary to return later
• Apps running in the background (common culprits are cloud backups and antivirus scans)
  Fix:  check Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) and close the apps you don’t need.

2. High CPU, RAM, or disk usage

If one program is hogging resources, your entire system will slow down.
Fix:

• Windows: go to Task Manager → “Processes”
• Mac: go to Activity Monitor → “CPU / Memory”

Look for anything at 80–100% and close down those processes

3. Insufficient RAM

This is particularly noticeable if:

• You use Chrome with many tabs open simoultaneously
• You run apps which are heavy on RAM (such as games, video editing, etc.)

8 GB is the bare minimum in terms of RAM but 16 GB is optimal.

4. Your storage is nearly full

If your SSD/HDD is above ~85% full, your computer performance  will drop significantly.
Fix: Free up space (temporary or duplicate files) or move files to an external storage device or cloud storage.

5. Hard drive instead of SSD

If your computer still uses an HDD (hard disk drive), things are likely to feel significantly slower than if you use SSD (solid state drive).
Fix: Upgrading to an SSD will boost the speed of your computer, this involves buying and installing a SSD so is not necessarily an easy fix but it will have significant results in terms of speed.

6. Startup programs

Too many apps set to “launch on startup” slows down the boot time for your computer.
Fix: Disable unnecessary startup apps. On a windows machine you do this through settings > apps > startup, on a mac you navigate to this feature via the apple menu > system settings > general > login items

7. Overheating

If your laptop or PC gets too hot, it has a negative impact on performance. You will notice the fans are loud or the device itself feels hot.
Fix: Clean dust and improve ventilation of your device, also keep the machine out of direct sunlight.

8. Malware or unwanted background processes

Malware and unwanted or unnecessary programs can slow down your computer and should be removed
Fix: Run a malware scan and remove any unnecessary programs.

9. Old operating system or drivers

Outdated software can cause conflicts on your system and can also present security issues.
Fix: Update your operating system, graphics drivers, etc.

Click here to download our driver update tool to check your software drivers.