Laggy PCs can be a pain to operate. With a major shift to the ‘Working from Home’ ethic, your PC is expected to always be in top shape. Lagging PCs not only require more time to deal with but also drain all your patience which can be used elsewhere. So, what is causing your PC to lag, and what can you do about it?
CPU Bottleneck
What is it?
The most important reason why most PCs start lagging in the first place is because of bottlenecking. While you can find simple but detailed explanations elsewhere, the crux of the matter is that your CPU cannot keep up with your other hardware. While mostly due to identifiable causes, CPU bottlenecking can be a pain to deal with.
Take a simple example. In a situation where you are using the latest GPU, when your CPU is not able to keep up, there might be major bottlenecking. Additionally, CPU-dependent software can cause grave bottlenecking too. If your 3D modelling application or video editor extensively pressurises your CPU, there might be major bottlenecking.
How to Fix it?
While bottlenecking is a pretty solvable issue, you need to find out what is causing it. Much like root cause analysis where you try and locate the origin of the problem, fixing bottlenecking means identifying why it occurs.
Is your processor too slow to keep up with graphic-intensive tasks? Maybe you need a hardware change. Is the latest software update putting a toll on your CPU? You can always downgrade to the previous version. While pinpointing the root cause is difficult, the solution itself is usually not.
Unnecessary Clutter
What is it?
Well, clutter can exist in various forms, but let us make it simpler. In easier terms, it is anything that you have not been using for the metaphorical eons. It could be unused applications, caches, any excessive material that has piled up onto your systems.
How to Fix it?
Oh, this one is simple, but time-consuming. You need to locate where your clutter is. In cases of, say, internet caches, you can just clear them manually or use software to keep track of them (the irony). When it comes to local apps and software, just check your application drawer, and see what apps seem unfamiliar—and remove them.
Viruses and Other Intrusions
What is it?
While this might sound like the most generic reason for your PC to slow down, this is also one of the commonest reasons.
Considering the fact that you are always connected to the internet, there is always a possible chance of contamination. You can obviously look for security solutions online to bypass this, but your PC slowing down due to malware is multifactorial.
Factors such as what browser you are using, what kind of local security settings are configured in your PC, what kind of external support your PC has access to—and so on—play a major role here.
How to Fix it?
Firstly, are you, unironically, procuring unsafe software to bypass subscription-based packages? Sure, you can find really good free antivirus software online, but you also have to exercise some amount of discretion.
In this regard, once you have access to a reliable antivirus software, make sure to run it to scan any abnormalities in your PC.
You have to periodically run such tests to keep a fair check on your PC’s health. After all, viruses can be rather malignant, right?
Unnecessary Background Programs
What is it?
This is one of the sneakiest ways in which your computer can get laggy. Without your knowledge, for the most part, there might be some applications or software that is running in the background.
While some are there on the pretext of improving things like real-time syncing, they often mostly cause slowdowns.
How to Fix it?
Simple, manage tasks with your task manager. You can manually access it from your application drawer, or simply use (ctrl + alt + del) to get a shortcut prompt to use it. From here, you can see what apps are running in the background, and what kind of energy they are consuming.
You can also install software that will keep a check on such apps, so you don’t have to. Now unless you really want to make the process counterintuitive, you can do it manually as we mentioned above.
To Conclude
PC slowdowns can be a pain in the butt. Luckily, though, the solutions are pretty easy to use and bypass. With the aforementioned things in mind, you can ensure that your PC lasts longer without any lagging, thereby improving your productivity.
