Make Your Computer Faster With This Fast Computer Solution
I took the leap of faith, opened up my laptop, and surprised to see how easy one act can make your computer faster.
I have an old laptop. It is 5 years old, and I have wanted to get a new one. My dream laptop keeps on changing, but it has to be an Apple. I never had an Apple computer. I find it expensive, but I am a secret Apple fanboy.
If the Universe conspires, I would love to have an Apple MacBook Air with the M1 chip. As a stay-at-home writer, now that the iMac has been released, I am torn between a Macbook Air or the Mac Mini or the new iMac 24". Dreaming is one thing. The reality is I need a solution to my slow laptop. I need to fix it and make my computer faster if I want to stay productive as a writer.
We all experienced it with our Windows laptop. In time, it will get slower and feel slower. I must admit I open too many tabs on Google Chrome.
For the most part, as a writer, my workflow isn’t perfect, but it works. I need to read before I write. I need to do some research before I make an opinion. I want to give credit to articles I need to quote in my own stories.
And when Google Chrome crawls, it crawls, and it disrupts my writing, and I usually stop out of frustration.
I know something about computers. I know I can add more memory to my laptop, and it will help solve the problem. It is time to move from 4GB to 8GB of RAM. It is also time to look at SSD, and based on tech reviews changing your HDD to SSD is one way to make your computer ran faster.
I can also check on the software side if something makes my Windows laptop slow, and there are many reasons it happens.
Doing all these will result in downtime. I have been experiencing decision paralysis more so when there are too many choices on how to solve a problem, like how to make my computer faster?
Windows to Linux
I know how to do a dual boot, which means keeping two operating systems on one computer. I have done it before when out of frustration, I would install Linux on my laptop.
Since I have been writing, I have little need to be on Windows. I write on Google Docs, and most of the time, it is all about browsing on many tabs.
One day, I wiped out everything and install a Linux distro called Linux Mint. Don’t take this advice unless you have backed up your files.
What is also good with Linux is that you can try it first before installing it on your computer. Either as your alternative OS via dual boot or the only operating system for your computer. You can run a Linux live CD without changing your OS. You can see for yourself if Linux is for you.
People are afraid of Linux because of the learning curve, but it has gotten easier and better over time.
It did solve the problem for a time. Later on, my issues with Google Chrome came back with a vengeance. There must be a reason either my Google Chrome is bloated with extensions that run on the background. It can also because Chrome takes too much of the RAM memory inside my computer.
I would find myself wanting to buy a new laptop as the ultimate solution. But, there are ways to fix a slow computer, and for now, this is my course of action.
Change my HDD to SSD
My laptop is a 5-year-old model. It is the Asus VivoBook Flip TP301UJ. In the past, I tinker with my laptops, but as I got older, I would choose to have someone to fix it.
But because it is hard to do that these days and look for a computer technician. I took the leap of faith and decided to do it myself. But it means doing a lot of research as this laptop is old and may need something that is no longer available.
I have read that one way to make your laptop faster is to change your HDD to SSD, and there are many articles about it. I never had a chance to switch to SSD because five years ago, when I had this laptop, it works well with what it had, an HDD.
I found a website that by far saved the day for me. You can check it here. I also watched countless videos to make sure which SSD I need to use, first it has to fit the laptop.
After that, I have to weigh in the SSD cost, which brand I would buy, and buy it online. There are many brands, but I chose one that, even if I am not familiar with, the Crucial brand. I could have selected the smallest as Linux requires very little space, but I still went for the Crucial MX500 500GB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSD. I know we have come to a time where there is little difference between brands.
I would tell you to do due diligence and consider two things, what you need and what you can afford.
At the same I was doing research on SSD, I was doing research on RAM. If I am opening my laptop, I might see if I can add more RAM to it.
I ordered the Crucial SSD and the Samsung original 8GB (1 x 8GB) 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3L-12800, 1600MHz RAM online. More about the RAM later.
How to change the HDD to SSD
You can find countless videos on YouTube University, as I lovingly call YouTube. I thank tech bloggers who take time in creating how-to-do videos, like the one I found, how to change HDD to SDD for the model of my laptop. Keep in mind this is very important as you have to be precise with the information. Some things are not the only model sensitive but also brand sensitive.
When my new SSD arrived, I watched a video on how to open my 5-year-old laptop. It was never opened before, so the screws are a little tight.
If there is a takeaway from this story, get yourself a nice screwdriver set; it will come in very handy.
As I open my laptop, I tell you it takes a lot of faith in yourself to help you through the whole experience. Removing the screws was the biggest challenge, especially the screws inside. You have to be very careful, but once you got to the part of taking out the old HDD and installing the new SSD, you will have a sigh of relief.
The final test is if your computer will work. Again, to make things easy for me, I didn’t do a backup of my Linux install on my HDD. I decided to make a fresh install of Linux; it is a new distro I wanted to try, the MX Linux, which I have on a USB.
Remember changing the HDD to SSD means your computer has no operating system. You can also check on YouTube how to do a fresh install of your operating system of choice. If you did a backup of your system, you could find a video on how to put that back into the new SSD
I prayed to my Mom that she helps me through the whole and process. Ever since my Mom passed away, I would ask her for guidance for any decision, and she helps me all the time.
When I opened my laptop, the new SSD works as it should be. All I had to do was install MX Linux into it.
Even with the MX Linux live CD, I noticed the big difference with the new SSD from booting time and when I use Google Chrome.
After I installed MX Linux, it works fine until I found that Google Chrome is struggling one day. Not as much as before, and I know it is because I open too many tabs.
I told myself I should get a second monitor to add to my remote work at home setup. If only I have another screen, I would be more productive. With an extended monitor, I could do my reading on it, which might help solve my problem with Google Chrome. But do I really need one?
I still ordered my 8 GB RAM, and the wait was long for it to arrive. I took another leap of faith to do a RAM upgrade.
From 4GB RAM To 8 GB RAM
When the 8GB RAM arrived, I felt a sense of anxiety. Because my laptop is actually working better than before. After my SSD upgrade, and even if sometimes Google Chrome still acts up, that is something I can live with. I would say the computer is now twice faster than it was before.
Opening the laptop again is something I dread because it will take time away from writing. But when the 8 GB RAM arrived, I am left with little choice. Otherwise, it is money wasted.
Taking another leap of faith, I made sure the screws were not that tight the last time I opened them. When I did an upgrade from HDD to SSD, I remember how to unscrew my laptop. It was more accessible, but I need to open the little box where the RAM is located. I needed to watch another YouTube video.
When I finally get to the part of looking at where to put my new 8GB RAM, to my surprise, the 4GB RAM installed on it is on the motherboard itself.
So I told myself;
Oh my, this will not work!
Again, I prayed to MOM and asked for guidance.
I checked on YouTube for the exact model of my laptop, which is an old Asus Vivo model. The slot for RAM is open for extra memory. I was worried that the computer can only hold 8 GB.
I still tried to put the 8GB RAM in the empty slot, make sure it pops and fits nicely, and returned the cover. It should also pop to make sure it is covered.
I kept my fingers crossed, and when I started my laptop, it works; it recognized the 8 GB RAM and the old 4GB, making my laptop 12 GB RAM.
Holy guacamole! I said to myself.
The difference is way off the charts. The boot time is faster, and when I log on to my account, it feels like a split of a second. The menu on my desktop appears in a blink of an eye. I wouldn’t know how it is on Windows because I am talking about my Linux experience.
I can now open many tabs without problem in Google Chrome. I did a memory test, and my 12 GB RAM works fine.
I researched and found out the CPU that runs my laptop can technically take up to 64 GB of RAM. I don’t know if that is even necessary considering what I do on my computer, which for the most part, is writing.
But I am curious if I can do a further upgrade. With only one slot in the laptop, I have to take out the new 8 GB RAM and buy 48 GB RAM if I choose to further my computer.
I am happy with my laptop for what I do. Now that the computer is faster, I am considering installing Windows as a dual boot. Because there is some SaaS software that I am not able to use in Linux.
Not right now. I have to focus on my writing. The more I take time away from writing, it hurts my productivity.
I hope you learn something from my experience in finding a solution to making my laptop run faster.
There will be times when upgrading your computer hardware isn’t necessary or because you may not have the money yet to upgrade.
10 tips to make your computer faster without having to buy a new computer
- Clear out startup programs
- Run “ms config” Startup
- Clear out Startup services
- Scan for viruses
- DisableAnimations
- Check Power Settings
- Check Drive health/status
- Check for Memory Issues
- Reformat + Reinstall
- More RAM
Why computers slow down?
Computers slow down over time because of two reasons: software and hardware.
Software slows down because it takes up more space on your hard drive as you install new programs. This means that your computer has to work harder to access all the data saved on your hard drive, and it slows down.
Thus, your laptop is pinging the hard drive for new data. This is why having many programs open in your browser can slow the browser down.
When you open up a browser, it loads many of these open tabs and browser windows. These browser windows slow down your computer because they fill up space on the hard drive.
If you work on any program requiring a lot of data, like a software program, the application runs in the background. This means when you close some applications, it doesn’t close the others. They stay on your computer.
Entire browsers can slow down your computer as well. Google Chrome has the notorious (to me, at least) bug where it could randomly close, and Chrome windows open in the background can also crash.
For some reason, most of the time, the frame rate would be a little slower whenever you open a new tab in Chrome. Even after several times closing tabs with Alt-F4, the frame rate in Google Chrome kept crashing.
Having many tabs open isn’t a good idea if you’re trying to work on one application. You need to close tabs that you don’t need, but particular tabs might need to stay open.
For example, if you’re working on a PowerPoint presentation and need a specific PowerPoint link, you still need to have the PowerPoint open and in the Windows clipboard.
Windows 10 makes it a lot easier to close programs you don’t need by completing the taskbar with a dedicated button for the close button.
Another reason why software can cause your computer to slow down is that it contains lots of code repeatedly.
How to clean up unnecessary files and programs on your computer.
There are a few things that you can do to clean up the software mess on your computer.
To do this, you’ll need to open up your task manager and go to the ‘processes’ tab. This shows you all the different programs that are running on your computer.
To clean up the software on your computer, you’ll need to go to the topmost folder. This folder will have a handle that looks like a folder. When you open it, you’ll see a long list of folders; some have a checkbox to check the box next to them, and others you don’t. Check the box next to each folder, and you’ll get an option to remove it from your computer.
Don’t remove every folder, though; you’ll want to know why that folder is there and what benefit you get from its presence on your computer. Seeing the problems with a program is helpful, but it’s still essential that you understand the best way to remove the program, so it’s not on your computer in the first place.
To remove a program, open up the task manager’s removal tab and click it. When it displays all the programs that it can remove, click on each one and uncheck the boxes next. This is what it should look like when you click on each one. Once these are all checked, you’re done; you can close the task manager and take your computer back to a state where it was before the programs you uninstalled.
This process takes some time, so don’t be impatient. Another way to clean up software on your computer is to tidy up permissions.
Tips for upgrading your processor, RAM, and other components.
Upgrading your processor, RAM, and other components is about more than getting the fastest specs. You also want to make sure that the components you choose will fit your motherboard and that they are compatible with each other.
So you don’t have to worry about getting the wrong type of RAM, for example. The same logic applies to upgrading the memory. If you want to make sure the memory you put in will fit on your motherboard. It’s crucial to get the memory you wish to in the correct size and dont mix up the dimensions of the different brands. Because of the logic, we followed above, selecting RAM shouldn’t be hard.
A good memory that fits your motherboard and will work with everything you’ve installed before is the first thing to check. This is where I had a lot of trouble finding the right RAM for me.
“RAM” refers to random access memory, an area of storage that can hold anything from a few kilobytes to a couple of gigabytes of data. Then there’s the primary storage unit for your memory, the “controller,” containing all the hardware that holds data within an ARM CPU, such as your memory chips. RAMs are categorized by sizes and densities: DDR (3x2=8GB) — The most common and cheapest kind of RAM you can buy.
Prices are typically quoted in gigabytes (GB), or hundred-nanometers wide chips, which is the measurement technology used in subcompact model electronics. The simplest means of memory allocation is this; your motherboard uses this type of RAM with a single generation (128MB) of system memory and your RAM card with a single subchunk (8GB) of data. DDR4 (4x2=16GB) — This is a bit more expensive and comes in a larger variety of models. Still, it’s much faster, making it ideal for computers that often have to refresh quickly, like video editing, gaming, and audio software.
How to clean up the clutter on your hard disk.
If you’re like most people, your hard drive is filled with several years’ worth of videos, music, and photos.
Deleting all of that isn’t the best solution because it takes a lot of time and effort. Do a backup on an external storage device or put your photos in the cloud. And after doing that, you can start cleaning up the clutter on your hard disk.
Ways to free up RAM on your PC quickly — without having to reboot.
Freeing up RAM is one of the best ways to speed up your computer, especially if you have many programs running at the same time.
There are a lot of different ways to do this, and so many more effective than others.
Here are the two most effective ways to free up RAM on your PC quickly.
1.Clearing the RAM on your PC A faster computer is a great idea, but making room for more RAM isn’t. Especially if you have hundreds of programs open and lots of running processes sucking up your computer’s precious RAM. Clearing out the RAM on your PC is as simple as going into Windows’ Taskmanager. Find the little checkmark next to “Allocated” and click it. Uncheck the unnecessary programs that could be using too much RAM.
2. Changing your startup type. Another free way to free up RAM on your computer quickly is to change the type of startup your computer goes to. Windows has some options for boot types, including traditional (and slower) boot-up, alternate boot (also slower) loading your OS into RAM, and Fast Boot (a new fast way to start your PC).
By default, Windows starts up in the former two ways, but there are ways to get around. First, uncheck the box next to “Boot from local hard drive” in your BIOS setup.
Basic troubleshooting techniques in more detail and includes step-by-step instructions are available over the Internet. One has to understand how their computer works, especially when their laptops are the most valuable tool in their profession.
Takeaway
It would be challenging to write without my laptop, and while soon, with enough money, I can buy myself a new iMac 24" or the Mac Mini, I am happy that I took the leap of faith in fixing my laptop.
It reminded me that we all have the superpower to fix things, not only our laptops but parts of our lives that need some fixing. We are our own hero, and this time, my laptop found its hero in me.
Disclosure
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