The laptop is very slow: reasons and ways to speed it up

Has your laptop started to work like a “snail on crutches”? Windows takes forever to boot, programs take 10 minutes to open, and the browser video cuts out every 5 seconds? Don’t rush to take your equipment to a service center - in 80% of cases the problem can be solved on your own. In this article we will analyze all possible causes of brakes, from banal system littering to hidden hardware faults, and we will also give step by step instructions to speed up your laptop without buying a new one.

First, let’s determine what exactly is “slowing down”: the entire system or specific applications? If your laptop is slow always - even with simple surfing on the Internet, the problem is rather systemic. If the brakes appear only in games, Adobe Photoshop or AutoCAD, it’s a matter of hardware or the settings of a specific software. Also note associated symptoms: overheating, cooler noise, sudden shutdowns or artifacts on the screen. These details will help to more accurately diagnose the problem.

1. Overheating: why the laptop “chokes” itself

The most common cause of brakes is overheating of the processor or video card. When the chip temperature exceeds 90–95°C, it triggers thermal throttling (automatic reduction of frequencies), and the laptop begins to “dull” so as not to burn out. You can check the temperature using utilities AIDA64, HWMonitor or Core Temp.

Main causes of overheating:

• 🧹 Dust in the cooling system — dust clogs the radiator and fan, impairing heat dissipation.
• 🔋 Dried thermal paste — over time, it loses its properties, and the chips do not transfer heat well.
• 🖥️ Working on a soft surface — blocks ventilation holes (for example, if the laptop is on the bed).
• 🔥 Cooler malfunction — the fan may slow down or stop completely.

How to clean your laptop from dust yourself:

Turn off the laptop and disconnect the battery (if removable)

Remove the bottom cover (a Phillips screwdriver is required)

Carefully remove dust from the radiator and cooler with a brush or can of compressed air

Check the rotation of the fan blades (they should spin freely)

Apply new thermal paste to the processor and video card (if you have experience)

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⚠️ Attention: If you have never disassembled a laptop, it is better to entrust cleaning to a service center. Improper handling of thermal paste or damage to the cables can damage the equipment.

2. Littering the system: viruses, temporary files and “digital trash”

Over time, Windows becomes overgrown with unnecessary files that eat up disk space and slow down your work. Here's what usually accumulates:

• 🗑️ Temporary files (%temp%, browser cache, Windows updates).
• 🦠 Viruses and malware — can work in the background, consuming resources.
• 📁 Remains of deleted programs - entry in the registry, folders in Program Files.
• 🔄 Duplicate files - especially relevant for photos and documents.

How to clean the system:

1. Run the built-in utility Disk Cleanup (type in Windows search cleanmgr).
2. Remove unnecessary programs via Control Panel → Programs and Features.
3. Perform a deep virus scan using Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool or Dr.Web CureIt!.
4. Use CCleaner (only for cleaning garbage, do not touch the registry!).

Once a month

Once every six months

Only when it starts to slow down

Never cleaned it ->

Critical error: Many users are deleting files from the folder WinSxS, considering them trash. These are Windows components - removing them will crash the system!

3. Lack of random access memory (RAM): when 4 GB is not enough

If your laptop is equipped 4 GB RAM or less, brakes when working with several programs are inevitable. Modern browsers (eg. Google Chrome) can “eat up” 1–2 GB of memory per tab, and games like GTA V require a minimum of 8 GB. You can check the RAM load in Task Manager (tab Performance).

Solutions:

Method	Efficiency	Cost
Closing background software (via Autoload)	Low (temporary solution)	Free
Page file usage (virtual memory)	Medium (disc brakes)	Free
Upgrade to 8–16 GB RAM	High	2 000–6 000 ₽
Optimizing Windows (disabling visual effects)	Low	Free

How to add RAM:

1. Find out your laptop model and supported RAM type (for example, DDR4 2666 MHz) through AIDA64 or on the manufacturer's website.
2. Buy a compatible module (for example, for Lenovo IdeaPad 5 will do Crucial 8GB DDR4-3200).
3. Install the bracket in the free slot (or replace the old one).

⚠️ Attention: Some laptops (eg. MacBook Air or ASUS ZenBook with soldered RAM) do not support memory upgrade. Check it out before you buy!

4. Hard disk (HDD) vs SSD: why the old hard drive is slow

If your laptop is equipped traditional HDD (not SSD), the data read/write speed will be 5–10 times lower. This is especially noticeable when loading Windows, running programs, or copying files. For example, SSD Samsung 970 EVO reads data at speed 3,500 MB/s, and the old one HDD Seagate Barracuda - total 120 MB/s.

Signs of a “dying” HDD:

• 🐢 Very slow system loading (more than 2-3 minutes).
• 🔊 Extraneous sounds (grinding, clicking) from the case.
• 📉 Frequent freezes when working with files.
• 🚨 Type errors CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE.

Solutions:

1. Replacing HDD with SSD - the most effective way to speed up your laptop. For example, Kingston A400 480GB costs about 3,000 ₽ and increases speed by 5–7 times.
2. Optimizing the current HDD:

   1. Дефрагментация (введите в поиске Windows dfrgui).
   2. Отключите индексирование: Свойства диска → Снять галочку с "Разрешить индексировать...".
   3. Проверьте диск на ошибки: chkdsk C: /f /r (в командной строке от админа).

5. Viruses and malware: hidden productivity stealers

Some viruses not only steal data, but also use laptop resources for mining cryptocurrency or sending spam. For example, a Trojan WannaMine loads the processor at 100%, and AdLoad shows ads and slows down the browser. You can check activity in Task Manager (sort by column CPU or Memory).

How to remove viruses:

1. Download Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool or Dr.Web CureIt! (they do not require installation).
2. Run a deep scan (may take 1-2 hours).
3. Remove any threats found and reboot your laptop.
4. Check your browser extensions (chrome://extensions) - remove suspicious ones.

If viruses block the installation of an antivirus:

• 🔄Load into Safe Mode (When Windows starts, hold Shift + F8).
• 💾 Use a bootable USB flash drive with Kaspersky Rescue Disk.
• 🔧 Restore the system via a rollback point (Control Panel → Recovery).

How to recognize a mining virus?

If the laptop is very hot and the cooler is running at maximum even without load, and an unknown process with high CPU consumption hangs in the Task Manager (for example, svchost.exe *32 with 90% load) is a miner. Such viruses are often disguised as system files, so they need to be removed only through anti-virus utilities.

6. Outdated software and drivers: why updates are important

Outdated drivers or Windows version may cause hardware conflicts and brakes. For example, if you have installed a driver for NVIDIA GTX 1050 from 2018, new games will lag or not launch. The same goes for BIOS - its outdated version may limit processor performance.

How to update drivers:

1. Automatically:
   • 🖥️ Via Device Manager (right click on the device → Update driver).
   • 🔄 Using utilities Driver Booster or Snappy Driver Installer.
2. Manually:
   • Download the driver from the manufacturer's official website (for example, NVIDIA or Intel).
   • For laptops, look for drivers on the brand’s website (ASUS, HP, Lenovo etc.).

BIOS update:

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect BIOS update can make your laptop inoperable! Only do this if you are confident in what you are doing and you have backup power (do not upgrade on a battery!).

1. Download the firmware from the official website (for example, for MSI GF63 on msi.com).
2. Follow the manufacturer's instructions (usually you need to run .exe-file in DOS mode or through a special utility).

7. Background processes and startup: who is stealing your resources?

Many programs (Skype, Steam, Epic Games) are added to startup and run when the laptop is turned on, consuming RAM and CPU. Windows updates may also be running in the background. OneDrive, NVIDIA GeForce Experience and other services.

How to disable unnecessary things:

• 🚀 Autoload:

  1. Нажмите Ctrl + Shift + Esc → вкладка Автозагрузка.
  2. Отсортируйте по столбцу Влияние на запуск.
  3. Отключите ненужные программы (например, iTunesHelper или CCleaner).

• 🔄 Background applications:
  • Go to Settings → Privacy → Background apps.
  • Disable programs that you don't want running in the background (for example, Spotify or Mail).
• ⚙️ Windows Services:

  1. Нажмите Win + R, введите services.msc.
  2. Найдите службы типа Superfetch (SysMain), Windows Search, DiagTrack (телеметрия).
  3. Отключите их (правый клик → Свойства → Тип запуска: Отключена).

8. Hardware faults: when it’s time to take it to service

If all software methods have been tried, but the laptop still slows down, the problem may be gland:

• 💥 Faulty RAM - check with MemTest86.
• 🔋 Worn out battery - if the laptop only works on mains power, the battery may be swollen and putting pressure on the motherboard.
• 🖥️ Problems with the motherboard - swollen capacitors, damaged tracks.
• 🔌 Faulty power supply - may cause unstable operation of components.

Signs of critical malfunctions:

• Laptop turns off for no reason (even with power connected).
• Appear artifacts on the screen (banding, flickering, distortion).
• Heard beeping from the speaker when turned on (BIOS error codes).
• USB ports or keyboard stop working.

In such cases, self-repair may aggravate the problem. Contact the service center first saving important data (if the laptop still turns on).

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about laptop brakes

My laptop only slows down when playing games. What's the matter?

Most likely the problem is video card or overheating. Check:

• GPU temperature (must be below 85°C under load).
• Drivers are up to date (update via GeForce Experience or AMD Adrenalin).
• In-game graphics settings (lower resolution or disable ray tracing).

If the laptop is equipped integrated graphics (For example, Intel UHD Graphics), modern games simply won’t work – an upgrade will be required.

Laptop slows down after Windows update. What to do?

Updates sometimes conflict with drivers. Try:

1. Roll back update (Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → View history → Uninstall updates).
2. Update drivers (especially for the video card and chipset).
3. Reset Windows (Settings → Update & Security → Recovery → Reset PC).

The SSD is installed, but the laptop still slows down. Why?

The reasons may be as follows:

• SSD connected via SATA, not PCIe NVMe (speed is 3–5 times lower).
• Mode enabled AHCI in BIOS (check in settings Storage Configuration).
• The disk is more than 90% full (leave at least 10-15% free space).
• SSD malfunction (check health via CrystalDiskInfo).

The laptop is slow on Linux. Is this normal?

Linux usually runs faster than Windows, but slowdowns are possible due to:

• Inappropriate distribution (for example, Ubuntu heavier Xubuntu or Lubuntu).
• Lack of proprietary drivers (install via Additional drivers).
• File system (for example, ext4 faster NTFS).

Try lightweight distributions like Linux Mint Xfce or AntiX.

Is it worth buying a new laptop if the old one is slow?

Replace your laptop if:

• It is more than 5-7 years old, and an upgrade (for example, replacing the processor) is impossible.
• Repairs will cost more than 50% of the cost of a new device.
• You need resource-intensive tasks (3D modeling, video editing, modern games).

In other cases modernization (SSD + RAM + cleaning) will give your laptop a “second life” for less money.