Consider what improvements could further boost performance after using an NVMe SSD.
Consider what improvements could further boost performance after using an NVMe SSD.
Hi everyone,
At first I suspected my system could be slow because of the hard drive, but after verification I’m actually using an NVMe SSD on Windows 11.
My current storage configuration includes:
- Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB (NVMe SSD – system drive)
- Seagate 1TB HDD (storage)
- WD external USB HDD
Despite having the SSD, the system still feels sluggish during boot, app launches, and multitasking.
System details:
CPU: Intel i7-8700K
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X
RAM: 32 GB DDR4 (currently running at 2133 MHz, rated for 3200 MHz)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Questions:
1. Should enabling XMP to run my RAM at full speed make a difference in responsiveness?
2. Is the i7-8700K beginning to show signs of age with Windows 11?
3. Are performance issues from Windows features like VBS or Hyper-V affecting older CPUs?
4. Are there any suggested BIOS or Windows tweaks for this setup?
Thanks for your help — I’m trying to determine if the problem lies in tuning or requires a hardware upgrade.
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X
What BIOS version are you currently on for your motherboard?
RAM: 32 GB DDR4 (currently running at 2133 MHz, rated for 3200 MHz)
Pass on a link to this ram kit.
How are you cooling the processor? What sort of temps do you see for both idle and load? Make and model of your case? You forgot to mention the make, model and age of the PSU in your build.
1. Would enabling XMP to run my RAM at full speed noticeably improve system responsiveness?
Considering you have this at hand, I'd advise you enable it and see if that brings any responsiveness to the system.
2. Is the i7-8700K starting to show its age with Windows 11?
What sort of tasks do you tax the platform with? Please include the app's/title without an
etc
.
Pass on a screenshot of what you're seeing in Disk Management.
Considering the i7-8700K was launched in Q4 2017, it's not unexpected that your setup isn't performing exceptionally fast with Windows 11. I'm writing this on an even older i7-4770K and it feels quite sluggish when compared to my Ryzen 9 7950X. That's a big surprise! I've tested Hyper-V virtual machines in Windows 10 on a 4.2GHz overclocked dual-core Pentium G3258 processor, with 8GB of system memory—4GB dedicated to the operating system and another 4GB for the VM. It was just a casual experiment; it didn't cause any issues. Running two operating systems on a single CPU will inevitably impact performance. While you have sufficient RAM, upgrading to a more recent processor would likely improve things significantly, depending on what you plan to run inside the VM. As @Lutfij mentions, the suitability depends heavily on the applications you're using. Right now isn't the best moment to upgrade to DDR5, but you might think about swapping your 32GB DDR4 RAM for a newer AMD or Intel system. Investing a few hundred dollars in a new motherboard and CPU could make Windows 11 much more pleasant to use.
No other storage devices were installed in the PC during the installation process.