PC performance tends to be slow under typical usage conditions.
PC performance tends to be slow under typical usage conditions.
The simplest improvement is installing more RAM and adding an SSD for the operating system only. Format it from scratch and leave your HDD for gaming. Install a real GPU similar to a 1060. When looking at CPU options, check compatibility first—probably an i5 works well. Clean up Windows by removing unused telemetry and services to boost performance.
You could improve performance by clearing out bloatware and lowering expectations for what the system can do. If the computer hasn't been maintained for a long time, it may run many programs and updates at once, making it nearly unusable. From a hardware perspective, things are better if the operating system is in good shape.
It's a massive array of things—apps, services, operating systems, data collection, and more. The Cortana chat is just one part of it all.
Without going deep, I’d just reinstall Windows and look into some YouTube tutorials about “decrapify.” They offer scripts that can automate a lot of cleanup. But if you’re not familiar with computers or Windows, it might be better to have someone more experienced handle it. I believe your current setup likely needs a more powerful GPU and SSD by now.
We seem to agree that purchasing a fresh machine is the best option once this one fails. I was mainly curious about ways to improve performance without buying new parts, since replacing it would be too costly. Would upgrading the hardware help things run smoother?