System performance declines progressively over time.
System performance declines progressively over time.
I've owned this PC since October 2021. It was built earlier that year and runs Windows 64-bit with an Intel Core 15-9400F, 16GB RAM, a 220GB SSD, a 2TB HDD, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660. At first, I could play games like Overwatch 1 and Valorant smoothly at high settings while using Spotify or Chrome without major problems. Recently, however, I've noticed performance dropping when using lower graphics settings on Valorant and Overwatch 2, often struggling to maintain 80 frames or more. Even background tasks like YouTube or Discord are lagging around 90%. My BIOS and drivers are current. Should I aim for better performance now, or is an upgrade a good idea? Thanks.
Over the years we gather various fixes, patches, updates, and of course... random downloads. In the past 1.5 years, how much clutter have you built up? I bet there are more background processes than you think. Though that shouldn't be too much of an issue, I’m not sure if Valorant or Overwatch has released updates that affect non-HT chip versions. Unlikely, but not impossible. As before, how are your temperatures?
I appreciated your feedback. I tracked my CPU and GPU temperatures while only having Overwatch, FIFA, Discord, and Spotify running. On average, my CPU stayed between 130-145°F (conversion was likely correct) and the GPU around 130-150°F. I’m using the standard Intel CPU cooler. I feel my system is fairly dusty, but I’ve been clearing cache, files, and performing cleanups with Norton. Recently, I gave the PC a quick dusting with a brush—just enough to remove surface grime—but it didn’t make a noticeable difference. Thanks again!
Turn off Norton and restart it. Check how much space is left on your 220GB boot SSD. Please skip the temperature conversion—we use Celsius by default. I’m interested in how long it’s been running smoothly, how much time has gone by, and what changes have been made recently. It seems your CPU is quite old with no hyperthreading support. Watching YouTube at high usage is demanding but can involve background processes. I’d likely reinstall Windows and keep only essential apps installed.
Here are a few screenshots showing just a couple of Chrome tabs open along with my startup programs. Wallpaper32 is the Wallpaper Engine, featuring an animated background. It’s not overly intense but still uses some GPU power, which hasn’t caused any problems for me. It’s likely been six to eight months since it’s running smoothly and during that time I’ve installed several updates. My SSD (222GB) has 30GB available, and my HDD (2TB) still holds 475GB. I’m thinking about a fresh install but would prefer to avoid it given the heavy usage from large games and document files.