What could be causing your laptop to run slowly?
What could be causing your laptop to run slowly?
My HP laptop is nearly five years old. It originally came with Windows 10, which I upgraded to Windows 11 a couple of years ago. The system runs an Intel Pentium C4417U CPU at 2.30GHz. About half of the 128GB SSD is being utilized. I had 4GB RAM initially, upgraded to 16GB (the maximum), but performance hasn’t improved noticeably. Task Manager shows Norton Antivirus consuming 75% to 93% of the CPU usage, which is quite high. I’m considering discontinuing Norton once it expires later this year. I mainly use it for browsing. Are there any solutions or should I consider letting it go?
When you increased the amount of RAM, did you also add matched pairs with identical MHz speeds? If not, that might be the reason behind the issue since changing RAM speeds can impact performance rather than improve it. I stopped using Norton a long time ago because it consumes a lot of resources; if you’re only using your PC for browsing, I recommend uninstalling it. Some people suggest Windows Defender and Malwarebytes are sufficient for basic protection. When making online payments or checking your account, always use the two-tier option that sends a code to your phone, and when logging in, select the option to use a code each time.
A few things to check:
- Check Device Manager for any yellow triangle indicators.
- In the Start menu, disable everything except AV and Realtek sound entries.
- In Add/Remove Programs, see if you have any unknown software installed.
- Open Task Manager and observe what’s running when your computer is slow.
- Run Malwarebytes and, if it detects anything, quarantine and delete it, then repeat the scan until nothing remains; this is because Malwarebytes may not remove all segments during the first scan.
Yes, as previously mentioned!^ Windows Security (now called it) performs quite well. It uses minimal resources, fits seamlessly into Windows (obviously), and has a significantly smaller impact on system performance.
The CPU is the main area of concern. It operates at a very basic level.
Well, I believe it's time to upgrade to a new laptop. In computer terms, five years seems quite long. I plan to uninstall Norton and try the alternatives recommended, just to check if it really makes a difference. I've been using Norton since the mid-1990s with Utilities, so I'm used to it. If this trend continues, nobody will be using Norton anymore!
As mentioned by @rgd1101, your CPU appears to be underpowered. When it was first released, it had just two cores, four threads, and a clock speed of 2,300MHz, without any Turbo boost capability. This setup would likely struggle with Windows 11, even with 16GB of RAM. Today’s laptops usually come with more cores/threads—such as eight cores, sixteen threads, and higher clock speeds with Turbo above 4GHz. While these advanced processors cost more, this has always been the standard. A budget laptop is often a misleading deal, as I’ve found in the past.
The only recommendation I can offer to boost performance is to replace the 128GB SSD with a newer, faster, and larger one. At five years old, your laptop might still have a 2.5" form factor SATA SSD. In that case, consider upgrading to a 500GB Samsung 870 EVO drive (SATA type but with a DRAM cache). Very few 2.5" drives include DRAM, which helps speed up Windows by quickly updating small files. Without it, Windows performance will decline.
If your 128GB drive is M.2 size, look into various upgrade options to see if a larger M.2 NVMe drive is possible. NVMe is significantly faster than SATA. Some entry-level laptops I’ve upgraded came with 120GB or 240GB M.2 SATA drives. Swapping them for a 500GB or 1TB M.2 NVMe drive (if your BIOS allows) can lead to noticeably smoother Windows operation.
The read speed of SATA reaches a maximum of 550MB/s, while NVMe Gen.3 is closer to 3,500MB/s and NVMe Gen.4 up to 7,500MB/s. The difference hinges on the type of drive you currently have. If it’s still a 2.5" SATA model, adding an M.2 NVMe might not be feasible due to physical differences.
The safest approach is to continue using the existing drive type but opt for a higher capacity one. A 500GB SSD should perform better than a 128GB drive, especially if it offers more memory channels or a faster controller. A 1TB drive could be slightly quicker, though.
Pay close attention to upgrade recommendations from specialized sites. Avoid purchasing an M.2 NVMe drive if your laptop only supports the 2.5" SATA interface. If the BIOS doesn’t support it, the new drive won’t fit or function properly.
Even more crucially, refrain from buying an M.2 drive if your laptop is limited to the 2.5" form factor.
The most reliable way to run Windows 11 faster is to upgrade to a better laptop—more cores, higher MHz, and an NVMe Gen.4 drive will yield noticeable improvements.
You should seriously think about purchasing a different laptop now. These Intel Pentium and Celeron CPUs are frequently presented as affordable options, but they lack the strength needed for sustained performance. They offer limited processing capacity beneath the surface.
When you first turn on your new laptop, especially with these basic processors, it might feel adequate. However, as you add applications and background processes, the CPU usage gradually increases and becomes significant. These low-end chips struggle under additional demands, causing the device to lag over time. Upgrading components like an SSD or more RAM won’t help much if the CPU remains the main constraint. In reality, the processor is the key bottleneck in these budget models.
Consequently, you tend to remove unused files, keep a close eye on CPU activity, and attempt to streamline your system by eliminating unnecessary programs (such as Norton). Over time, you end up with only essential applications running, meticulously tracking every percentage of CPU usage, while still experiencing performance issues. This is compounded by gradual CPU wear and the fact that certain software becomes increasingly resource-intensive.
Therefore, for your upcoming purchase, avoid the latest entry-level machines. Opt instead for a model featuring an Intel i3 or i5 processor, or even better, explore used laptops with solid CPUs. In the long term, you’ll achieve far superior performance compared to settling for a low-cost, underpowered laptop.