Diagnosing computer problems and improving PC performance

In some cases, the hardest part of improving a computer's performance is diagnosing what is actually wrong with it. Sometimes a diagnosis is simple, and users only need to identify which components are struggling to operate at peak capacity. Other times, the diagnosis can be more complicated.

Basic diagnosis

In the simpler cases, users need to figure out which components are failing. Typically, that means identifying which types of functions are not working well, and matching that to the component. In general, high-performance applications, such as games and graphics editing software, will push the system's processor, RAM and video card. Games that are not performing well are typically struggling because of a shortcoming in one of these areas.

To figure out whether the processor, RAM or graphics card is failing while running a game or other high-performance program, look closely at the game's options. Try playing around with the video setting and see what changes improve performance compared to those that make it worse. If decreasing anti-aliasing or anisotropic filtering improves performance, then your graphics card is probably causing the computer to run poorly. If reducing less advanced performance features helps, then it may reflect issues with your processor or RAM.

The best way to identify processor and RAM issues, however, has to do with running everyday applications. Try opening a few programs at the same time. If this slows your computer down considerably, then your RAM is struggling to keep up with storing the short-term data. Your processor could also be having a hard time accessing the RAM quickly enough to load programs fast.

Using monitoring software

While some diagnosis issues may be simple, others ar more challenging because few performance problems are caused by issues in a single component. Instead, problems generally have to do with shortcomings in a variety of areas. To resolve this, consider installing performance monitoring tools. Advanced monitoring software can tell you how fast your RAM, processor, graphics card and other components operate at any time. This can help you understand which programs are hogging resources, identify which components cannot keep up with your software and give you guidance as to which upgrades will have the greatest impact.

If you are uneasy about buying new software to fix your computer, try the basic diagnostic tools built into Windows. To access monitoring tools in Windows, you need to go to My Computer and access your system properties. In older versions of Windows, this screen will simply tell you what hardware you have installed and what speeds they are running at. In Windows 7, this screen will display a Windows Experience Index Rating. This rating is created through a compilation of the program's hardware and software programs and can give users a clear idea of their system's overall performance. You can also obtain details for the performance of each individual component and identify which hardware is under-performing. The system rates the computer based on the lowest base score of any component, and having a single hardware element significantly worse than others may indicate a much needed upgrade.

Once you have diagnosed which components are not working, making an upgrade is relatively simple as users just need to identify compatible hardware that would improve performance and install it. For most users, simple measures to recognize performance issues will get the job done, but monitoring software will often achieve the best results.

For more information on improving PC performance, visit our RAM and SSD news and information page. If you have additional questions on SSDs, RAM memory, performance memory, and gaming, visit our product information section or contact our support center. If you're ready to take the plunge, you can use our Crucial Memory Advisor™ tool or Crucial System Scanner tool.