Any enthusiastic gamer will already have their frustrations with lower spec machines. If you’re stumped as to how to raise the game of either a low level PC or laptop, Whether it’s an old desktop or a new tablet PC from Lenovo these tips should be able to save you the gut-wrenching frustration of a slow machine.
Regularly Maintain The Unit
We’ll start with the obvious. It’s extremely important to keep your machine in good condition otherwise it will slowly deteriorate. Leaving enough disc space is a part of this: a hard drive that’s overloaded with rubbish will always run more slowly than one that’s half empty. It’s also a good idea to run the defragment utility (which can be found under ”system tools’), as this will analyse the hard drive and consolidate the fragmented files found throughout the drive. Also, ensure that you regularly uninstall any programs that aren’t being used anymore.
Work The Processor Properly
Modern computers are seriously, seriously impressive. However, they still have a finite amount of resources and when those resources are all used up they will slow you down. Before firing up any games, enter task manager and see what other software is running. Common energy sapping resources include Internet browsers, music players (Spotify included) and file-sharing software (such as Dropbox). Whilst these programs are obviously useful in their own right, you don’t need them to be on-the-go whilst you’re playing games and closing them will free up a lot of memory and processing power.
Look At The Graphics Drivers
If you’re a gamer, the chances are that you’ve already got a half-decent graphics card installed (if you haven’t, make getting one your number one priority!). Interestingly – and this is especially the case with laptops – the graphics chips made by companies like ATI or NVIDIA are actually built by secondary companies, meaning that the drivers they’re provided with might not be perfectly optimised. It can be worth looking online to see if a more compatible driver can be found, one that offers an increased level of customisation in terms of tweaking how the graphics card is used.
‘Vista Services’
Microsoft created a programme designed to work with Windows Vista called ‘Vista Services Optimiser’. Essentially, it offered the ability to put the computer into ‘gaming mode’, shutting down a number of unnecessary Windows services so that the maximum amount of processing power could be spared. Aside from being by far the best thing about the universally panned Vista OS, the service optimiser also works marvellously with Windows 7. Get it, and use it.
Upgrade
We saved this till last, largely because it’s the most financially draining option. If you’ve tried all of the above tips and are still struggling, then we’re afraid that it’s probably time to upgrade. This can be done by replacing the processor, increasing the amount of RAM in the machine or by installing a new graphics card. Of course, if you’re planning on upgrading all three – which can be necessary in some cases – then it might even be worth seeing whether or not it’s cheaper to just buy a new machine!
