Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Captain Zero

(6,715 posts)
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 03:15 AM Feb 2020

Speeding up an older computer

The one thing that has just helped mine the most is DRIVER UPDATES.
I bought the Avast package that can check and update drivers.
Updated the drivers and this laptop is suddenly popping right along. Snappy City.

FYI. IMHO.

10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Speeding up an older computer (Original Post) Captain Zero Feb 2020 OP
I have a work Dell that sends me reminders..... Historic NY Feb 2020 #1
A solid state drive (SSD) will also do wonders krispos42 Feb 2020 #2
If you have an old computer to experiment with, try Linux Mint. hunter Feb 2020 #3
Linux vs. recommendations :) CloudWatcher Feb 2020 #5
Once you get the hang of it, Linux is a lot less trouble than Windows. hunter Feb 2020 #7
I've been using Apple products for about 23 years. Loved every one of them and never had a problem. Elwood P Dowd Feb 2020 #9
ChromeOS is built on Linux, just as Android is. hunter Feb 2020 #10
Swap HDD for SSD Duckerington Feb 2020 #4
Depends :) CloudWatcher Feb 2020 #6
That is the correct answer. ManiacJoe Feb 2020 #8

krispos42

(49,445 posts)
2. A solid state drive (SSD) will also do wonders
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 07:38 AM
Feb 2020

Using one as your boot drive makes a huge difference.

My computer is a middle-aged office machine. With a SSD upgrade when it was wiped and rebuilt, I can go from "off" to Windows 7 login screen in 20 seconds.

hunter

(38,264 posts)
3. If you have an old computer to experiment with, try Linux Mint.
Sat Feb 8, 2020, 01:43 PM
Feb 2020
https://linuxmint.com/

You can take a ten year old computer, add a solid state drive and max out the memory, install Linux Mint, and you'll have a perfectly usable computer that runs fast with up-to-date security and apps.

There's a bit of a learning curve, but I think it's worth it.

It's possible you'll never have to buy a new computer again, and you may learn enough in the process to repair your own computers.

I'm not someone who recommends a Linux install on anyone's primary computer.

CloudWatcher

(1,831 posts)
5. Linux vs. recommendations :)
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 09:52 PM
Feb 2020

Basically if someone is asking for advice, they shouldn't be running Linux!

hunter

(38,264 posts)
7. Once you get the hang of it, Linux is a lot less trouble than Windows.
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 11:11 PM
Feb 2020

These days many Linux distributions "just work." The browsers are solid, LibreOffice is solid, and there are plenty of fun and useful apps that are free.

If anyone really wants to avoid trouble, I recommend Chromebooks. I'm writing this on a Chromebook. People who use Chromebooks rarely bother me with their computer problems. Newer Chromebooks run Android apps as well. You can use the same apps on your laptop that you use on your phone.

I also have a desktop running Debian Linux, and a dual-boot Windows laptop. I think Windows spends most of its time downloading and installing humongous updates.

I won't use a Windows or Apple machine unless someone is paying me.

Needless to say I'm not a modern gamer, nor do I use Adobe products such as Photoshop.

Elwood P Dowd

(11,443 posts)
9. I've been using Apple products for about 23 years. Loved every one of them and never had a problem.
Sat Feb 15, 2020, 07:58 PM
Feb 2020

A 21.5" iMac with SSD and plenty of RAM is my current desktop. The 6-year-old iPad Mini I used as a portable was getting long in the tooth and I wanted something newer with a bigger screen. Saw a 14" ASUS Chromebook on sale for $199.00 and said "what the hell". You can't beat that price for something portable or to use if something breaks in my iMac. Chrome OS turned out to be easy to learn, and the performance is adequate for most tasks I will use it for. Am I wrong, but isn't the Chrome OS basically a version of Linux?

hunter

(38,264 posts)
10. ChromeOS is built on Linux, just as Android is.
Sat Feb 15, 2020, 11:35 PM
Feb 2020

But until recently Linux was mostly inaccessible.

Newer Chromebooks have access to Linux, sandboxed in its own directory. This makes it difficult to screw up your computer.

You can select which of your personal directories you want to give Linux programs access to.

https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439?hl=en

I find Chromebook Linux useful for running command line utilities such as pandoc.

It doesn't support hardware video acceleration, microphones, or cameras yet, which makes some apps unusable.

Duckerington

(14 posts)
4. Swap HDD for SSD
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 09:03 AM
Feb 2020

SSD makes the biggest difference. I recently replaced the original HDD in my 2009 MacBook for an SSD and now it runs like brand new!

CloudWatcher

(1,831 posts)
6. Depends :)
Sun Feb 9, 2020, 09:59 PM
Feb 2020

It all depends on what's slowing down the machine. If it's low on memory, adding more RAM will be a big win, otherwise it'll be a waste of money. If it's waiting on disk I/O then replacing a spinning hard drive with a solid-state disk can make it fly. If you're waiting on the Internet (a slow ISP), then making your machine faster won't really be that noticable!

Depending on what the driver does, a driver update could help with RAM management, disk I/O, offload some computing to your graphics card or even help your Internet run a little faster.

Results will vary depending on what's slowing down your particular configuration / usage pattern.

Latest Discussions»Help & Search»Computer Help and Support»Speeding up an older comp...