From simple hardware additions to Windows configurations to routine maintenance, there are some measures you can try to optimize your current setup. Here’s how to get the most out of your PC while spending the least. Check out this guide to checking your PC’s RAM compatibility to see what type you need. Then head over to our buyer’s guides to desktop RAM or laptop RAM for guidance on how much you need. First, take a peek at our overview of the different drive types. Then follow this guide to cloning your existing hard drive to an SSD to make it your main drive. Use the toggles on the Settings > Apps > Startup screen to turn the applications you don’t use regularly Off. Don’t worry; you can always come back and set them to auto-start again if you find you’re missing them. If you have a laptop, click on the battery indicator in the system tray, where you can use a slider to set your PC’s power level. For desktop devices, open the Control Panel, select Power Options, and make sure the highest-performance option is selected.
Windows Updates: Open the Settings app, select Update & Security > Windows Update, and if any updates are ready, click Install now. Driver Updates: From the same screen, click View all optional updates, which can install updated hardware drivers. Application Updates: The method for updating applications is different, but as a rule, if you see a notification for an update, install it as soon as you can.
You can adjust these settings by going to the Settings app, selecting System > About, then clicking on the Advanced system settings link on the right. In the System Properties dialog, select the Advanced tab, and click the Settings button under Performance. Here you can elect to Adjust for best performance (note how it turns all effects off). From the System Properties dialog, click Settings under Performance, then switch to the Advanced tab. Under Virtual Memory, click the Change button, and make your adjustments in the Virtual Memory dialog. Defragmenting the disk compacts all this data closer together, and disk reads and writes become quicker. All this equals better performance for your PC. Open the Storage screen in the Settings app click the Optimize Drives link to get started.
