Why is my PC so damn slow?

Hi forum!

Recently factory resetted my PC down to how slow it was. Still just as slow!

No idea what's wrong with it. Here's the stats for the laptop, I've got a Dell Inspiron 17r.


OS : Windows 8 64-bit
Intel Core i7 CPU @ 2.20 Ghz
8.0gb Ram
Intel HD Graphics 4000
1tb 5400 RPM HDD

Any ideas?

Hello KaseyM and welcome to EightForums. There can be a few things that are causing the slow down issues on your Dell laptop. First, usually factory PC's come with unneeded software that just is a waste and can be safely removed by using PC decrapifier at this link: The PC Decrapifier Wipes Unwanted Junk | The PC Decrapifier if you don't know what to remove, I suggest not doing this and follow the below steps.

2. try disabling some of the visual effects that are turned on, the visual effects can be accessed by following the instructions found here http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5657-visual-effects-adjust-windows-8-a.html. I disabled a few of the effects and it made my brothers Windows 8 laptop run a bit faster.

3. Check to see if there are any issues with your hard drive by following this guide: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6221-chkdsk-check-drive-errors-windows-8-a.html. If there is a hard drive issue than it may be the culprit of your laptop being slow.

4. Check to see if there are any BIOS updates available for your laptop's motherboard and install any new Windows updates.

5. If the issue still persists, hopefully other members that have more knowledge than me can chip in to figure out a solution.

Hope I helped

Was it always this slow or it just recently slowed down. I'm guessing its a laptop as it has a 5400 RPM drive. 5400 RPM drives will cause a noticeable dip in performance compared to a 7200 RPM drive. 5400 RPM drives draw less power and generate less heat so they are often used in laptops to give better battery life. Switching to 7200 RPM drive will speed things up some. Switching to an SSD drive will really boost performance.

+1 for the SSD drive!