Computer help for the uninformed?
 

So, our desktop computer has been great for the 3 years or so that we've had it. However, it has lately been running... slower than it used to. Much slower. Now, I have no idea how computers work, or how they go together - I can operate one but I have no idea about the technical stuff. So please be patient with me if I seem stupid.

Our computer seems to still have passable parts - we've upgraded the video card since we bought it, but it was top of the line (or so I'm told) back when it was new. From what I can remember (I'm on my laptop), these are the details:

2.6GHz processor (forget which one)
1 gig of RAM
Geforce 7600 video card
Running Windows XP

Now, to me that looks like a good computer, and from the bit of shopping I've been doing it should still be able to run most of the newer games without a hitch.

And yet Company of Heroes and Universe at War lag regardless of settings, and even some non-gaming programs take forever to start up.

So, after all that, I have questions:

1) Is there some kind of maintenance I should be doing on my computer to get it to work as well as it should? We have AVG, Spybot and a few different firewalls, so I don't think it's a virus issue.

2) If all else fails I'm just going to format the hard drive. We don't own the Windows XP boot disc anymore, so we'd have to buy one or borrow one. However, if we're getting boot discs anyway, do you think that Vista would be a better choice?

3) We may actually get a new computer in a few months... I've seen the System Builder threads, but I have no experience building a computer. I have, however, found guides (including the most recent PC Gamer) and could probably do it if necessary. Do you recommend building a computer or buying a pre-assembled one? And as with question 2, XP or Vista?

Sorry, long post... but any help would be appreciated. I can provide more information about my current set-up if you want.

It could be that your graphic's card isn't one of the recommended cards. Regardless of power some cards run certain games better than others.

Also, it depends how much you have saved on your hardrive, the more crap that has been piled up, the more lag you are going to get.

Viruses, keep your software up to date. You can look at whatever sort of porn you want, as long as you clean up the mess (the virtual one).

RAM, that is nowhere near enough. Okay, not really, but you may want to consider getting some more.

Also it would help to know what OS you are running, 98, ME, XP, etc.

1 GB of RAM is usually enough for XP. Vista runs better at 2 GB. Or 4. Or, heck, why don't we just go whole hog and just build a machine around it with 8 GB of RAM, a quad core processor, top-of-the-line video and sound, Draft N wireless, a widescreen monitor, and then ship it to Bill Gates, since he'll own it, anyway.


Seriously, just skip Vista. Windows 7 will be coming out in the next couple of years, and the Wisconsin Technical Colleges are just going to stick with XP until then.



As for your issues, it sounds like you've got a lot of background programs running right now. Upgrading your RAM will fix that (especially if you're using FireFox). And RAM is cheap. You can probably get yourself a 1GB stick for less than $100 off of Newegg.

Wow, some pretty good responses, thanks a lot!

I updated my specs to include that I'm running XP.

I was never aware that extra stuff on the harddrive actually decreases performance... Gonna delete stuff I never use and then defragment the disc.

All the anti-virus stuff is up-to-date, and we check almost daily.

Uh... how do you put in more RAM? If it's that cheap, then rather than get a thousand-dollar computer, should we just push our current one up to 4 gigs of RAM or something? That seems more or less logical to me, but again... me = stupid when it comes to how computers work. It's all black magic to me.

It doesn't really. The defragmenting part will fix any lag associated with it.

Also: A few different firewalls? Seems excessive. I had Avast as an antivirus, and Zonealarm as my firewall, and I never had virus/spyware/adware problems, even after visiting quite a few...shady sites. Too many background programs will eat your resources.

There's something you'll have to do to XP to get it to recognize 4 Gigs correctly, it will only recognize around 3 gigs natively. I can look for the fix for you if that's what you wanna do, but 2 gigs should do you fine.

And now to the major questions: What do you do with the computer? Is the lag overall, or just when you run certain things? Before deciding whether to upgrade/what to fix, you need to figure out what is causing the lag.

As for how to install RAM, it involves opening your machine, meaning it involves the risk of you being as to your sensitive components as Pikachu is to anything that hinders Ash.

Meaning totally frying them.


First step is to ground yourself on an unpainted portion of the frame. After that, with modern RAM (I'm assuming you have DDR2, but definitely check), it's generally a matter of inserting the stick at a 45 degree angle and snapping into place.

QFT. The whole post, really.

Open up Taskmanager and see what processes are running, and how much memory they're using. Also write down your Commit Charge down in the bottom-right corner.

Defragging won't do too much, and disc drive capacity is only relevant when it infringes upon your swap file; which it won't. I second the idea that you have too many firewalls. I have 2 AV programs, but only one background scanning, and 2 AS programs, in the same config. I'm only using a hardware firewall and the Windows XP firewall; that should be largely sufficient.

Find out which processor you have. A 2.6 GHz dual-core is pretty sweet; a 2.6 GHz single core, not so much. 1 gig should be ok, assuming you have a decent swap file. The 7600 is ok, and should be able to run Company; what resolution are you trying to run it at?

Do an AV sweep, an AS sweep, run HijackThis! and post the log, and record exactly what you're loading, and a screenshot of taskmanager sorted by MemUsage, if you can.

EDIT: Also, in the event you do get a new computer down the line, ask then. The market is volatile, and advice given today is out-of-date by tomorrow.

EDITUS:
45 degrees? I've always inserted my RAM flush with the bracket. I do hope you mean for alignment purposes, because I'm having trouble thinking how you'd install it at an angle.

Also, to the OP: Installing new RAM is one of the easier upgrades you can do; caution is, as always, necessary, but you don't have to remove anything, screw anything into rails, install any power/data cables, etc. It is, quite literally, plug and play. Just make sure the computer is powered off, and you follow blue's instructions to protect against static.

Although some models of desktop also have the snap-to-straight thing going, yes, others just have it slide in.

Interesting. I was under the impression that modern (Read: 4- years) were all snap-to-straight. Thanks for the info.

You have to remember, I'm used to working on older units at home. I know what's out there; just not necessarily what's at what point of the process of being phased out. But the snap-to-straight was what I meant about the 45 degrees. It's actually more like 36 most units, but 45 is easier to visualize.