Solved PC performance in general

[fezbombmatt]

Hello SF

Ive had my rig for just about 3 years now custom built by myself and its just not cutting it anymore.

I think my specs are correct but they are
M4A785TD-V Evo Mobo
phenom ii 560 BE 3.30
8GB corsair RAM
blah blah 500w PSU

Anyway im rather stumped about its performance, i mean what is causing it to not be anywhere near as good as when i first built it?

Its had a brand new black edition WD HDD and its still pretty slow i mean CPU just dies under heavy load now.

Unlike new it demolished everything for the price i payed.

From what ive read CPU's dont change through age? Or am i wrong here.

 

[whs]

I don't think it is your rig that got slower, it is your OS. Reinstall that from scratch or roll in a very early image and you will see how much performance will improve.

One easy additional fix would be to install a small (60 or 120GB) SSD for the OS and your system will fly.

 

[fezbombmatt]

Oh sorry i forget to mention! Ive done again a clean install of windows 7 and it just doesnt feel any better.

So im running fresh install with only data on the HDD not many programs. Are you sure any of my HW is slowing me down?

I would consider an SSD but i was happy with the performance of my rig before this...

 

[roboticarm]

This awesome tutorial written by our administrator should help you a lot: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html

 

[fezbombmatt]

Thanks for the pointer, ive been through these before and while they may help, Id rather have a pc that can cope with max visuals etc and no stress.

This is what i dont understand? How is it my PC was brilliant 2 years ago, now with no changes its suddenly rubbish?

 

[fezbombmatt]

My Norton is always reporting high CPU usage from host processes when im only listening to music and browseing the web.

I am sure something has changed or worn out etc :/

 

[whs]

I think you have to be more specific which functions you think have slowed down. There is no reason your hardware should perform any worse than a couple of years ago. It must be some OS function (maybe one or more updates) that slow you down.

 

[fezbombmatt]

Only Windows updates that have built up. Do they make a big difference?

I cant really be more specific its just in general. Like ive swapped out my HDD for a slower one.. That kind of thing

 

[Golden]

My Norton is always reporting high CPU usage from host processes when im only listening to music and browseing the web.

Norton could be the problem - we have seen instances where it causes issues. Can you replace it with something less demanding like MSE and see if you notice any improvement?

Regards,
Golden

 

[theveterans]

It's not just the OS getting fragmented through lots of installations and uninstallations of programs, Windows updates, etc. Newer versions of programs are getting more complex and "bloated" [e.g. multimedia programs such as Nero, MS Office 2013 (Office 365 takes up 3 GB of HDD space which is ridiculous for an office suite, and it also now relies heavily on GPU acceleration to perform smoothly), etc.] I also notice that websites are getting more and more complex and now have more animations and javascript complexities that put a lot of strain on older PCs. This slowness is very evident on our University's library which has 6-year old Core 2 Duos and some even have Pentium 4 HT prescotts. Back then programs aren't that sophisticated and the hardware is fast enough during that time, but it is now outdated today. Any modern PC with Windows 7 clean installed will chug through most modern programs without feeling sluggish.

 

[roboticarm]

Since it's 2 years old, the hardware might be clogged up. Did you try cleaning the CPU/GPU heat sinks and your case? Heat can make the processors down clock automatically thus slowing things down.

 

[whs]

Like ive swapped out my HDD for a slower one

That could certainly make a difference. That's why I suggested the SSD.

 

[Layback Bear]

To me it sound like fezbombmatt wants a new computer. That good.
Just build a new computer and pick and choose the hardware and software and be happy.
If you have done all the suggestion given, minus the ssd you don't want for some reason I don't know what else you can do.

 

[fezbombmatt]

I guess I just over rated my system. A new PC would be epic so would an SSD but money's an issue currently so I wanted the best out of what I have. Oh and yes my HW is clean and dust free with generous air flow.

Il just have to accept and have a look at the OCing route.

Thanks for your opinions though helped massively.