Updating laptop....

slicendice said:

I have been running my SSD for 4 years now and I am a power user. No slowdowns as of yet. Still performing as fast as it did when I bought it.

Still doesn't mean the SSD hasn't slowed, it just means you haven't noticed it in real world usage.

An i3 CPU is good enough.

Yes, it's good enough, NOT fast enough.

If working on apps from Adobe or any kind of heavy professional image manipulation, then 8GB RAM isn't always enough either. I would not touch those apps even with a stick if on a laptop, unless it's a top of the line one with latest and fastest parts of everything.

You seem to miss the point here by dismissing what I'm saying since 8gig of RAM is certainly better than 4 in any circumstance.

For basic office tasks an i3 and 4GB RAM is enough, no matter if on 32 or 64 bit OS.

We'll agree to disagree. And, I still maintain a 64-bit OS needs more than 4gig of RAM and better than an i3. It's like having a high performance car with a basic 4-cylinder engine and a 3-speed transmission. It'll get you from point A to B, but don't expect any speed out of it when you need it.

My laptop beats most of i7 laptops from same era in performance. Performance is so much more than just the CPU and amount of RAM.

No kidding. And I'm not even going to address your other claim, other than we're not talking i5, we're talking i3.

Anyway the OP is wondering why the PC is slowed and I pointed out the specs.

I doubt the OP is doing any heavy video or photo editing, or he would most likely own a heavy weight desktop computer.

Never said they did, but that wasn't the point. My example is merely comparison.

We can not go and recommend some expensive hardware and claim he needs it for someone who absolutely do NOT need that kind of performance.

No one is recommending "expensive hardware", I'm merely pointing out the OP doesn't have the most powerful system here. Period.

I'd say upgrade to a 128-300GB SSD and optionally add more RAM. That's it. Next step would be to consider a new laptop with decent specs,

Agree.

A MID level consumer laptop is more than good enough for most users. I never recommend to buy the cheapest low end consumer devices.

However, given the specs listed by the OP, this is exactly what they have. Sorry.

My personal requirements are in the $2500-5000 range. But that is a completely different story.

I'm also in the $2500+ range as that's what I paid for my current laptop. I also custom build high performance gaming desktops. My Desktop features 4 high end Samsung SSD drives, those alone amount to $1600+

That said, I would never recommend an expensive machine unless specifically asked to do so.

Instead of trying to shoot me down, you might listen as I'm also here to help the OP by pointing what his specs really mean.... that is, no matter how you slice it, it's not a very fast system.

Yes, upgrading the SSD drive and RAM is a start, but there's still the i3 CPU. Also, if this is a laptop, the "upgrade" options may be limited. Perhaps they can't up the memory. Perhaps the SSD drive is a propriety one in which you can only get it from the vendor.

Example, the 256gig SSD drive in my 2013 Asus Zenbook Prime (UX31A) notebook is a proprietary one which isn't readily available or easy to replace. I also can't up the RAM from 4gig. These too must be considered when making suggestions.

BTW, you also seem to overlook the fact that the OS is lacking updates. Maybe updating the machine would help with some performance loss. Regardless, I would get the updates done.

Peace

Just a correction to the above:

WinSAT works in both Command Prompt and PowerShell, BUT the command MUST be run as ELEVATED or it opens a new window which will disappear after completion.

To open Command prompt or PowerShell as Administrator do the following:

1. Press Windows key
2. Type CMD or PowerShell
3. When the application is found and is selected press CTRL + LeftShift + Enter OR you can just right mouse click the icon and select Run as Administrator
4. You will see a User Account Control Dialog box asking you if you want to allow this app to make changes to your device. Press YES
5. Now you have either a console window or a PowerShell window with the title Administrator: Command Prompt OR Administrator: Windows PowerShell
6. Type the correct command: Winsat formal -restart clean

Mooly said:

Thanks :)

Funny how you can look at something a dozen times and not spot it. Not sure how I came to do a double paste like that (but it actually worked because I used it today as a check)

YW! Yes it seems to work with the double commands too, which is kind of weird...or just brilliant programming in the tool and parameter checking. :)