When you’re looking for a new computer, the components we discuss here are some of the ones you’ll need to know about.

Processor

The processor, often known as the chip or CPU, is the first item we recommend looking at. The CPU is the brain of your computer. Intel and AMD are the two primary CPU manufacturers. In terms of sophisticated technology, Intel dominates the market, although AMD provides competing products at cheaper rates.

Source: PC Mag

Processors from Intel

The Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 are Intel’s most popular CPUs. The Core i3 processor is the weakest, while the Core i9 processor is the most robust.

Intel employs cryptic sequences of numbers and characters under all of these chip lines to provide extra information about the chip’s capabilities and release date. You’ll be able to make better purchasing judgments if you can comprehend it. (Intel’s model naming guide may be found here.)

The kind of CPU may be listed on a laptop maker’s website as Intel Core i5-8279U.

Let’s have a look at it in more detail. The first two numbers (“8”) correspond to the chip’s generation; in this example, it’s a chip from the eighth generation. The very next two or three digits (“279”) are performance-related; the higher these numbers, the more powerful the processor. Intel’s identification for the chip’s functionality is the letter at the ending of the chip designation (“U” in our example); H chips are designed for performance, while U chips are focused for power efficiency.

Processors from AMD

AMD’s chip names are comparable to Intel’s. The “3” represents the gen (how old it is; greater is better) and the “6” represents its strength (the higher the number, the more powerful it is). The next two digits have no bearing on anything. A “X” at the end denotes great performance, but a “U” denotes ultra-low power.

Is the gap between Intel and AMD CPUs significant? Outside of extremely specific benchmarks, similar-generation processors are barely distinguishable. When you’re doing activities like surfing the internet or editing documents, they’re comparable.

The other area where you’ll notice a change is graphics performance. In tests, AMD’s integrated graphics outperformed Intel on graphics-intensive applications like as video editing and gaming, in both benchmarking and real-world scenarios.

RAM

RAM, or random-access memory, is what your notebook uses to store data while the CPU processes it. Consider RAM to be your workstation. If you run out of RAM, you will be unable to open any more browser tabs or complete your movie compilation. Your laptop will eventually freeze and have to be rebooted. It’s better if there’s a lot of it!

Source: Bleuwire

For the ordinary Windows user, 8 GB of RAM should enough, but increasing to 16 GB will significantly improve your laptop’s performance – this is important for gaming!

Again, you’ll need at least 16 GB of RAM if you’re creating and compiling applications or editing visual content, both of which take a lot of RAM. If you can manage it, you’ll probably be pleased with 32 GB.

Before making a purchase, check to see if the RAM is attached to the motherboard. You will be unable to upgrade the RAM by yourself if it is the case.

Go for RAM that says DDR4 on it. The abbreviation DDR indicates “double data rate.” DDR4 RAM is fast and just what you need. DDR3 RAM is an older type of memory that is becoming less popular. Most laptops feature DDR4 RAM, but makers will indicate the kind with the quantity on their websites, so double-check before you buy.

Storage

All of your data, including the operating system, will be stored on the storage drive. If you can, get an SSD because it’s the preferred option these days. SSDs are speedier, especially if they employ an NVMe interface, which transfers data more faster into or out of the drive than the previous SATA standard.

Source: Newegg

Laptops using an SSD with NVMe to handle the operating system and an old SATA drive to store data are sometimes available. This provides you the perfect mix: speed where you really need it while remaining cost-effective.

We recommend a minimum of 256 GB of storage. You might well be able to do with less if you save most things in the cloud or you are considering Chromebooks. But it’s always nice to have the extra capacity. Installing many games or programs or saving a lot of images or video may quickly fill up your hard drive.

Other Things You May Consider

The following are some other factors you might also want to put in mind when trying to determine the right laptop for you:

• Screen size and portability – Bigger size will be better if you are buying for video editing, for instance. But remember that this impact on portability. And the smaller the size, the easier to carry around.

• Graphics card – Most regular laptops come only with integrated graphics. If you need one for gaming or video editing, you want to purchase one that offers or supports a graphics card or GPU.

• Operating system – You could go with the market leader Microsoft Windows. MacOS, Linux and Chrome OS are alternatives to consider.

• Ports – If you’ll be hooking a lot of stuffs to your laptop, you should pay attention to the number of ports. Consider getting a notebook with at least two USB ports (including a USB-C), mic/headset jack, and a card reader.

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There are only a few things more aggravating than a laggy computer. Having to wait for your laptop or PC to open a basic web page or MS Office software may make even the most rational person want to throw their computer out.

Don’t get rid of your old laptop just yet. To make it run faster, try the tweaks we suggest here.

1. Reduce the number of Startup programs

The speed with which your computer boots up is determined by a number of factors, including the hardware and the Windows version you’re running. However, the programs that are set to launch when Windows starts up might have a considerable impact.

When you switch on your computer, several apps start operating quietly in the background, delaying the system’s starting and possibly triggering software problems. You may, however, quickly deactivate programs that you do not need right off the bat. Here’s how:

• Begin by clicking Start, search for msconfig, and open.
• Click the Startup tab in the System Configuration box.
• Uncheck the boxes next to the applications on the list that you don’t want to start automatically when your laptop boots.

Source: Computer Hope

It is advisable to untick only the apps that you don’t use on a regular basis or which you know you don’t need.

After that, click Apply and then OK. Restart your computer.

2. Close the applications in the system tray.

If your computer lags, it’s likely that many programs are running concurrently. Items in the system tray usually start up with your computer and then remain on while you use it.

To get to these options, go to the bottom-right side of the screen and click the upwards arrow. If you have any apps open that you don’t need, right-click and close them.

Source: WindowsGround

3. Remove apps that you no longer want

Faster starting times aren’t all that matters. When you’re using your computer, you’ll also want to ensure that it’s operating smoothly.

Uninstalling apps you don’t use will save up disk space and RAM. Trial versions of software preloaded on your computer when you purchased it, out-of-date antivirus products, obsolete software, and games that you do not play anymore are examples of these.

• To uninstall a program go to Start > Control Panel > Uninstall a program.

• Click the application you wish to remove from the list of programs that displays, then click Uninstall.

Source: HP

4. Scan your computer for viruses and malware

Malware or malicious software is a general term that refers to unsafe software that may damage your computer. These may originate from a variety of places, such as email links, software downloads, or even advertisements. Aside from the potential for irreversible harm to your system, several types of malware may slow down your computer.

Installing decent antivirus software may help protect you from viruses and other dangers. There are several excellent free solutions accessible, so you won’t have to pay any money.

Run your antivirus application on a regular basis. Viruses can make your computer laggy and cause data loss, whereas spyware can jeopardize your security by tracking your activities and collecting personal information.

Start your antivirus program and check to see whether it’s up to date. Then, if your package permits it, do a comprehensive scan of your hard drive. Configure regular scheduled scans when you are done with that.

If you do not already have one, there are both free and paid options. Avira, Avast, and Malwarebytes are examples of free protection while Norton and McAfee are among popular paid ones.

5. Clear cookies and cache.

Every time you view a website, your web browser saves a copy of it in the Temporary Internet Files folder as a tiny file known as a cache. It also saves little files known as “cookies” that include your browsing history and personal information. These files might accumulate in size over time.

Source: GuidingTech

Clearing your browser’s cache on a regular basis can enable it to run quicker while loading websites and save critical disk space.

These options are usually accessible in the browser settings menu, labeled something like Clear browsing data or Clear cache & cookies in most browsers.

6. Consider updating Windows, drivers, and programs

You’ve undoubtedly heard that it’s a good idea to keep your software updated for security reasons. This is correct, and it may also assist with performance. When an update becomes available, Windows will give you an automated notice. All you have to do now is make sure you act immediately.

Source: WindowsLatest

You can check at any time if you suspect you’ve missed an update. Select Settings or the settings icon from the Start menu. Then navigate to Updates & Security > Windows Updates from the left-hand menu.

Drivers and programs, in addition to the Windows operating system, should be updated regularly. This is advantageous in terms of not only security but also performance. If you suspect you’ve missed an update, a short web search should reveal the version you ought to be using.

7. Defrag your hard drive

When a PC or laptop saves a big file to the hard drive, it breaks it into smaller chunks and stores them in many places. The hard disk would take longer to access these data as they accumulate over time. This brings up the need for defragging software. This would essentially reassemble the files in a more logical sequence to make possible a performance improvement for your PC.

Source: WikiHow

However, with the release of Windows 10 (and, prior to that, Windows 8/8.1), defragging software is no longer required. These days, Windows manages data considerably more smartly. Defragmenting isn’t necessary for Mac users.

Defragging your hard disk might help you receive a minor performance lift if you’re still using Windows 7 (or an earlier version).

If your computer uses a solid-state drive (SSD), you won’t need to do this since Windows will perform it for you in the background from time to time. It’s generally not a good idea to defrag an SSD manually.

8. Look out for resource-hungry applications

If you notice that your computer is performing more slowly all of a sudden, a certain program is likely responsible for that. Going into your task manager and seeing what’s taking up your resources is one approach to figure out the cause.

• Select Task Manager after right-clicking the taskbar.
• To learn more about the applications that are presently operating on your computer, click More details. The Processes tab should be shown by default.

Source: AVG

You may arrange the list by clicking each heading to see which programs are consuming resources the most. Close a program first if it’s still in use and you want to end it. Then return to the Task Manager page, right-click the program, and choose End task if it won’t end.

Instead of using Task Manager, you’ll need to go for System Configuration in Windows 7.

9. Perform a disk cleanup

Windows has a built-in utility for removing the junk that builds up over time. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools, and then select Disk Cleanup from the list.

Source: RepairWin

You need to select a drive to clean up and then wait for Windows to calculate the amount of space you could save. Next, select the files you want to delete and press OK.

There are tools (both free and paid) that you can use if you don’t want to do this manually.

10. Tweak your power settings

Windows has a number of pre-configured power plans to suit different preferences. Balanced is the default setting, which considers both performance and energy consumption. However, the latter is only a concern if you’re operating on batteries or attempting to save money on energy. As a result, you may wish to reconsider your option.

If your PC is functioning slowly, the High Performance plan is a better alternative. Although this option consumes more energy, it prioritizes performance and should make your system run faster.

Source: HowtoGeek

You may set up your own unique plan in addition to the usual ones. Create a power plan by going to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options. Choose whatever current plan you’d want to start with, give your new plan a name, and click Next.

Basic choices include the length of time the display remains on while you’re not using it and how long the computer stays awake before going to sleep. These won’t have much of an influence on your computer’s performance, but if you click to Change advanced power settings, you can make further changes that will.

11. Install more RAM

An older computer may lack enough Random Access Memory (RAM) to operate newer software. Furthermore, if you run multiple programs at the same time, you may not have sufficient RAM to get by. Installing fresh RAM might provide the boost you need. Thankfully, this doesn’t cost so much these days.

Source: Bleuwire

12. Replace your hard drive with a solid-state drive (SSD)

Solid-state drives (SSDs) differ from regular hard drives in that they do not have any moving parts. This increases their efficiency and, as a result, their speed. SSDs are now more affordable as well.

Source: Newegg

However, there is a need for caution when upgrading your hard drive to SSD. This requires removing your computer’s case and messing with power and data cords. If you’re not sure of what you’re doing, we suggest hiring a professional to install the drive for you.

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WhatsApp

As disclosed on its official blog last year, WhatsApp has stopped support for some of the devices that it said it would stop supporting from the end of 2016. Users of some of the other device types on which the messaging app was previously announced to stop working from the beginning of this year will have few more months of grace to enjoy it before being cut off as well.

The devices that are affected at this time include iPhone 3GS and other devices running iOS 6, Android 2.2 (or earlier) and Windows Phone 7 operating systems.

Following the earlier announcement of planned suspension of support, the messaging app company announced that it would extend support for certain devices through the end of June 2017, from the earlier end of 2016. Those using BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry OS, Nokia Symbian S60, and Nokia S40 will still have grace of about six additional months to use the service before the door will be shut on them as well.

The implication of this to you, as a user, is that you now need to mind the devices you buy. This is important if WhatsApp happens to be one of your favorite apps. You risk not being able to use the messaging app for long, or at all, when you buy a device for which support has ended or is about to end. It is particularly important to have this in mind when buying used mobile devices, whether foreign or Nigerian.

Blackberry and Nokia smartphone operating systems were the kings of the market when WhatsApp was launched years ago. They powered more than two-thirds of smart devices at the time. But both have now faded almost into oblivion. Nearly all devices on the market currently use Android, iOS or Windows OS.

WhatsApp, perhaps, considered it unnecessary work creating app versions for platforms not used by many people these days. The company cannot be faulted on those grounds at all. These old devices are also said to be incapable of handling the new features that would be introduced into the app in time to come.

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