Not many people consider a computer service for their hardware. Whilst a computer does not wear out in the same way as a car would, there are reasons why a computer service can be just as important to a PC.
There are many misconceptions when it comes to computers and how best to keep them running at their best performance.
Some are that a computer wears out over time and becomes slower at performing the same task or deliberately slow down or have built in obsolescence to encourage the purchase of a new one.
The three main reasons why a computer appears to slow down over the years are:
- Applications loaded
- Computer service or maintenance needed
- Change in your requirements from your PC
I will now detail why they would be the reasons for the perceived slowdown and how a service & healthcheck can address them.
Performance Chart
Applications
Applications loaded on your PC take up space and often have background processes which run invisibly to make them more user friendly or respond faster. The more applications you have loaded on your PC, the heavier the burden is on your PC. You may find half of the applications on your PC aren’t even used and can be removed, especially if your computer was pre-loaded with trial offers and alike. Others, you may not even know are there. These hidden applications often sneak onto your PC with others you have loaded. Worse than all of these, your computer may be infected with a virus or other malware. A service and healthcheck would search for potentially unwanted applications, malware and applications you no longer use. These would then be removed to give your computer more resources to play with!
CPU Heatsink Before & After
Computer service or maintenance needed
The most common cause for computer failure and best reason to get a computer service is dust! Every home has it and computers attract it like a magnet. If the cooling vents and fans in your PC are blocked up, your PC will get too hot and either slow down (like decelerating in a car) to keep cool, or it will just overheat and fail. This is especially important with laptops, with smaller cooling fans and apertures. A service & healthcheck will including cleaning the cooling fans and vents to keep them working efficiently and your PC running at full speed. This, with an inspection and test of the hardware can pick up on impending failures before they happen.
Change In Needs
Over time, the expectations from your computer hardware can change. When it was new, you may have just used it for the basics of surfing the web, emails & writing letters. Now, you may find
you watch videos online, play games or even Skype on your PC. If your increased needs need more resources and you haven’t kept your PC up to spec, it can feel like it is struggling and needs to be replaced. A healthcheck can indicate areas where your PC is struggling and may benefit from a couple of upgrades. A simple upgrade of RAM and the hard drive to a solid state model (no moving parts, faster performance) can often work miracles and have your PC performing like a new one.