Laptop Running Slowly? Common Causes
4 min read
A slow laptop is frustrating but often fixable. This guide covers the most common causes — and when an upgrade beats a repair.
A slow laptop is one of the most common complaints we hear — and it is usually very fixable. The cause can be hardware, software, or both.
Common causes
- An ageing hard drive (HDD) — the single biggest cause of slow laptops.
- Not enough RAM for modern software.
- A nearly full storage drive.
- Malware or background programs using up resources.
- An outdated or corrupted operating system.
- Overheating forcing the processor to slow down.
The upgrade that changes everything
Replacing an old hard drive with an SSD is the most effective upgrade you can make. Combined with more RAM, it can make an old laptop feel new again — for far less than the cost of replacing it.
When it is software
If the hardware is fine, a virus removal or a fresh operating system install can restore performance. We diagnose whether your slowdown is hardware or software before recommending anything.
Book an SSD and RAM upgrade or a laptop repair at our Sandton workshop.
Related Repairs
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