A laptop that once felt snappy now crawls through basic tasks. Applications take forever to launch, the cursor lags, and every action requires patience you don't have. Before you resign yourself to buying a new machine, try these optimisations—many slow laptops can be revived to feel nearly new.
Diagnosing the Problem
Before applying fixes, identify what's actually wrong. Open Task Manager (Windows: Ctrl+Shift+Esc) or Activity Monitor (Mac: Applications > Utilities) and observe:
- CPU at 100%: A program is hogging processing power
- Memory maxed out: You need more RAM or fewer programs running
- Disk at 100%: Storage is the bottleneck (common with old hard drives)
- High GPU usage: Graphics-intensive tasks or malware
Understanding which component is struggling guides your optimisation efforts. Fixing the wrong thing wastes time and may not help at all.
Quick Wins: Immediate Improvements
These fixes take minutes and often provide noticeable improvements:
1. Restart Your Laptop
It sounds obvious, but many people rarely fully restart their laptops, using sleep mode instead. A proper restart clears temporary files, resets memory, and closes lingering processes. Restart weekly at minimum.
2. Close Background Applications
Check your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac) for applications running in the background. Close anything you're not actively using. Common culprits include cloud sync clients, messaging apps, and antivirus programs running scans.
3. Limit Browser Tabs
Web browsers with many open tabs consume significant memory—each tab is essentially a small application. If you're a tab hoarder, use browser extensions like OneTab to save and close tabs you're not actively using.
4. Disable Startup Programs
Too many programs launching at startup slow boot times and consume resources constantly:
- Windows: Task Manager > Startup tab > Disable unnecessary items
- macOS: System Settings > General > Login Items > Remove unnecessary items
System Optimisations
These adjustments improve overall system efficiency:
5. Update Your Operating System
System updates often include performance optimisations and bug fixes. An outdated OS may have known issues that newer versions have resolved. Run Windows Update or macOS Software Update and install all available updates.
6. Free Up Storage Space
When storage approaches full capacity, systems slow dramatically. Aim to keep at least 15-20% of your drive free:
- Delete files you no longer need, especially large videos and old downloads
- Empty the Recycle Bin/Trash—deleted files still occupy space until emptied
- Use built-in cleanup tools: Windows Storage Sense or macOS Optimise Storage
- Uninstall applications you don't use
7. Scan for Malware
Malware can consume resources while running in the background. Run a full system scan with Windows Defender or your preferred antivirus software. Consider a second-opinion scan with Malwarebytes (free version) for additional assurance.
Avoid "PC cleaner" software that promises to speed up your computer. Many are scams that install additional unwanted software or provide minimal real benefit. Built-in OS tools are safer and more effective.
8. Adjust Visual Effects
Windows' visual effects—animations, transparency, shadows—consume resources. Reducing them can help on older hardware:
- Search for "performance" in Windows Settings
- Click "Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows"
- Select "Adjust for best performance" or customise individual effects
9. Check Power Settings
Power-saving modes reduce performance to conserve battery. When plugged in, ensure your laptop is set to high performance:
- Windows: Settings > System > Power & Battery > Power mode > Best performance
- macOS: System Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode > Off (when plugged in)
Hardware Upgrades
If software optimisations don't help enough, these upgrades can transform an old laptop:
10. Upgrade to an SSD
If your laptop still has a traditional hard drive (HDD), replacing it with a solid-state drive (SSD) provides the single biggest performance improvement possible—often making an old laptop feel new. Boot times, application launches, and file operations become dramatically faster.
SSDs are affordable (250GB models start around $50 AUD) and installation is straightforward on many laptops. Check if your model supports user-upgradeable storage.
11. Add More RAM
If you frequently see memory usage at 90%+ in Task Manager, more RAM helps. Upgrading from 8GB to 16GB allows more applications and browser tabs without slowdown. Check your laptop's specifications for maximum supported RAM and upgrade process.
Before upgrading, verify your laptop supports user upgrades. Many modern ultrabooks have soldered RAM and storage that cannot be changed. Check your specific model on manufacturer documentation or sites like iFixit.
12. Clean Internal Components
Dust accumulation causes overheating, which triggers thermal throttling—your CPU slowing down to prevent damage. If your laptop runs hot and loud, internal cleaning (or professional cleaning) may restore performance. See our overheating guide for details.
When to Consider a New Laptop
Sometimes a laptop is genuinely too old to revive effectively. Consider replacement when:
- The laptop is more than 6-7 years old with non-upgradeable components
- Repair/upgrade costs approach or exceed half the cost of a suitable new laptop
- The operating system is no longer receiving security updates
- Performance needs have genuinely exceeded hardware capabilities
However, don't assume age alone necessitates replacement. A 5-year-old laptop with an SSD upgrade and clean install often performs better than a new budget model. Evaluate actual performance after optimisation, not assumptions.
Prevention: Keeping It Fast
Once you've restored performance, maintain it:
- Restart weekly to clear accumulated cruft
- Keep 20%+ storage free at all times
- Review installed programs quarterly and uninstall unused ones
- Keep the OS and applications updated
- Avoid installing unnecessary browser extensions
- Run antivirus scans monthly
A slow laptop doesn't have to mean a new purchase. With systematic diagnosis and targeted fixes, many sluggish machines can be restored to responsive, productive tools. The time investment is minimal compared to the cost of premature replacement.