5 Laptop Hacks to Make it Faster

If you feel frustrated with your slow laptop, you are not alone. In such situations, you have two options: either you can get a new laptop as per your need, whether it's for your professional work, gaming, content creation, or everyday use. However, another option is to try these proven hacks that could make your current laptop feel significantly faster. In this guide, we have listed a few effective laptop hacks that you can try to avoid performance issues and extend your laptop's lifespan.

Why This Matters?

A few simple changes can improve Windows laptop performance, speed up everyday tasks, and even extend your laptop's lifespan. Knowing these hacks can also help you avoid unnecessary repairs or spending money on a new device before it's actually needed.

Best Laptop Hacks to Boost Performance and Battery Life

1. Close Background Apps and Processes

Users can speed up their laptops simply by closing unnecessary programs running in the background.

Here's how to do it:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open Task Manager.

• Go to the Processes tab.

• Sort by CPU or Memory usage (click on the column header).

• Look for apps using high resources that you are not actively using.

• Right-click on them and select End Task.

Pro Tip: Users need to be careful not to close important system processes (anything with "Windows" or "Antimalware" in the name). If users are unsure, Google the process name first. Notably, by doing this regularly, users can free up a huge amount of RAM and CPU power to make laptop faster in just minutes.

2. Switch to High Performance Power Mode

It is worth noting that Windows usually runs a laptop in Balanced mode by default in order to save battery. However, switching to High Performance mode might drain the laptop's battery, but it can give a noticeable boost in speed and responsiveness.

Here's how to do it:

• Users can right-click on the battery icon in the taskbar and select Power & Battery Settings, or they can simply go to Windows Settings, then System, and then Power & Battery.

• Following this, users can change it from Balanced to Best Performance under Power Mode.

Pro Tip: Users can use Best Performance mode when the laptop is plugged in or when they need maximum speed. It is advised to switch back to Balanced or Power Saver when running on battery to extend usage time.

3. Free Up Disk Space

Keeping a nearly full or a full drive significantly affects the laptop's performance. Therefore, it is advised to keep at least 20 to 25 percent free space on the C: drive as Windows needs free space to work efficiently.

Here's how to do it:

• Search for Disk Cleanup in the Windows search bar and open it.

• Select the C: drive and click OK.

• Check all the boxes -- especially Temporary files, Recycle Bin, and System files -- and click Clean up system files.

• Alternatively, go to Settings, then System, and then Storage, and turn on Storage Sense.

Pro Tip: After cleaning, restart the laptop. There will be an immediate improvement in responsiveness.

4. Use Storage Sense and Uninstall Bloatware

There are several laptops that come preloaded with unwanted manufacturer apps, which are called bloatware. These apps run in the background, consume RAM/CPU, and slow the system down.

Here's how to clean it up:

• Go to Settings, then System, and then Storage.

• Turn on Storage Sense as it automatically deletes temporary files and manages storage.

• Then go to Settings, then Apps, and then Installed apps.

• Sort by size or name, and uninstall any apps they don't need.

Pro Tip: If a user is not sure about an app, search its name and "safe to remove" on Google. Clearing bloatware can significantly reduce background load and improve overall speed.

5. Keep Drivers and Windows Updated

Outdated drivers -- especially GPU drivers -- are one of the silent killers of laptop performance. They can cause stuttering, lower FPS, and overall sluggishness. Therefore, users need to keep their drivers and Windows updated.

Here's how to do it:

• For NVIDIA GPUs: Open GeForce Experience, then the Drivers tab, and then Check for updates.

• For AMD GPUs: Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, and then Check for updates.

• For Windows and other drivers: Go to Settings, then Windows Update, and click Check for updates.

• Use laptop manufacturer's software - ASUS (Armoury Crate), MSI (MSI Center), Lenovo (Lenovo Vantage), Dell (Dell SupportAssist), and HP (HP Support Assistant)

Pro Tip: Set Windows Update and GPU software to check for updates automatically. Updating the graphics driver alone can give a noticeable boost in gaming performance and stability.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Next Steps

If these hacks don't improve your laptop's performance, it may be time for an upgrade. You can explore our guides on Best Gaming Laptops Under Rs 1 Lakh, Best Creator Laptops for Video Editing and Design, Best Laptops Under Rs 70,000, and Best Travel-Friendly Laptops to compare the best options for your needs. If you're looking to save money on your next purchase, don't miss our Flipkart Big Bachat Days Sale on laptops guide for the latest deals and discounts.