Why do computers become slow after a while, even after factory reset or hard disk formatting?
In: Technology
I’m editing in a summary…
## ELI5 summary
Your old computer can probably run nearly as fast as it ever could. Some hardware components can wear down or suffer from errors with time, but that’s likely not the issue. Go plug in your 1990’s video gaming consoles – they can still play games designed for them. Instead, the major issue is that you’re no longer using an old computer to run old programs. Modern programs and websites aren’t designed for your old hardware, so your computer will struggle to run them, leading to slower performance.
—
## original post
A lot of answers are addressing software bloat issues, but OP assumes the computer has a slowdown after a factory reset. So, let’s roll with that assumption.
The main issue will be the modernization of the software you’ll choose to run off the reformatted machine. If you’re running 1990’s software on your 1990’s laptop, there shouldn’t be an issue. But chances are you’re not. Newer software is made with the intention of running on newer hardware. This applies to browsing the web as well. For example, modern sites load more background scripts nowadays.
The answer could involve hardware degradation, but probably not your CPU or RAM. CPU’s, for example, are built to last and don’t have much redundancy, so any transistor failure will likely result in a crash.
Your HDD or SSD storage, on the other hand, do degrade with use.
HDD’s can wear down ~~as the mechanical arm makes more and more passes over the disk~~ (edit: I used haphazard wording here. Your drive can develop bad sectors. The effect is typically minimal but in a very damaged case could be massive. See comments.)
SSD’s store data as charge in different cells, whose lining definitely wears with charge transfer. Read and write speeds will then take more time, as your computer accounts for errors from faulty cells. Still, this wear takes a while to accumulate.
You could swap your drive for a newer one to see if it helps… and it probably will, but mostly because of improved drive technology.
edit: There could also be a psychological perspective. You’ve undoubtedly used other machines. Your experience with, say, your brand new smart phone could clash with your experience on a machine whose hardware is no longer explicitly supported by developers.
The main culprit, though, is the additional load on your hardware that modern programs require. Old machines can’t cut it.
Latest Answers