Why do computers start to slow down over time?
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There’s many different things at play here, but here’s just a few.
First and foremost, your software programs become more demanding over time, while your computer’s physical hardware stays the same. As software is updated and made more complex, your hardware falls behind because it’s still the same old hardware running new and more complex software.
Another major factor is *how much* software you’ve installed over time. Lots of programs run automatically when you start your computer, and many users have a tendency to install many programs over the years and never uninstall them. They build up over time, and eventually your computer will have to launch a couple dozen programs every time you turn it on, and keep them all running in the background while you use your computer.
There’s other more subtle factors as well.
Battery powered devices like cell phones are often designed to intentionally slow down as the battery ages, to prevent situations where the old battery can’t supply enough power to drive the phone. If you’ve seen an old phone that randomly turns off even though it still has some battery remaining, that’s what happens when the battery can no longer support the device at its full speed.
Devices with cooling fans such as laptops, computers, and gaming consoles also fall to another culprit — dust. Over time, dust will pile up on the cooling vents and block the flow of air through your fans. This makes it harder for your computer to stay cool. Over time, as your computer gets hotter and hotter, it will start to slow itself down to prevent heat damage to its components. This is especially common with gaming; cooling is very important because the computer is working very hard.
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