Do computers get slow......?

Zascar · 13-08-2009 12:10pm #1

* I always thought that no matter how old or slow a computer gets, if you wipe it and reinstall the OS, it should be just as quick as the day it came out of the box. Is this true or do they degrade / get slower when they are 3+ years old?

My PC at home is probably 5 years old, I wipe it every 6 months or so and its still fine, but my work PC and one other, seem to be grinding to a halt, despite a recent reinstall on both…

So, do they?

kaimera · 13-08-2009 12:13pm

They get heavy the more data you put on them

Could be some parts suffering 'wear and tear'

KTRIC · 13-08-2009 12:16pm

I usually just oil and replace the spigot every couple of months and it runs fine. Never had a problem with it slowing down

marco_polo · 13-08-2009 12:20pm

It is possible that the some hardware perhaps the HDD is beginning to creak a little. It is the same OS as was first installed 5 years ago? If not it may just be that every newer OS version needs a little more computing power than the previous (although Vista and Win 7 seem to be an exception to this rule thankfully) and is a little too much for some older PCs.

Final answer, I'm not sure.;)

Overheal · 13-08-2009 3:14pm

Reformats and Dusting. Components need cleaning over time. Dust is a heat issue and a big component stress factor.

That, and programs from 2009 are not optimized to run in the parameters of hardware from 1999. When I format XP on my uncles old Win2k machine, its zzzzzippy. Then by the time youve added Avast and Spybot, its almost at a halt.

BadCharlie · 13-08-2009 4:18pm

Don't think computer gets slower the more you use it, well maybe a very very very tiny bit. Its more to do with the harddrive been filled with crap and cleaning it does help.

But over the years that u have it, you put newer software on the computer which requires a faster computer to run then the one you have. Makes the computre feel slower even though its just as fast as the day you bought it 5 years ago.

The only thing that i can think can slow down your computer or the major factor would be a harddirve. And over time im sure they do go slower.

wolfric · 13-08-2009 4:22pm

From a usage point of view: no

From a scientific point of view yes: Certain parts break down and "wear and tear". A simple example is that a certain part of your hard drive might get corrupted and your pc might automaticly spend time fixing it or recovering data.

I don't think it's even remotly noticable unless you benchmark it intensivly.

mark renton · 13-08-2009 4:25pm

Do computers get slow……?

Could be your just looking at it a bit quicker

mack81 · 13-08-2009 4:28pm

What colour is it?

leeroybrown · 13-08-2009 4:34pm

It is possible for an ageing computer to be come measurably slower due to a failing hard drive (slow i/o) or failing cooling (processor down-clocking). I was looking at one old PC recently that had become slow - in reality it just wasn't getting enough cooling and the processor was having to run at reduced clock speed. Most older computers have fairly close to the original hardware performance they had when they were new.

The big problem is software. Pretty much every major release of any piece of software makes it more processor intensive. A five year old computer is struggling with a modern web browser or full-HD video let alone all the other stuff that's running unseen on most modern computers. Someone may thing that they're putting it back to day one with a re-install but most of the applications they're running are far heavier than they were when they first started using them.

zod · 13-08-2009 8:00pm

question better phrased like this ? :

EXACT same software on a PC new and 5 years old ( using imaging software ) .. will the PC performance be the same after 5 years of hard use.

Logically no!?

An Fear Aniar · 13-08-2009 8:52pm

Do Macs suffer from the same slowdown that you get in Windows PCs?

.

Overheal · 13-08-2009 8:56pm

Same ****, different Operating System. Theres nothing physically special about macs. No flux capacitors or master control crystals.

Zulu · 13-08-2009 9:01pm

No master control crystal?!? What the fu(k is this then?

PogMoThoin · 13-08-2009 9:05pm

Your Windows pc will always slow with time as the OS thats originally on it is nothing like the patched and service packed version You end up with over time. You also need to keep a windows pc decluttered

Take for instance a 5 year old Pentium 4 pc running Windows Xp, this could have easily ran XP on 256-512MB ram when originally bought, after 3 service packs for XP its barely able to run on 512MB, would struggle. Also the software running would also have been patched and upgraded, Internet Explorer from version 6 to latest version 8, Windows Media Player from version 9 to latest version 11 etc etc. which all require much more memory.

Overheal · 13-08-2009 9:49pm

Incidentally though:

http://gizmodo.com/5334818/there-are-levels-of-survival-windows-7-is-prepared-to-accept

edit: comments in link are hilarious

netwhizkid · 13-08-2009 11:50pm

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Your Windows pc will always slow with time as the OS thats originally on it is nothing like the patched and service packed version You end up with over time. You also need to keep a windows pc decluttered

Take for instance a 5 year old Pentium 4 pc running Windows Xp, this could have easily ran XP on 256-512MB ram when originally bought, after 3 service packs for XP its barely able to run on 512MB, would struggle. Also the software running would also have been patched and upgraded, Internet Explorer from version 6 to latest version 8, Windows Media Player from version 9 to latest version 11 etc etc. which all require much more memory.

Totally agree, I added an extra 2 gigs to my 2005 Dell Dimension 8400 which is 3.4Ghz Pentium 4 and on XP SP3 and it gave it a great boost altogether. My computer is absolutely littered with rubbish and of a 250GB Harddrive I have 930MB free! (awaiting 1TB additional drive) to try and consolidate all the stuff I have had to farm out to the laptop and various external harddrives and DVDs.

It is still my workhorse after 4.5 years (considering I paid like €1500) and had a 4 year warranty up until last January so I am happy with it.

It has not had windows reinstalled since 2007 and I am dreading having to do it when the new hardrive arrives as I have so much stuff to reinstall and arrange things like before, last time I did it, it took me almost a day!

AlmightyCushion · 14-08-2009 12:36am

netwhizkid wrote: »

Totally agree, I added an extra 2 gigs to my 2005 Dell Dimension 8400 which is 3.4Ghz Pentium 4 and on XP SP3 and it gave it a great boost altogether. My computer is absolutely littered with rubbish and of a 250GB Harddrive I have 930MB free! (awaiting 1TB additional drive) to try and consolidate all the stuff I have had to farm out to the laptop and various external harddrives and DVDs.

It is still my workhorse after 4.5 years (considering I paid like €1500) and had a 4 year warranty up until last January so I am happy with it.

It has not had windows reinstalled since 2007 and I am dreading having to do it when the new hardrive arrives as I have so much stuff to reinstall and arrange things like before, last time I did it, it took me almost a day!

You could still use your 250GB as the boot drive and just use the 1TB for data. I'd say the 1TB would a bit faster than the old 250GB though.

netwhizkid · 14-08-2009 12:46am

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

You could still use your 250GB as the boot drive and just use the 1TB for data. I'd say the 1TB would a bit faster than the old 250GB though.

Problem is I partitioned my 250gig Hardrive and my C: drive where Windows is located is almost full wheras most my stuff is on

I haven't used Partion Magic or anything so am not to well up on joining partitions.

I'd prefer to do a clean install anyway, its like visiting the dentists, you don't want to do it but sooner or later you just have no choice. :rolleyes:

AlmightyCushion · 14-08-2009 12:50am

netwhizkid wrote: »

Problem is I partitioned my 250gig Hardrive and my C: drive where Windows is located is almost full wheras most my stuff is on I haven't used Partion Magic or anything so am not to well up on joining partitions.

I'd prefer to do a clean install anyway, its like visiting the dentists, you don't want to do it but sooner or later you just have no choice. :rolleyes:

Lol. Good analogy.

NullZer0 · 14-08-2009 1:00am

Is the work PC on a domain?

Overheal · 14-08-2009 1:36am

mack81 wrote: »

What colour is it?

Good point. If its red it goes 1" faster every movement phase.

Do computers get slow......?

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