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With Intel’s unveiling of the Core i7-980X Extreme processor last week, the race in the technology sector to create faster computers continues. Many people still rely on machines that, while only a few years old, are ancient by modern computer standards. And though most of these computers don’t run nearly as well as their newer counterparts, plenty can be salvaged. Here are a few tips to make your computer run faster.

The most obvious reason that some older computers don’t respond as well is that often their hardware does not meet their software’s needs. In their efforts to make a profit, computer manufacturers have been known to build machines with the absolute minimum hardware specifications needed to run the provided operating system. As a result, those computers may only run well for a short time before slowing down significantly. So check to see if your computer meets your operating system’s requirements (this can be done by right-clicking on My Computer or Computer and choosing Properties). For those using Windows XP, the major sticking point for performance is the amount of memory, or RAM, your system has. Windows XP works best with at least 512 MB (megabytes) of RAM. Similarly, Windows Vista and Windows 7 should be running on a dual-core processor, with at least 2 GB (gigabytes) of RAM and a video card with dedicated graphics memory. Any computer with a “Graphics Media Accelerator” or something similar will use the computer’s system RAM instead of dedicated graphics memory for graphics, decreasing the amount available for other applications. If your computer does not meet the needs of its operating system, contact the manufacturer about upgrading the RAM or graphics card.

While hardware plays a significant role in computer performance, many times the biggest reason that not-so-old machines run slowly is software. Out of all the headaches that PCs are infamous for, the most frustrating is just how much of a computer’s resources are taken up by programs running in the background. These programs range from antivirus software, which must be constantly scanning to keep out the thousands of viruses waiting to attack over the Internet at any second, to simple, unnecessary programs for managing printers.

Regardless of their function, however, most applications running in the background will show up as an icon in the right side of the taskbar (in the bottom-right hand corner of the screen). Right-clicking on one of these icons usually gives an option for settings or properties, which if opened can be used to stop the program from running in the background. I would definitely recommend doing this for most programs that came pre-installed on your computer (HP and Dell do this all the time), as they are most often designed to make using your computer easier but just end up getting in the way.

Likewise, the toolbars put out by Google and Yahoo, among others, that sit below the address bar in Internet Explorer are completely unnecessary and actually slow your computer’s loading of web pages. As far as antivirus software goes, it is undoubtedly necessary for any computer running Microsoft Windows. But some antivirus software slows down your computer much more than others. The two suites I always recommend are Avast (www.avast.com), a free antivirus program that I use on my own computer, and Microsoft Security Essentials (http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/), also free. Neither seems to slow down a computer as much as other widely-known software like McAfee and Norton, yet still provide better antivirus protection.

Even after hours of upgrading and tweaking your computer, the easiest way to make it run faster lies in how you use it. Always try to keep as few windows open as possible, and do not leave windows open over long periods of time. Also, turn your computer off when you’re not using it. This not only conserves power but gives your machine a fresh start every time you use it. Computers, after all, need rest just like people, and sometimes Sleep mode isn’t enough to keep up with the race.