How to speed up the CPU
Are you working on your thesis and the PC is so slow that you want to write it by hand? Or, more generally, for some time the computer has been responding less quickly than usual and you suspect that the CPU is responsible for everything? If so, let me help you deal with the problem as much as possible.
If you want some “tips” on how to speed up the CPU before thinking about a replacement or a hardware upgrade of your computer (which will have to happen sooner or later anyway!), Let me explain what you can do to try to “revive” the entire operating system.
Do not worry: even if manual skills are not your strong point, you can give a boost of energy to your computer’s CPU through software, by acting on the operating system settings and using programs designed for the purpose. Of course, miracles cannot be done, especially if your computer’s CPU is now obsolete, but at least a minimum the situation should improve. Happy reading and good luck for everything!
Index
- How to speed up your PC CPU
- How to speed up the CPU without overclocking
- How to speed up the CPU with overclocking
- Other useful solutions
- How to speed up your Mac’s CPU
- How to speed up the Android CPU
How to speed up your PC CPU
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is often referred to as “the brain of the computer” and, although inflated, it is a perfect figure: it is, in fact, the component that gives the instructions to the rest of the hardware, for example the RAM, to work; and its slowdowns cause a general slowness of the machine.
Mind you: CPU slowdowns aren’t always anomalous. If, for example, you are using a video game or video editing program, slowing down your computer is completely normal. On the other hand, when, at least as far as you know, you are not making use of software that is expensive in terms of hardware resources, and the computer is not lean and snappy, there is some problem to be solved. This is where this tutorial comes into play.
There are several techniques to speed up the CPU: some consist of measures implemented by the operating system, such as the identification and consequent closure of processes that are making excessive use of the processor; others involve the use of special software, designed specifically to optimize the use of the processor.
Overclocking deserves a separate chapter: a practice, not really within everyone’s reach, which allows you to push the CPU beyond the limits set by the manufacturer by acting on the computer’s BIOS. I’ll tell you more about it later. But now let’s go in order and start with the “lighter” solutions.
How to speed up the CPU without overclocking
Here are some methods to speed up the CPU without overclocking, which are simple to implement and do not present any risks to system stability.
Limit the processes that consume more CPU
As easily understood, the first thing to do is to identify the processes that consume more CPU and eventually close them.
To start, right-click on the Windows taskbar (the one with the Start button) and select the Task Manager item from the context menu. In the window that opens, if necessary, click on the option to show more details and go to the Processes tab.
What you see is the list of operating system processes and applications currently active. The left column shows the name of the activity in progress while on the right, in order, there is the column called Status in which there are any information, then find the percentage of CPU used by each single process; followed by the amount of RAM expressed in megabytes, then the writing and reading activities that each single process performs on the disk and, in the last column on the right, the amount of network traffic required by each single activity carried out by the operating system.
If there were anomalous processes, the percentage of the CPU used would jump to very high values, often even at 100% . If you notice processes with these characteristics, Google their identity and, if they are not essential system processes for the functioning of Windows, close them. If it is a program, you can close it directly from its window; if it does not respond or does not have a window to call up, you can act from the Task Manager by right-clicking on the name of the process and choosing the item End task from the menu that opens.
When a process is giving the computer a hard time, an eloquent message appears in the Status column (the one immediately to the right of the name of active processes) such as, for example, “the application is not responding”. In short, impossible to go wrong.
Disable unnecessary programs at startup
When you turn on your PC, programs run and, in all likelihood, you use some of them sporadically. In addition to loading the CPU, they also have an impact on the RAM and, therefore, cause a general slowdown of the system.
To avoid unnecessarily burdening the performance of your computer, I’ll explain how to disable unnecessary applications in automatic startup. Open Task Manager by right clicking on the Windows taskbar and selecting the appropriate item from the context menu.
Now go to the Startup tab and locate the unnecessary processes. There is no definitive rule for managing software startups, as your computer runs a variable number of programs at start-up, depending on the ones it has installed on the hard drive. The selection principle is therefore elastic but, in principle, leaves everything that has to do with security in the Enabled state, therefore, for example, Windows Security notification icon (which is linked to the checks carried out by Windows Defender ). If you have other security suites installed, then it is worth leaving the related service enabled on startup. Likewise, if you use cloud services like Google Drive or one drive , you should let them run when your computer starts.
In principle, all the programs that you do not use daily can be placed in the Disabled state (if they are not already) by right-clicking on the activity that you do not want to be performed when the PC starts up and choosing the Disable item from the contextual menu. If in doubt, you can choose Search online for additional information on the related activity.
Disable background applications
Windows 10 and later make discreet use of native applications, such as the calculator or the Maps application. The default settings provide that all of them can be updated even when they are not actively used and that part of these can send notifications. All work that burdens, once again, on CPU and RAM (little, but still burdens us).
To disable its operation in the background, simply click on the Start button (the Windows flag) and select the Settings item (the one represented by a gear ) from the menu that opens. In the next window, go to Privacy, then to Background apps (from the left menu) and disable the apps you deem unnecessary.
Also in this case there is no precise rule. My advice is to leave the Microsoft Store and Windows Security background activities running. Applications Cortana, Camera and My phone can be left active if you treat it. The same goes for other applications that you use quite frequently. The rest can be deactivated by clicking on the switch to the right of each single application listed.
Programs to speed up the CPU
After having done some manual interventions to relieve the CPU of some tasks that are delegated to it by the operating system, I want to talk to you about some programs to speed up the CPU, which can do for you: one of these is CPUBalance.
If you have never heard of it, it is a program that takes care of restoring the workloads assigned to the CPU, according to automatic rules but that you can also change at will (if you know where to put your hands). The algorithm on which this software is based prioritizes the applications you are using, making sure that all other processes running at the moment stress the CPU as little as possible.
CPUBalance is free, but it is available in a Pro version that includes automatic updates and allows you to support the work of developers: it costs 8.43 euros per year.
You can download CPUBalance from the manufacturer’s website by scrolling the page until you identify the blue Download CPUBalance button, click on it and wait for the download to finish. When the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and click on Yes, OK, then on Accept, Next and Install, to complete the setup.
Now, start the program, click on the Yes button and adjust everything as you like. The default settings, in my opinion, are acceptable: when a process you are not using takes up more than 20% of the CPU, the software adjusts its requests below that threshold but never below 4% because otherwise the process would risk or freeze or terminate abnormally.
The fact that this program comes into action when the total processor load is greater than 11% makes it practically always active because it is enough to have opened a small number of applications to reach this percentage of workload.
The only option I recommend you change is the one related to disabling the software when you are not using the PC. To do this, click on the ProBalance Options menu, then on Advanced Options and, at the bottom of the window that opens, check the Disable ProBalance when the PC is inactive box, selecting a minute from the drop-down menu that you find immediately below (I recommend you set it to 5 minutes) and then clicking on the OK and Save changes buttons.
This will also allow you to save battery if you use a laptop. Seen? Nothing particularly complicated.
How to speed up the CPU with overclocking
Are you looking for a method to “squeeze” your computer’s CPU? Then you should consider overclocking.
To understand what it is, you need to know that the processor works at a speed, called clock frequency, which today is expressed in GHz and which measures the amount of cycles performed every second. To give you a practical example, if your computer’s processor has a clock rate of 3 GHz, it means that it runs 3 billion cycles per second.
The manufacturer sets a speed that it believes can be reached by the hardware it produces without damaging it, therefore a frequency below the real possibilities that guarantee its safety.
Overclocking means exceeding the clock frequency and making the hardware more performing. Are you wondering if it is safe to overclock a processor? A precise question to which I can honestly answer yes, but within certain parameters. There are many myths about overclocking, suspended halfway between popular legend and the heroic deeds of “geeks” that tend to magnify the experiences made.
Over the years, CPUs have become more and more performing and it is true that overclocking reduces their life cycle. Equally true, considering the pace at which hardware evolves, it is very likely that you will change computers before it comes to its natural end. What remains unchanged is that putting stress on the CPU to make it perform at its maximum increases its heating, and raising the temperature in the PC case too much can damage various components.
Nowadays it is almost impossible to “break” an overclocked processor because if something does not work properly, the computer will continue to restart or display the infamous Blue Screen Of Death, the blue screen through which the operating system communicates that something it’s not going the right way.
There are several ways to overclock the processor: there are specific software that takes care of it or, if you feel like it, you can intervene directly on the BIOS / UEFI of the PC (which, in case of problems, you can easily reset ).
If you want to know everything about overclocking, I invite you to read this tutorial that will satisfy all your curiosities about it and will give you the right “tips” to get started.
Other useful solutions
After having done a bit of tuning to the computer’s CPU, the result does not satisfy you? Does your computer still seem slow to you? Then I have another series of solutions to offer you.
The CPU may not be the only cause of computer slowness. The RAM, the hard disk and file fragmentation, the graphics card settings, the presence of malware or viruses, the driver or not updated the operating system and more may be responsible.
It is not a conspiracy against you, the computer does not want you badly. Even the most experienced users tend to underestimate the importance of routine maintenance.
If you want to know more, this tutorial is for you, showing you simple operations that will solve any situation, even those that seem desperate.
How to speed up your Mac’s CPU
Wondering if something can be done for your Mac’s CPU as well? The answer, between good rules of use and a little maintenance, is affirmative.
The first thing I recommend you do is check which software is possibly putting a strain on the CPU. You can do this by clicking on the icon with the colored squares on the Dock bar. Then click on the Other folder and then open Activity Monitor, an application that shows the list of processes running on the Mac.
To view the list of processes that consume the most CPU, select the CPU tab at the top, then press the % CPU tab, to make sure you sort the processes according to the processor load used in real-time.
Now, check the processes for a few minutes and, if you notice any “suspicious” ones that consume a lot of CPU (eg over 90%) for a long time, google what it refers to and, if it is not an important process system or an application you are using and need, terminate it.
To do this in a “clean” way, open the program referenced by the process to be terminated, click on its name in the menu bar (top left) and select the option Exit [application name] . Read more here. If the program does not respond or does not have a visible window, you must close it via Activity Monitor: click on its name, then on the [X] icon at the top left and, finally, on the Exit button. Read more here.
You can also save RAM by limiting the number of applications that are launched when you turn on your Mac. A quick operation that you can perform by clicking on the System Preferences icon (the one that looks like a gear that you find on the Dock bar ) and then clicking on the Users and groups icon. From here, you need to select your user profile in the left part of the window and, this time in the right part of the window, click on the Login Items tab.
What you get back is the list of software that runs with the operating system. Select the one you want not to run automatically (making sure it is not important to you or to the functioning of the system) and click on the [-] button located at the bottom left. If you want to deepen the topic you can do it here.
What about overclocking? Given the “closure” of both software and hardware of Apple computers, it is not a matter that is worth dealing with: basically, if one chooses to use a Mac it is because he wants an already super optimized computer that does not require operations such as overclocking to give the best of oneself.
How to speed up the Android CPU
And with Android, how do we put it? Is it possible to overclock the CPU of a smartphone or tablet equipped with the “green robot” operating system? The answer is yes: you can change the processor frequency, but it is quite risky and not recommended.
In fact, it provides for the unlocking of the operating system (and often the deletion of data) via the root. After that, by installing a special application it is possible to balance the minimum and maximum CPU frequency by altering the default values.
As you well understand, among possible overheating due to configuration errors, the potential disadvantages of this practice outweigh the advantages. You can, however, speed up Android in other ways that I tell you about in the tutorial I just linked to.
