When it comes to performance, even the high-end laptops are rarely best of breed. With the smaller spaces and the higher risk of overheating, laptop computers have to have smaller, less powerful components. While the so-called desktop replacement laptops claim to offer exceptional performance, they too are often subject to poor performance, particularly when they get a bit older. Replacing a laptop is not something that most people can afford to do too often, however. Fortunately, there are various ways in which you can boost your computer’s performance without spending a fortune, if anything.

Install the Latest Drivers

Many of the hardware components in your computer require drivers in order to function correctly. Laptop computers are no different. Many hardware manufacturers release new drivers regularly. These new releases often provide performance tweaks, bug fixes and even entirely new features. This is particularly the case with graphics cards. If you ever use your laptop for playing games or running other applications with 3D graphics rendering, keeping your graphics drivers updated can make a huge impact on performance.

Reinstall Windows

Over time, you may start to notice that your computer is running noticeably slower than it did when it was new. This could be for a number of reasons, but reinstalling your operating system often fixes most of them. As you install and uninstall programs and modify your computer in various other ways, it eventually gets cluttered up with junk and develops a number of other problems. A completely fresh install of Windows (or any other operating system) will make your computer seem like new again.

Clean Your Computer

Due to the cramped spaces inside laptop computers, they are particularly susceptible to collecting dust. Dust acts as an insulator, trapping heat and lowering the life of your computer. In the worst case scenario, it can even cause a short circuit. Once every year or so, it is a good idea to dismantle your laptop and clean out its interior, particularly around the fan vents and the blades of the fans themselves. Every laptop is assembled differently, so you may need to look for some disassembly instructions online for your specific machine.

Add More Memory

Adding more memory is a cheap way to boost the performance of any computer. When upgrading your laptop memory, be sure to use exactly the same brand, speed and type as your existing memory. You will, however, have an easier time if you simply replace the memory rather than add to it, since will have many more options. Be sure to check your computer’s specifications before purchasing memory. Today’s computers should generally have at least four gigabytes of RAM.

Use a Solid State Drive

The hard drive is one of the few components other than the memory which can usually be replaced in a laptop computer. Solid state drives have a lower capacity and are a lot more expensive than regular hard drives, but they are much faster. Installing a solid state drive in your laptop will cut things like loading times, Windows start-up time and file copy operations drastically.