Boost your PC: 10 concrete actions to speed it up in 2026

A slow PC doesn't just slow down your tasks, it costs time. Workplace productivity studies estimate that an underperforming PC costs the average user 6 hours per month: boot-up waits, sluggish applications, files that take forever to open. Over a year, that's more than 70 hours lost.

The good news: in most cases, there's no need to buy a new PC. Here are 10 concrete actions, ranked by effectiveness, to get your machine back on track.

Software actions (5 quick wins)#

1. Clear out startup programs#

This is the first thing to do, and the effect is often immediate. Windows automatically launches every program registered to start with it, Teams, Spotify, OneDrive, manufacturer utilities, Discord...

How to do it: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → "Startup" tab. Right-click → "Disable" on anything that isn't essential. A PC with 20 startup programs can see its boot time cut by two or three times.

2. Uninstall the bloatware#

PCs bought from high-street retailers often arrive with 10 to 20 useless preinstalled programs: antivirus trials, partner applications, redundant manufacturer tools. Each one consumes RAM and sometimes CPU in the background.

How to do it: Settings → Apps → Installed apps. Sort by size. Uninstall anything you don't recognise or don't actively use. A typical cleanup frees up 3 to 8 GB of disk space and visibly lightens the system.

3. Clean up with CCleaner (carefully)#

CCleaner remains the best-known tool for removing temporary files, clearing the browser cache, and purging old registry entries. It's useful, but it needs to be used correctly.

Realistic gain: a few seconds saved at startup, a bit of disk space recovered. It's not a magic bullet, but it helps.

4. Reinstall Windows from scratch#

If your Windows install is more than 3 years old without a reinstall, it has accumulated orphan files, obsolete drivers, broken registry keys, and sometimes leftovers from malware. A clean reinstall resets the system completely.

Average improvement I see at the workshop: boot time reduced by 30 to 50%, applications launching faster, random crashes disappearing. It's often spectacular on a PC that's 3 to 6 years old.

To be done only after hardware issues have been sorted, reinstalling Windows on a failing disk or an overheating PC will change nothing in the long run.

5. Disable file indexing#

Windows constantly indexes your files to speed up search. On a recent SSD, that's acceptable. On a mechanical hard drive or an entry-level SSD, it permanently uses up resources you could put to better use.

How to do it: type "Services" in the Windows search bar → find "Windows Search" → right-click → Properties → Startup type: Disabled. Search in Explorer will be a bit slower, but the overall system will feel more responsive.

Hardware upgrades (5 worthwhile investments)#

6. Move from a HDD to an SSD : the most impactful change#

This is upgrade number one, no question. A mechanical hard drive (HDD) reads data at 80–120 MB/s with access times of several milliseconds. An entry-level SATA SSD reads at 500 MB/s, and an NVMe SSD exceeds 3,000 MB/s.

Average measured gain: Windows boots in 12–18 seconds instead of 2 to 4 minutes. Applications launch 5 to 10 times faster. The effect is immediately noticeable.

On 28 September 2026, a 500 GB SSD from a recognised brand cost 71 to 105 € in SATA (the 2.5-inch format of older laptops) and 105 to 120 € in NVMe (LaBonneConfig listing): flash memory prices have risen sharply since late 2025. Fitting starts at 30 € at the workshop, depending on the device: 30 € when access is direct (desktop PC, laptop with an access panel); when more has to be taken apart, the price follows the time spent and I tell you before starting. Cloning the old drive (migrating Windows and your files) is billed extra, at 50 €, when it is still readable. If the SSD is fitted during another service at the workshop (a cleaning, for example), fitting drops to 20 €.

7. Add more RAM#

Windows 11 alone uses 2 to 3 GB of RAM at idle. If you have 4 GB total, there's almost nothing left for your applications. With 8 GB, it's comfortable for office work and the web. With 16 GB, you can have several heavy applications open simultaneously without slowdown.

Recommended thresholds in 2026:

• 4 GB: insufficient for everyday use
• 8 GB: comfortable minimum
• 16 GB: recommended for multitasking, video calls, light editing
• 32 GB+: video editing, demanding games, virtualisation

A note on 2026 prices: memory prices have soared because of demand from artificial intelligence servers. On 28 September 2026, 16 GB of DDR5 (recent AMD AM5 and Intel LGA1851 platforms) started at 189 € as a single module and 239 € as a 2 × 8 GB kit; 16 GB of DDR4 (older platforms) started at 76 € as a single module and 121 € as a kit (LaBonneConfig listing). Fitting starts at 30 € at the workshop, depending on the device.

Watch out: some laptops have RAM soldered to the motherboard. Always check before buying.

8. Dust cleaning and thermal paste replacement#

A PC that runs hot automatically reduces its processor performance, this is thermal throttling. Typical symptom: the PC is normal at startup, then gradually slows down after 15 to 20 minutes.

The thermal paste between the processor and its heatsink dries out after 3 to 5 years. A fan clogged with dust makes the problem worse.

Observed gain: after cleaning and changing the paste, temperatures often drop by 20 to 30°C. The PC immediately gets back 100% of its performance.

9. GPU upgrade for gaming#

If your usage includes games or graphics rendering, the graphics card is often the limiting factor. Intel or AMD integrated graphics are fine for office work and video, but struggle with recent games.

On 28 September 2026, an RTX 5060 or an RX 9060 XT 8 GB (from 459 €) plays most recent games at 1080p on high settings; for 1440p, aim for a card with 16 GB of video memory such as the RX 9060 XT 16 GB (from 551 €). The breakdown by budget is in the gaming PC buying guide. The upgrade is only possible on desktop PCs (towers), laptops generally have soldered GPUs.

10. Check the power supply#

An underpowered or ageing power supply can cause instability, unexpected restarts, and degraded performance, especially on gaming PCs with a recent, power-hungry graphics card.

Check your PSU's wattage (printed on the side label) and compare it to the theoretical consumption of your components. A quality power supply with 20 to 30% headroom is recommended.

Bonus: optimise the network#

A snappy PC with a slow connection still feels like a slow PC. A few simple actions:

• Change your DNS: replace your ISP's DNS with Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1) or Google (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4). The gain in DNS resolution is measurable, especially on mobile connections.
• Disable background apps: Teams, OneDrive, automatic updates use bandwidth constantly. In Settings → Apps → Advanced options, disable "Run in background" for non-critical applications.
• Check your Wi-Fi signal quality: if you're far from your router, consider a powerline adapter or a dedicated access point rather than putting up with a congested 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

Summary table#

Parts prices checked on 28 September 2026; labour as per the workshop prices.

What not to do#

• Disable the antivirus to "gain speed", the protection is well worth the few percent of CPU it uses
• Install "PC accelerators" downloaded from shady sites, these are often malware in disguise
• Defragment an SSD : pointless and counterproductive, defragmentation is meant for mechanical disks only
• Reinstall Windows without diagnosing the hardware : if the problem comes from a failing disk or overheating, reformatting will change nothing

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In short#

The right approach: always start with the free actions, then invest in hardware if needed. A prior diagnostic avoids spending money in the wrong direction.