Have you ever noticed how new PCs are blazing fast, but with time, their performance takes a slight hit? That's completely normal, especially as you add programs and files to it, Windows installs updates, and new hardware is connected. And while it's nearly impossible to regain that new-like speed, unless you don't mind a factory reset, a few built-in Windows features and tricks can deliver a massive boost in performance.

What surprises me is how few Windows users know about these features. Most are of the view that only newer, more powerful hardware translates into improved speed and performance. But in reality, Windows comes with several performance-driven, built-in features that can noticeably speed things up, all without spending a single dime.

4 Virtual memory

For when your PC runs out of RAM

First on the list is virtual memory or page file, a key component of any system that functions as RAM when Windows runs out of physical memory. It's a reserved section on the storage drive (HDD or SSD) acting as an extension of the memory. So, if you have too many active programs and there's no physical memory available to run them, Windows automatically moves the inactive (and non-critical) ones to the virtual memory, freeing up RAM and preventing system slowdown and crashes. To increase the virtual memory, follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu, then search for View advanced system settings, and open the utility.
2. Click on Settings under Performance.
3. Navigate to the Advanced tab, and click on Change under Virtual memory.
4. Uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives option.
5. Choose Custom size, enter the size you want to allocate to virtual memory, then click on Set, and save the changes.

As for the values, it's recommended to set the Initial size as 1.5x the physical memory and the Maximum size as 3x the physical memory.

Remember, increasing the virtual memory alone may not make your PC faster in every situation, but it can prevent system issues like freezes and crashes. This, in turn, enhances the system stability and improves its performance under heavy load. For an instant boost in performance, you can consider adding more RAM to the system, given you are not currently utilizing the maximum available capacity.

3 Fast Startup

To save a few seconds during boot

Fast Startup is designed to reduce boot time, i.e., the time it takes for the PC to turn on. It has been a part of the OS since the days of Windows 8. With Fast Startup, Windows saves a part of the system to the storage drive when you shut down the computer. So, instead of shutting down completely and clearing everything from memory, Windows saves part of the system state to your drive. The next time you turn on the PC, it loads from this saved state, which is much faster.

I recently compared how my PC fared with the feature turned on and off. With Fast Startup disabled, my laptop took 37.5 seconds to reach the lock screen, and when I enabled the feature, it took just 16.5 seconds. For me, that's a significant improvement in boot time, and the key reason I vouch for fast startup. Fast startup should be enabled by default, but if you need to enable it yourself, here's how you can do it:

1. Open the Control Panel and go into System and Security.
2. Go into Power Options, and select Change what the power buttons do from the left.
3. Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
4. Finally, tick the checkbox for Turn on fast startup, and click on Save changes.

That brings us to another aspect of fast startup, one that gets talked about more often. The feature is often linked to issues with the PC, particularly in dual-boot systems. Then, it's found to conflict with the installation of a few Windows updates, especially the ones that require a full shutdown, amongst other trivial and more complex issues, including the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). But my reasoning behind enabling Fast Startup is simple. As long as it's not affecting my computer's stability, I will use it. Because saving 20 seconds every time I turn on the PC is a big deal to me. This will, of course, be different for all of you, but it's worth a shot. And if Fast Startup introduces instability, you can always turn it off.

2 Minimal animations

Too many animations slow down your PC

While I am all for animations and visuals, I recently turned them off upon finding out how that it can significantly improve the system's performance. And the best part, Windows has dedicated options to optimize visual effects for both performance and appearance. And when you opt for the former, the PC will witness an instant boost in speed.

1. To adjust animations for performance, search for View advanced system settings in the Start menu.
2. Click on Settings under Performance, choose the Adjust for best performance option, and save the changes.

This will turn off all the animations. If you want a few, I suggest selecting the Custom option and disabling roughly half from the list.

The effects of disabling animations are more prominent on older PCs, ones with minimal resources. Newer computers usually handle visuals well, and the effects on performance are somewhat limited.

1 Assigning high priority to critical tasks

Because every task isn't the same

Your PC runs hundreds of background processes and tasks at any given moment, some of which are built-in, while others are for third-party apps. By default, Windows assigns almost every task a normal priority, but you can manually set it to high. This will tell Windows to allocate more resources to these processes and tasks, which will, in turn, improve the program's performance, making your PC seem faster.

1. To set a process to high priority, open the Task Manager and navigate to the Details tab.
2. Right-click on any critical app or game-related process, hover the cursor over Set priority, and select High from the list of options.

Avoid the "Realtime" priority option here, as that could introduce instability. Also, don't go around setting every process to high priority, as that defeats the very purpose of the feature. Your system has limited resources, and the active programs and tasks have to share them. So, prioritize only the ones that truly need that extra power.

You don't always need new hardware to boost performance

In the last few years, especially ever since I began writing about Windows, I have come to realize that you don't necessarily need an expensive hardware upgrade. Sometimes, the right tricks and smart use of the built-in features are all it takes to squeeze more performance out of your system. I agree, these tweaks may not be as effective as a new SSD or more RAM, but they will unlock performance you didn’t realize your system already had. And the best part, every change here is easily reversible!