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Question

Slow laptop

Feb 5, 2020 7:36PM PST

Ok.. I have a laptop with an i7 3520M processor, which was a factory recondition unit. Then I have a i5 M460 which is getting up in years.
Looking at a benchmark site, the i7 should be outdoing the i5.
The only thing downloaded on the i7 is antivirus and one program that it runs, and everything us up to date.
The i5, is my user, which has the same program running, plus more downloaded programs and extensions, and a few other things running.
Using the benchmark program for testing, the i5 is running better than the i7 in all departments. Both have HDDs, 8 MBs ram.
What should I be looking at to see what the issue is, or what hardware might be lacking?
If I were to buy a SSD, anyone have an idea of what it would cost to have it installed and the OS migrated to it? Maybe someplace like Best Buy or other computer shop?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
A low performing HDD could drag it down.
Feb 5, 2020 8:06PM PST

Post was last edited on February 7, 2020 10:12 AM PST

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Will do
Feb 5, 2020 11:54PM PST

I will get that as soon as I can. I tried tonight, but it kept freezing up, so something is causing an issue. Finally got it shut down and restarted, and running virus and spyware now, just in case.

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I hope this is it
Feb 6, 2020 1:45AM PST

Took forever to get this done as every time I did anything, or clicked on anything it would freeze. Even trying to get on this page took several attempts. I shut down all programs, turned off all services except windows, and still didn't help

http://speccy.piriform.com/results/YA8WqrZwRoBupRuEFVgm5hK

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That HDD is slowing it down.
Feb 6, 2020 8:53AM PST

You can skip down to the Seagate and see the usual high raw numbers in 01 and 07 which you don't see on good performing drives. This is a common find so I don't write at length anymore. Sometimes folk get mad I don't copy all that is known here.

1. The HDD is slow. See 01 and 07 in the HDD values.
2. CPU Temp is good.
3. RAM is in dual channel mode (good.)
4. The DNS Server is 192.x.x.x. You might want to test if using a public server is faster. Nod to 8.8.8.8 and 4.2.2.1.

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Follow up data.
Feb 6, 2020 9:49AM PST

Sometimes folk won't believe this one. Today here's where I show an example of a good, bad and ugly drive.

Copy from another discussion today:
"Here's a random Speccy to show a good and an ugly drive.
http://speccy.piriform.com/results/TQA2DHiouHdkOE6jykXy7Kp
The WD is good, the Seagate in this one is ugly.

Here's my bad Seagate:
http://speccy.piriform.com/results/fd2oW1DCpYOV3OLQ8l5vuss

The more you see this 01 and 07 value and the fallout the more you understand it's an easy one to correct. Then again you always have a new client but same old problem which without fail they want to try anything but what you know. To make matters worse when the drive is not the boot drive they will see the machine fly straight then falter as they try drivers and more so they will convince themselves it's not the drive."

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Thank you
Feb 7, 2020 9:18AM PST

Not sure it is the simplest fix, but I am probably going to buy a couple new SSD drives. I have four laptops, one is really old, one is my user, and then the one I ran the program on, and one more. It has a i7 4800MQ and is pretty fast for what it is.
I have saw videos on transferring data from an old hard drive to a new one, and I, and I'm pretty sure I can do it, if not, there is always repair shops.
As far as what mine was doing, you click something, it totally freezes, for 30-60 seconds, click again, wait again. Does this happen all at once?
Mine was running great, then it started doing this.
I did change the DNS settings.. thank you for that.
Thanks

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Keep in mind.
Feb 7, 2020 9:24AM PST

I've seen hundreds of PCs with the HDD issue I have written too much about here.

It continues to taunt folk new to this one that it might not be the HDD because one moment there's trouble and then it clears up and then it comes back. Or they install a driver, it works and they get the idea the HDD is fine only to have the issue return.

This is why I'm thankful to know what to do but have yet to find a good way to relay this information to those that want to debate if the HDD is trouble.

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Speccy/S.M.A.R.T. - I suspect UI need to do some reading ...
Feb 8, 2020 8:23AM PST

You woke me up to something I've been puzzled about: It seems that the S.M.A.R.T. data that tools like Speccy display is somewhat ambiguous about the message I get.

In fact, I have wondered if it will stop saying 'good' only once the only thing you get out of the drive in question are some screeching or clicking noises. Cry

I won't try to hijack this discussion by telling me all my woes, but in line with what you contributed here I can ask back:

I assume that with '1' and '7' you refer to 'Read Error Rate' and 'Seek Error Rate' and that finding a '0' in the 'Real Value' is not good news if the 'raw value' is high.

Is there a link you can suggest for someone who wants to read up more about this. If it turns out to be of interest I might post my situation as a separate request and we could then discuss it at length (I suspect that it might be educational not just for me.)

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I already wrote more than usual for you.
Feb 8, 2020 8:38AM PST

As to more, you could use google to do research but Speccy to me is not ambiguous at all. You learn what it reports the more you use it on more machines. Also, what you are looking for is not only this but dozens of other things which you build up your knowledge base over time but no, I don't know of a tutorial on Speccy as a tool to troubleshoot but it is one of the good ones as it helps avoid asking the owner a dozen questions they won't have the answers to.

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Thanks again
Feb 8, 2020 4:59PM PST

I replaced the HDD in one laptop with a SSD, and made a big difference. I replaced the HDD with the issues also, and it was like night and day, and the problems stopped.
I bought three SSDs and trying to decide which of the other two to swap out.
Thank you for your time and knowledge.

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I missed your question above.
Feb 8, 2020 5:58PM PST

About the 01 and 07 values, the zero and the raw.

In short that is what you find on a poor performing drive. The maker will maintain the drive has not failed. Which they are right. But as you discovered, you don't want this drive in your PC.