I just moved my PC after it sat unused at my parent's place for about four months. I cleaned it up pretty well, but I'm wondering if I should take the NVMe out and clean it too. Since the move, everything is running really slow—my NVMe SSD is constantly at 100% usage and loading times in games like Civilization are ridiculously long. Is there something I can do to fix this, or should I start looking for a new SSD?
4 Answers
You might want to check the model and age of your SSD. If you’re using a QLC model, slowdowns can be common after a few years. Just something to keep in mind!
First off, try reseating the NVMe drive. It's also a good idea to check it for any visible damage. Sometimes a simple reconnect can resolve performance issues!
Since your PC sat idle for a while, it's likely cramming in a ton of Windows updates in the background. Try forcing Windows updates daily for a week and see if that speeds things up.
If it's been dormant for too long, give it some time. A couple of shutdowns and restarts over the next few days could help it get back on track as it finishes updating.
Definitely check for dust in the M.2 slot too! It might've accumulated during your cleaning.