I've had my gaming PC for about a year and a half, and recently its performance has declined dramatically. Windows feels slower, websites and programs take longer to load, the fans get noticeably louder during loading, and games that previously should have run well now lag, freeze, or crash. Cyberpunk 2077 crashed immediately when I tried to launch it. The entire computer has also occasionally frozen, including a previous recurring issue where playing a GIF could lock up the system.
The drivers are supposedly up to date, and the computer has 64GB of RAM. I don't have much experience with PC hardware and didn't build or set up the machine myself, so I'm not sure which specifications or diagnostic information are important. CPU usage usually sits below 10% when idle, but it can briefly spike to around 40% when opening programs or loading something. What should I check first to find the cause?
3 Answers
More information about the system is needed before anyone can identify the problem. Find the CPU, graphics card, motherboard, storage drive, RAM configuration, and power supply model. You can usually see much of this in Windows System Information, Task Manager, or a hardware-information tool. Also note whether the 64GB consists of two or four memory sticks. Four DDR5 modules can sometimes be unstable depending on the motherboard and memory settings, although that shouldn’t be the first assumption.
Because the slowdown affects normal Windows use as well as games, check temperatures and storage before focusing only on drivers. Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures while launching a game, make sure the fans and vents aren’t clogged with dust, and confirm the system drive has plenty of free space. If the drive reports errors or the temperatures are excessive, fix that before trying more demanding games. If the hardware checks out, a clean Windows installation could be a later step, but back up important files first.
64GB of RAM is already plenty for gaming, so memory capacity probably isn’t the main issue. While the computer is slowing down, open Task Manager and check CPU, memory, disk, and GPU usage. A drive stuck near 100% usage, unusually high temperatures, or a process consuming resources in the background could explain the symptoms. Also check the health of the SSD or hard drive, since a failing drive can cause slow loading, freezes, and crashes.
The CPU is usually normal but briefly rises to about 40% when I open a program or load a page. I haven’t checked GPU usage or drive health yet, so I’ll look into those.
I’m not familiar with the hardware details because I didn’t set the PC up myself, but I’ll gather the full specifications and check how many memory modules are installed.