I just got this laptop about a month ago, and it's been driving me crazy because the CPU is constantly at 100%! It lags so much that watching YouTube is nearly impossible, and using the program Obsidian is frustrating. Even casual gaming is out of the question—Stardew Valley is the only game that runs decently, while Minecraft is almost unplayable. I've heard from some folks that the processor isn't great, which might be true since this is a budget laptop. I just want to know if there's anything I can do to improve performance without spending more money, since I can't afford to buy another one right now. Here are my specs: Processor: Intel(R) Celeron(R) N4500 @ 1.10GHz, 32 GB RAM (only 31.8 GB usable), and it's a 64-bit x64 based system.
5 Answers
If gaming isn't a huge need for you, you might find a basic OS will help. Try a lightweight Linux distro; it can dramatically increase system responsiveness on low-end hardware. It's worth a shot!
Given that this processor isn't really capable of handling heavy tasks, I'd suggest checking for dust buildup or thermal issues as they might be causing your CPU to throttle. Look into using a lighter weight operating system too; it could significantly improve your experience.
I really hope you didn't pay too much for it. From what I can tell, those types of laptops are usually sold around $150 to $200. If you can return it, that might be best. If not, just remember this for next time—do your homework on specs before buying!
Honestly, that processor is definitely the bottleneck. Your laptop is running on a very outdated Intel Celeron N4500, which isn't really fit for performance tasks. It's akin to having a really strong engine in a slow car—the CPU just can't keep up with what your system is trying to do. If it's also equipped with an HDD instead of an SSD, that would slow things down even more. You're better off finding light applications or a simple OS to use.
You've got a pretty rare combo there—a Celeron processor and 32GB of RAM. Seems like a mismatch since that CPU is only designed for basic tasks. It's strange they paired such a low-end processor with that much RAM. You might want to check if your RAM is actually 32GB since many budget laptops typically come with around 4GB.
I was also confused seeing that. I’d love confirmation those specs are accurate. Often, the 32GB is just the storage size on cheap laptops, not the RAM!
Yeah, I've had better luck with lightweight OSes like Linux for older machines. If you're open to it, you might try something like Raspberry Pi Desktop! It can help boost performance.