I recently got a mini PC equipped with a quad-core N150 processor running at 3600 MHz and 16 GB of RAM, which is double the resources of my old laptop that had a dual-core i5 processor at 1700 MHz and 8 GB of RAM. My old laptop managed to run graphic-intensive programs and install updates without a hitch over its 13-year lifespan. However, my new mini PC has been really struggling to download and install Windows updates. It often maxes out at 100% CPU usage, with the Windows Modules Installer (TiWorker.exe) being the main culprit. Given that my new machine has more resources, I don't understand why it has such difficulty with something as simple as updates. It's been taking an extremely long time, and I'm worried about overheating potentially damaging the motherboard. What could be causing these issues?
1 Answer
The problem with updates often comes down to internet speed and the read/write capabilities of your storage, rather than just raw CPU power. Even with higher specs, there can be other bottlenecks. Software requirements have also grown over the years, making modern systems work harder than older ones. Your new mini PC may be better on paper, but it also has to handle more resource-intensive software. If your old laptop were running the latest Windows, it would struggle significantly too. If you're interested in a more precise comparison, consider running some performance benchmarks—they're available for free.
That makes sense. I'm curious though, what exactly is it about newer operating systems, like Windows 10 versus 11, that needs so much more from the hardware? I noticed some new features, but they don't seem like they should require double the power. Thanks for the insight!