Speed up your laptop 🚀 with 5 free apps you should try now

It's quite common for a laptop to lose a little power over time. 😕 The good news is that you can often do something about it. Whether it's updating drivers, improving processor performance, or checking the health of your storage drive, there are solutions that even novice users can perform. 💻✨

The following 5 tips will offer you a path to improve your performance and the stability of your laptop, giving you a more satisfying experience without having to buy a new one. 🚀

Updating drivers and BIOS/UEFI

Before tuning your laptop, it's essential to update your device's hardware drivers and BIOS/UEFI. A recent update may offer manufacturer optimizations, such as improved performance and power-saving features for the CPU or more efficient fan control. Use the preinstalled update tools that came with your computer. 🔧

Almost all laptop manufacturers include some form of update software in the package: this lets you check with a click of the mouse for updated drivers and BIOS/UEFI versions, or takes you to the website where you can download them. Make sure you only install updates that are appropriate for your model. 📥

Tip: You can usually get the latest drivers directly from the manufacturer of your notebook's chipset, graphics card, or WLAN module.

Overclocking the laptop processor

Depending on your CPU manufacturer, download AMD's Ryzen Master or Intel's Extreme Tuning Tool. You can use these tools to increase the clock speed and core voltage using sliders. ⚡️

Proceed carefully, taking small steps, and test whether the laptop remains stable after each change using the built-in tools or Aida64 Extreme's "System Stability Test." This way, you can approach the maximum value in small 10-millivolt increments, especially for core voltage. 📈

Note: Not all laptop CPUs are compatible with AMD or Intel tools, as some manufacturers completely block overclocking functionality on their models. ⚠️

Check and optimize battery performance

Batterycare provides key information about your laptop's battery, such as the current charge level and remaining runtime. In the "Detailed Information" menu, the tool also displays the current discharge performance and battery wear percentage. 🔋

In “Options,” you can set Batterycare to notify you about certain battery processes, such as when the remaining runtime drops below a certain percentage or when the battery has reached a specific capacity. 🔔

Keep an eye on disk integrity

To monitor the health of your SSD (or HDD), you can use CrystalDiskInfo. This tool provides information about the overall health and temperature of the storage medium. It also displays individual SMART values, which you can use to identify hard drive errors. This allows you to back up important files or your entire Windows installation to an external drive before the SSD or hard drive fails. 💾

HDDs, in particular, are subjected to heavy loads as system drives, so it's essential to perform a health check regularly! If CrystalDiskInfo doesn't recognize the SSD (or HDD) installed in your laptop, you can use a corresponding analysis tool from the manufacturer. 🛠️

Aida64 Extreme—or Device Manager in the Drives menu—will tell you the manufacturer of the SSD in your laptop. 🔍

Checking the Wi-Fi connection

Check the stability and speed of your laptop's Wi-Fi connection with InSSIDer, especially when you're browsing. This allows you to test the transmission strength and speed of your wireless network anywhere. 🌐

If you discover with InSSIDer that your Wi-Fi signal on the balcony is weak or being interrupted by neighboring wireless networks, there are simple solutions: a repeater can increase the range, or changing the channel on your router can ensure a more stable connection. This way, you can surf outside at high speed! 📶

InSSIDer is also great for finding the location with the best connection in a public hotspot. 🏙️

In summarySpeeding up your laptop 💻 doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. With these 5 free apps and the practical tips we've shared, you can optimize performance ⚡, extend the life of your computer 🛠️, and enjoy a more agile and stable experience.

From keeping your drivers and BIOS up to date 🔄, to monitoring the health of your battery 🔋 and disk 💾, to improving the speed of your Wi-Fi connection 📶, every step contributes to your laptop performing at its best.

Don't wait for your computer to become slow or unstable—try these tools today and breathe new life into your laptop! 🚀💻✨