Old computer running slow

S

safehaven

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
217
My parents PC is old, really old, from 2014 based on the last BIOS update.

Pentium G3220 @ 3.0GHz
4MB DDR3 RAM
Intel HD Graphics
Windows 10

It running really slow. I've managed to speed it up a tiny amount by disabling startup items. Also cleaned up a couple of items with Malwarebytes. But it's still a turd. Is something this old even worth my time trying to salvage? My instincts are telling me "no".

Which leads me to my next question. Is there a build section here anymore (hopefully I'm just missing it)? I do not even come close to staying up on the latest and greatest and would need help picking parts if a new build is in order.

Thanks,
 
Last edited:
You could add some more memory if the board has an extra slot, get it up to 8Gb, get a WD SSD and clone your window 10 if it is on a plate drive, look and see if a gpu could be installed if you want to keep it.
 
I assume you mean 4GB, not 4MB of RAM lol. You also neglected to mention the storage that's running in it. I'm guessing some old hard drive. I don't know the science behind it, but some hard drives aren't failing and report good SMART data, but they just slow down over time to the point they're barely usable.

Honestly for just basic usage, web browsing, video playback, office programs, etc... that PC should be fine if you slap in a SATA SSD. $26.99 for a 512GB TLC SSD will breath new life into it. 4GB is a little rough nowadays, so like crazycrave mentioned you'll probably want to upgrade to 8GB. DDR3 can be found for very cheap, just evaluate what you currently have. You could buy a single 4GB stick or an additional 2x2GB or whatever. Even a whole new 2 x 4GB DDR3 kit can be had for $14.99.

Not sure on a "Build" section but perhaps in General Hardware for help deciding between Intel or AMD; or AMD processors / Intel Processors if you think that's what you want to go with. If you were going to replace it with something inexpensive I'd generally shoot for something like a Ryzen 5600G, B550 motherboard, 2 x 8GB DDR4 RAM, inexpensive SSD in the capacity you want, inexpensive case and inexpensive but somewhat quality power supply.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
8 GB of ram, a ssd, and a fresh OS install will get it back running for most basic things. Install linux if the computer is really weak and it's just used for web browsing.
 
Those guys pretty well covered it. You have a dual core processor with hyperthreading, so it should handle the desktop no problem. Maybe disable desktop effects (transparency, peek, etc) unless you have a pcie GPU.

A SSD will make it way faster if it has an old 5k rpm platter drive, and a bit more memory wont hurt.

Edit: Oh, check the temps in hwmonitor. If they look high, you might need to reapply thermal paste to the cpu -- Old Intel CPUs throttle agressively when they overheat.
 
Last edited:
Dopamin3 said:
I assume you mean 4GB, not 4MB of RAM lol. You also neglected to mention the storage that's running in it. I'm guessing some old hard drive. I don't know the science behind it, but some hard drives aren't failing and report good SMART data, but they just slow down over time to the point they're barely usable.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I thought it was humorous as well. But do think it's interesting that Windows 95 could actually run with 4MB. Not well though. It was at that time that the recommended memory moved up to 8MB. Historically, this is what gave life to "high res" Linux graphical desktops. That move to 8MB allowed for 1024x768 with 256 colors and even a web browser. Yes, the biggest boon to Linux came from Microsoft in 1994-95.
 
Piling on, windows 10 on a spinner is terrible. Something is always reading and writing tiny amounts, all over the drive, so you've always got high latency for user initiated i/o. Older windows would tend to do a lot of stuff, but settle down and behave, but windows 10 never settles.
 
The first order of business is determining whether it is so weighted down by security software that it can't breathe.
 
Thanks so much for all of the replies!!!

Yes, I meant GB, LOL.

Hard drive is a WD Blue, 7200 RMP, 1TB. I can certainly put in an SSD. Windows 10 was a free upgrade, so I'm not sure I can do a clean install as there is probably no physical media. I'll have to look into cloning.

A dedicated GPU was mentioned, any suggestions?

I have not opened the case, but it appears (if I'm reading CPUID correctly) that all four RAM banks are being used. I'd have no problem 86-ing the RAM for new RAM.

First thing I checked was to make sure there wasn't competing security software.

As to the thermal paste, I never would have thought to check that, but will definitely do so.
 
I would definitely recommend a clean install. It doesnt take much for windows 10 to become bloated and that cpu needs all the help it can get.
 
safehaven said:
Windows 10 was a free upgrade, so I'm not sure I can do a clean install as there is probably no physical media
Click to expand...

You can use the media creation tool. Install the same edition (home/pro), and it should activate without a key. If that doesn't work, put the hard drive back and switch to microsoft account, and use the same account on the ssd. $40 gets you a lot of SSD these days.
 
cdabc123 said:
I would definitely recommend a clean install. It doesnt take much for windows 10 to become bloated and that cpu needs all the help it can get.
Click to expand...
I am certainly not opposed to starting with a new build. They've already given me the go ahead if that is the best course of action.
 
for all the time it will take, clone it to a ssd and then assess if it needs a rebuild or not. it there is oem installed a/v, turf it and i bet itd be fine.
 
safehaven said:
A dedicated GPU was mentioned, any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Probably overkill if you aren't gaming, but if the issue isn't resolved simply, (or gaming is planned) maybe think about it then. Of course, if you are considering any recent games, a new system would be a serious consideration of mine.
 
safehaven said:
A dedicated GPU was mentioned, any suggestions?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't recommend it unless you plan on carrying it over to a new build. That G3220 is going to bottleneck most cards pretty significantly these days. Here's a G3220 paired with an RX 6600:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtGK4m6wsiE

Based on the specs in the original post, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is something like an HP or Dell prebuilt system. Most likely you'll end up needing a better power supply if you were to get a GPU. At that point you're looking at building a new PC. I think the iGPU in a 5600G would be great for a build for your parents and a huge uplift in performance. 6 core / 12 thread (vs 2 core / 2 thread) on a much faster, newer architecture (Zen 3 vs Haswell) and pretty decent iGPU that can handle most basic 1080P gaming (not sure what your parents will be doing with it though).


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj-yGmHrgTw

I guess if you're looking for more input on a build- knowing what the use cases of the computer and budget would go a long way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nobu
like this
A used am4 combo with a integrated gpu would be my recommendation as well. Then you can take advantage of spectacularly cheap nvme SSDs and the computer will be leaps faster then the current machine.
 
Last edited:
You say it is your parents PC... assuming it is just used for email, occasional documents, hitting up Metabook , etc... probably not any real load.. treated like any other household appliance...

Grab a Intel based 6th, 7th, 8th gen off-lease business desktop from a refurbisher for $150-300.. and wrap this up
 
jlbenedict said:
You say it is your parents PC... assuming it is just used for email, occasional documents, hitting up Metabook , etc... probably not any real load.. treated like any other household appliance...

Grab a Intel based 6th, 7th, 8th gen off-lease business desktop from a refurbisher for $150-300.. and wrap this up
Click to expand...
why? all he needs is a $20 ssd and time to clone it.
 
pendragon1 said:
why? all he needs is a $20 ssd and time to clone it.
Click to expand...

When I spend $20 on fiber... what goes to the toilet is still a "turd".. just as OP mentioned this PC is...

Yeah... a cheap ssd and another 4gb might work, with a fresh install... but it will still always be a turd PC...
 
If it was my old PC I would pull the heat sink and replace the thermal interface material. It is nearly 10 years old, probably dry and cracked.
 
jlbenedict said:
When I spend $20 on fiber... what goes to the toilet is still a "turd".. just as OP mentioned this PC is...

Yeah... a cheap ssd and another 4gb might work, with a fresh install... but it will still always be a turd PC...
Click to expand...
but a turd with an ssd can still do basic web/office tasks, which is all they want. no reason to reinvent the wheel....
 
ZodaEX said:
Which heatsink? His computer has a few.
Click to expand...
That's a stupid comment. There is exactly 1 that would cause throttling. Can you guess what rock it's on?

Although a thorough dusting may be in order.
 
cdabc123 said:
That's a stupid comment. There is exactly 1 that would cause throttling. Can you guess what rock it's on?

Although a thorough dusting may be in order.
Click to expand...

You're wrong.
#1 VRM Heatsink
#2 CPU heatsink
 
safehaven said:
Thanks so much for all of the replies!!!

Yes, I meant GB, LOL.

Hard drive is a WD Blue, 7200 RMP, 1TB. I can certainly put in an SSD. Windows 10 was a free upgrade, so I'm not sure I can do a clean install as there is probably no physical media. I'll have to look into cloning.

A dedicated GPU was mentioned, any suggestions?

I have not opened the case, but it appears (if I'm reading CPUID correctly) that all four RAM banks are being used. I'd have no problem 86-ing the RAM for new RAM.

First thing I checked was to make sure there wasn't competing security software.

As to the thermal paste, I never would have thought to check that, but will definitely do so.
Click to expand...
If you haven't checked see if the drive is heavily fragmented and if so, defrag it. Also check to see how full the drive is. A full drive can kill a system especially if the virtual memory is being hit all the time which is likely on a 4GB system.
 
safehaven said:
I am certainly not opposed to starting with a new build. They've already given me the go ahead if that is the best course of action.
Click to expand...
Personally I agree with your initial instinct. I'd go to a newer platform as long as you have the budget for it. You could speed that machine up with some more ram and an SSD, but that CPU came out 10 years ago. It'll never be snappy without a CPU upgrade, and you're talking about doing a bunch of work and throwing a few bucks at some 10yo low end hardware. At some point it's time to just go ahead and upgrade the whole thing. At the end of the day it's really all about $ and time... and fun if you like building PCs.

If you want to look into upgrading that old box the first thing I'd do is crack it open if it's a pre-built. I'm guessing it probably is since it's a Pentium. Cheap pre-built PCs sometimes have soldered memory. Maybe a soldered CPU too. If it doesn't have DIMM slots you can't upgrade the ram and if that's the case it's time for a new machine. 4GB machine running Win10 is just never going to do well. If you can upgrade the ram I'd look into upgrading the CPU since it wouldn't cost much. If it can support an upgrade an i7-4770 is ~$30 on eBay. A 10yo i7 won't make it fast, but if you're going to put an SSD and more ram in it I'd spend the extra ~$30 on a CPU upgrade too. Of course if it's a pre-built figuring out if you can will take some digging. You'll at least need to know the model number of the computer. Pre-builts often have minimal cooling, VRMs and PSU, and it's possible it won't be able to handle the extra heat output & power draw from a faster CPU.

I'd just buy a machine rather than do a build if all they need is an office PC. You just don't really save any money building office PCs. It's just a lot of time you don't need to spend finding parts and putting the machine together. Of course if you want a gaming rig, something special or just like building machines go for it. I'd also ask if they'd be interested in a laptop. They hardly cost any more than desktops these days.
 
You all have some good points. However, some of the suggestions would still leave the thread starter's parents with an obsolete PC that will not receive any security updates at all whatsoever. 6th-Gen Intel parts have gone completely EOSL (End Of Support Life) back on December 30 of last year, and the 7th-Gen Intel parts will go completely EOSL this coming March. And Windows 10 will reach its own EOSL in October 2025, so better be prepared replacing the entire PC in two years at the most.

Under those circumstances, I would strongly recommend a completely new PC, either pre-built or a custom or self-build. It does not need to have higher-end components, in this case. It can be a newer-gen (5000 series or newer) Ryzen 5 (e.g. 5600G) or a 12th-Gen or newer Intel Core i5 (e.g. i5-13400) PC with integrated graphics (a discrete GPU isn't necessary for that kind of PC). With either CPU, go with at least 8 GB of RAM (but 16 GB would be better), and always pick an SSD with as large of a capacity as you can afford.
 
Thanks for all of the replies!!!

So, I spoke with my parents. They do not wish to throw money/parts at a relic. Thankfully, they came to this decision on their own and I did not have to try and talk them into it. So, that is the direction that we're headed.

I mentioned before that in General Hardware, there used to be a questionaire to fill out for advice on new builds. Below is link to an old one that I filled out. Is there anything like it on this site anymore? I can put a system together, no problem. But I have no clue how to spec them.

https://hardforum.com/threads/need-a-clean-install-want-to-build-new-system-instead.1828745/
 
safehaven said:
My parents PC is old, really old, from 2014 based on the last BIOS update.

Pentium G3220 @ 3.0GHz
4MB DDR3 RAM
Intel HD Graphics
Windows 10

It running really slow. I've managed to speed it up a tiny amount by disabling startup items. Also cleaned up a couple of items with Malwarebytes. But it's still a turd. Is something this old even worth my time trying to salvage? My instincts are telling me "no".

Which leads me to my next question. Is there a build section here anymore (hopefully I'm just missing it)? I do not even come close to staying up on the latest and greatest and would need help picking parts if a new build is in order.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
First question that comes to mind is what harddrive is in it?
 
safehaven said:
Thanks for all of the replies!!!

So, I spoke with my parents. They do not wish to throw money/parts at a relic. Thankfully, they came to this decision on their own and I did not have to try and talk them into it. So, that is the direction that we're headed.

I mentioned before that in General Hardware, there used to be a questionaire to fill out for advice on new builds. Below is link to an old one that I filled out. Is there anything like it on this site anymore? I can put a system together, no problem. But I have no clue how to spec them.

https://hardforum.com/threads/need-a-clean-install-want-to-build-new-system-instead.1828745/
Click to expand...
As far as the computer goes you don't need a lot of parts these days for a basic rig. Not including monitor(s), mouse, keyboard and perhaps speakers & microphone, it's basically:
Case
PSU
Mainboard
CPU
Ram
M.2 SSD
Maybe vid card if they want to run games or AI stuff.

The big question is what are they going to do with the machine? Is it just going to be a typical home computer surfing the web and running assorted "office" apps?
 
zandor said:
The big question is what are they going to do with the machine? Is it just going to be a typical home computer surfing the web and running assorted "office" apps?
Click to expand...
Surfing the web and running assorted office apps is exactly what they will use it for. Possibly photoshop, but when I say photoshop, I mean like cropping a photo or getting really “advanced “ by adjusting the exposure.
 
Get a am4 build. A ryzen 5600g if you care about graphics. A used 5600x if not.

The build linked early in this thread looked pretty good
 
There is a member here that sells these HP Elitedesk tiny PC's that are pretty powerful.
I've seen various ones he was selling for $95-165, depending on processor, ram, and NVME SSD.

They look like this,
1700106160597.png


might be something to consider.
 
Upgrading to 8GB+ of RAM, upgrading to an SSD, and a significant CPU upgrade probably wouldn't be that expensive.

That G3220 is pretty close to the slowest possible Haswell chips ever made. Any chance the board will take a Haswell i5 or i7?

I would probably upgrade to an SSD and 8GB+ of RAM first, in addition to a clean install of Windows 10.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top