Mabaloo - Top 3 ways to speed up your Window XP PC

Top 3 ways to speed up your Window XP PC

Written by Jaspreet Singh

There are dearth of ways you can find on the Internet giving you tips and tricks to speed up your computer. Well this article just gives you the ones that work really well and should be used by all computer user to speed up the performance of there computer.

The speed of a PC is generally measured by the amount of RAM (main memory) of the computer. This is not always the case e.g. a PC with 128MB of RAM can be, in theory, faster than a PC with 256MB. The reason for this may be that the computer with 128MB is high on system memory (virtual memory, we’ll talk about it); and hardly any programs run in the background or at startup. Another reason could be that its hard disk is defragged and the swap file (in virtual memory management) is properly configured according to the amount of memory and hard disk space available.
The speed also depends on the number of programs running on the computer at that time, for the same number of programs running the computer with higher RAM is obviously fast for a reasonable virtual memory (around 1.5 times the amount of RAM).Also the fact that which disc drive is allotted the virtual memory affects the speed of the CPU(the fastest drive should be allotted the memory).
Maintaining the system to remove the unwanted files and applications and removing some from the startup is also a good idea to keep your PC working as long as you need it and it doesn’t get outdated.
Then we’ll talk about the most interesting of them all ,virtually upgrading your PC to the higher level, more speed faster processing…………….
Let’s start now…

1) Managing Your Virtual Memory

When your physical RAM fills up, it needs another kind of temporary storage to be able to run your applications. Therefore, it creates a virtual memory on your hard disk to satisfy that need. Data that is stored on the hard disk is stored in sectors, however, to the Memory Management Unit (MMU) of the Operating System, it is seen as though it is main memory. Before an application requests to run, the swap file is checked and if the data required by the application is found there, then it copies it over to memory first before executing it. Virtual memory is an excellent way of utilizing more memory than is physically available. Moving and swapping data between the physical memory and hard disk via the system bus is managed by the MMU as are the logical and physical addresses of each block of data.
Windows determines how much hard disk space to allocate to virtual memory. You can make your system faster by altering your Virtual Memory settings and thus in effect increasing the RAM of your computer. Follow these steps to get a noticeably faster PC:

1. Right click on My Computer and select Manage from the drop-down menu. The following window will open. Right click on the ‘Computer Management (local)’.Select Properties from the dropdown menu. Then switch to the Advanced tab and select Settings in the Performance portion.

2. Click on the change button in the virtual memory portion

3. From the Hard-Disk drop down list select your fastest hard disk if you have more than one.

4. Finally, make sure the Maximum & Minimum numbers are the same. To get the optimum number, multiply your system RAM by 2.5 and then put that number for the Maximum and Minimum tabs. For example, if you have 128MB of RAM, your Maximum and Minimum(initial) would be 320!

2) Maintenance

Maintenance of the computer so that no unwanted (bad) files accumulates inside the hard disc drive is a good option to keep your computer in good health . There should be lesser number of programs starting when the computer is booted; this slows down the booting of the computer because of the additional programs that have to be loaded. The following is a list of programs that can be run on the computer to maintain it at no extra cost. Most of these programs can be found under the Start, AllPrograms, Accessories, System Tools folder.
1. Disk Defragmentation: When defragmenting takes place the programs you use more often than the others are placed on the hard disk in such a way that they are easier to find and run. The programs are arranged in memory such that it takes the least time to access the different applications in the computer. Use defragmenting once a week and see your favorite programs running faster.
2. Disk Cleanup: This is necessary if you feel that the hard disk loads really very slowly. Check for unwanted programs (in the recycle bin, temporary files folder etc) and hence remove them. This compresses the old files which have not been used for a very long time.
3. RegClean: A simple but effective piece of software this is. You can download it for free from Microsoft's web site. It is also available on many magazine cover disks. Reg Clean takes about a minute to check the registry. Then it asks whether you want to clean out redundant or orphan file. This usually helps the computer to get rid of files that have been left behind by uninstalled programs.

3) Overclocking

At the heart of all personal computers sits a microprocessor that controls the logic of almost all digital devices, from clock radios to fuel-injection systems for automobiles. The three basic characteristics that differentiate microprocessors are the following:

* Instruction set: The set of instructions that the microprocessor can execute.
* Bandwidth: The number of bits processed in a single instruction.
* Clock speed: Given in megahertz (MHz), the clock speed determines how many instructions per second the processor can execute.

The higher, the value of these characteristics, the more powerful is the CPU. For example, a 32-bit microprocessor that runs at 50MHz is more powerful than a 16-bit microprocessor that runs at 25MHz.

The term overclocking might seem a little awkward and you might not find it in the dictionary. It seems more like overtime (the extra time, workers have to spend, to increase the productivity of their firm).It is somewhat similar to that, the difference being that here the clock (of the CPU) is made to run slower (rather, made to look to run slow) so that more work can be done in the same amount of time. This is just to say and not exactly what happens. In actuality the performance (speed) of the CPU is boosted by altering the settings of certain components, to something other than what the manufacturer has done, to make it run faster.

To Overclock a PC you need to be very familiar with the hardware as this involves a lot of risk to the system. E.g. an overclocked system will generate more heat than the standard component can handle. To negate this, a bigger and better heatsink is required. Moreover, you also need to have some understanding of the different types of system memory. Even though your CPU can be overclocked, it doesn't mean your RAM modules will support the higher speeds.

Sounds interesting!!!!!
So……

Let’s get the cat out of the bag

The following are the ways to over clock your PC:

i) BIOS: In some BIOS's you are given the option to alter your CPU speed. Using this method, you won't even have to open your computer case. When you first boot your PC enter your BIOS (usually by pressing Del, F1, or F10) and start looking for any option that allows you to change your CPU speed or voltage. If you do find it, then it's as simple as changing the current number to a higher value.
(BIOS:Acronym for basic input/output system, the built-in software that determines what a computer can do without accessing programs from a disk. On PCs, the BIOS contains all the code required to control the keyboard, display screen, disk drives, serial communications, and a number of miscellaneous functions.)

ii) Front Side Bus Speed(FSB): When increased, it makes the whole system run faster and not only the CPU. Most PC's have a speed of 66MHz or 100MHz. Mainly, it defines the speed that your motherboard and other components run at. The speed of a CPU is measured in Megahertz (MHz) or Gigahertz (GHz). This represents the number of clock cycles that can be performed per second. The more clock cycles your CPU can do, the faster it processes information.

The formula for processor speed is:

frontside bus x multiplier = processor speed.

(Front Side Bus (FSB) - The Front Side Bus is very important to consider when you are talking about the performance of a computer. The FSB connects the processor (CPU) in your computer to the system memory. The faster the FSB is, the faster you can get data to your processor. The faster you get data to the processor, the faster your processor can do work on it. The speed of the front side bus depends on the processor and motherboard chipset you are using as well as the system clock.)

(Clock cycle: Also called clock rate, the speed at which a microprocessor executes instructions. Every computer contains an internal clock that regulates the rate at which instructions are executed and synchronizes all the various computer components. The CPU requires a fixed number of clock ticks (or clock cycles) to execute each instruction. The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second. Clock speeds are expressed in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).)

iii) Multiplier Settings: Multipliers are located on your motherboard and come in the forms x1, x1.5, x2, x2.5, etc... When the Bus speed is multiplied by any one of these numbers, it results in the final CPU speed. For example, if you have a bus speed of 100 and a multiplier of x4, your CPU speed is 400MHz.

Summary

The best way to overclock your PC is to alter the bus speed and multiplier settings. Depending on your motherboard, overclocking is done one of three ways: by changing jumper or dip-switch settings (from .on. and .off. or .close. and .open.), by changing some of the Chipset Features settings in your BIOS, or by using a combination of both. In overclocking you will need to know your hardware, plan your overclocking method, and, of course perform many tests once changes have been made. You may need to adjust your CPU voltage, and you will most likely have to try several settings before obtaining a successful and stable overclock result.
(Jumpers: Jumpers are pins on a motherboard or other device, that are used to provide configuration information to the hardware. A single jumper consists of a pair of pins, with a small rectangular shunt that can be placed over both pins to short them together. The hardware is programmed to act one way when the jumper is shorted, and another way when it is left open. The jumpers are normally numbered JP1, JP2 etc.. For some functions, a group of jumpers is used.)

Even more excited……….
Wait…
Let’s discuss some of the risks involved in overclocking
Risks Involved
For the first, the overclocked system heats more than your heat sink or the fan of the CPU can handle, so be sure to install some additional heat sink in the system
Secondly, overclocking is discouraged my almost all manufacturers and hence an overclocked system is, in almost all cases, void of warranty
Thirdly, overclocking can make your system unstable and hence decrease the lifespan of your CPU.

The Final Analysis
I think I have given whatever you needed to know about speeding up your computer. Now it’s entirely upon you to decide what you want to do with your computer. Keeping in mind the requirements, the risk involved, the performance boost wanted and your knowledge of the hardware choose one or a combination of the above techniques to have a better computing experience.