Q: My PC doesn't run games as fast as it used to anymore. It used to be able to play Gears Of War on medium settings at perfect speeds, but now it slows down. Even my Halo 2 is running slower. I used to run it maxed out at perfect speeds, but now it slows down. My computer is almost 4 years old now, and it uses an AGP motherboard (P4S800). I am running Windows XP Professional using a Pentium 4 with 2.4ghz, 1.5 gigs of ddr ram, ATI X1650 PRO 512mb AGP, and a 550 watt power supply. Is my hardware getting to old?
A: This is normal behaviour, especially with Windows XP The best way of getting everything back up to speed would be to backup all your data to DVDs and then Re-Install Windows again. Make sure you have all necessary driver CDs and program CDs (especially internet) If not then: 1.Clean up files on your hard-drive (Download CC-Cleaner or nCleaner) 2. Remove all but recent restore points (C drive, properties, disc cleanup, more options) 3.Uninstall any programs you don't use/need 4.Defragment the hard-drive 5.Also mentioned above...do install an antispyware/virus program such as AVG which is free and efficient. That should give you a healthy boost.