Buying more RAM won’t fix your slow PC — this setting will

If your PC is slowing down, the first advice you’ll usually hear is that you should upgrade the RAM. I get it. RAM is assumed to be the most common culprit for anything performance-related. Slow startup? Browser lag? It must be RAM. Random stutters? Definitely the time to upgrade RAM. However, that’s not always the case. After using Windows all these years and tweaking different settings, I’ve realized that most of the slow PCs don’t really have a memory shortage problem. Rather, they are suffering from poor startup management.

In some cases (including myself), I’ve seen dramatic speed improvements by tweaking a simple setting rather than upgrading the RAM. If you’re also planning to spend your money on a RAM upgrade, I would recommend trying this first.

The real culprit: Startup apps

How startup apps and processes slow down your PC

Startup apps are programs, tools, or services that launch automatically when Windows boots. Some of these apps are useful and convenient. They allow essential tools like antivirus software or cloud storage to run immediately. That being said, having too many apps can significantly slow down the boot time and overall performance of your machine.

Typically, security software, communication apps, game launchers, cloud storage clients, hardware utilities, and update checkers sneak into the startup. Individually, they don’t make an impact. But collectively, they make a huge difference. That’s because every startup app uses RAM, consumes CPU cycles, and accesses the disk. When there are multiple apps, they compete for system resources. All of this happens even before you can open your first program or required app. As a result, your PC feels slow and under pressure.

It’s worth knowing that many modern apps enable startup by default. You have probably noticed that when you install a particular app, it launches suddenly every time you turn on your PC. Over time, this makes you feel that your PC is getting old and slow. In reality, it’s just overloaded during the boot.

Why startup apps feel like a RAM problem

When too many apps compete for resources

This is where most people get confused. When too many apps start at once, they also consume system resources simultaneously. As a result, the program takes longer to open, your system feels sluggish, fans get noisy, and Windows take a lot longer to boot up. Everything feels like a memory bottleneck. In most cases, it’s the resource congestion, where too many apps are competing at the same time. And that’s slowing everything down.

I’ve personally fixed my slow PC by simply cutting down my startup apps. No extra tools, no reinstalls, and no hardware upgrade. I spent a few minutes on my PC and saw a surprising change.

How to disable unnecessary startup apps on Windows

Cut down the startup bloat

When you disable non-essential apps from launching every time you turn on your PC, it instantly reduces background resource usage and clutter. So, before you plan to spend your money on hardware upgrades, take a few minutes and clean your startup list. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to speed up your Windows PC while spending nothing.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager on your PC.
2. Head to the Startup apps tab and look at the Status column.
3. Now, sort the apps by Startup impact to see how much CPU and disk an app consumes during the boot process.
4. Right-click the app you don’t need and select Disable.

While you’re doing this, make sure you do not disable essential processes like core system services, security software, or graphics drivers. On the other hand, you can disable unnecessary apps like messaging apps, Spotify, Discord, or certain OEM utilities that you never asked to pop up right at the launch.

You aren’t uninstalling any app from your PC. Rather, you are just stopping them from auto-launching at startup. So, you can open and use the app whenever you need it.

Other free tweaks that beat a RAM upgrade

Simple performance tweaks that cost nothing

Startup apps are the biggest offenders, but there are some other settings worth changing. Together, they can dramatically improve your PC performance.

• Clean up background apps: Some apps may continue to run in the background when you aren’t using them actively. Check your system tray and quit anything you don’t need.
• Change Power Mode: Windows usually defaults the Power Mode to “Balanced”, which can throttle the CPU more than you realize. To enjoy a snappier performance, go to Settings > System > Power & battery and switch the Power Mode to Best Performance.
• Free up some storage space: Your PC’s performance (especially on older systems) automatically takes a toll when your storage drive is nearly full. To enjoy an optimal performance, you must keep at least 15 to 20% free space on your drive.
• Uninstall unwanted apps and software: We usually install some apps and software casually and then forget about them. Some apps run background processes that keep consuming precious resources. Removing unnecessary apps is one of the best ways to boost a slow PC.

Apart from these, you must also check for malware and adjust visual effects to fix a slow Windows machine.

So, when it’s actually worth upgrading RAM

In my experience, startup apps are one of the silent performance killers on a Windows PC. They pile up for months, and then your PC suddenly starts feeling sluggish. If you’ve tried everything and your PC is still slow after that, then it’s worth going for a RAM upgrade. It makes sense in certain cases. For instance, if you often work with large media files, demanding apps, heavy development tools, or virtual machines. Also, if the memory usage consistently sits above 80-90%, you’re actually maxing out your memory. In such cases, more RAM can be helpful. However, if the memory usage sits around 50 to 60% but the system still feels slow, RAM isn’t the culprit.

So, you should make some simple tweaks before actually buying more RAM.