System_Performance

Unit 8 Analysis 1: System Performance Fragmented disks is the inability of a file system to lay out data sequentially. As files are created, deleted or modified over time their size and physical location can change. If the hard disk is beginning to run out of room and the user saves a large file, the file system will save the data to different points in the hard drive to find room to fit the entire file. The file will then be fragmented or separated in different spots on the hard drive. Fragmenting is normal; however over time more and more files will be fragmented and be separated. Thus over time the hard disk will take longer and longer to retrieve data, and system performance will be reduced. More processes means, there is more memory devoted to processes which usually has the effect to reducing system performance. The more the task the CPU is tasked with the slower the CPU will process the tasks. Usually by looking in the task manager tab, you can visually see how many processes your CPU is using at one given time. Also sometimes drivers can cause high CPU usage without it ever actually showing, the main one is "Interrupt Requests" in process explorer - which is the main indicator of how much CPU time is going to drivers. Adding RAM to your motherboard can increase the performance of your CPU dramatically. RAM is the first step in upgrading your computer. Using virtual memory creates free space in RAM, speeding up the performance of applications that are currently running, or allowing more applications to run simultaneously. However, if a computer has insufficient physical RAM, the operating system may spend most of its time swapping data back and forth between RAM and the hard disk, rather than running application programs. This is known as disk thrashing, which can significantly slow system performance. If thrashing does occur it can have a negative effect by halting applications completely. There are many factors that can affect the performance of your PC. The first is disk storage, as mentioned previous cluttered hard drive and disk fragmentation can slow your PC every time you save and retrieve data. Spyware can also be a major contributor to slowing down your PC. Spyware is malicious software that attaches itself to your computer in different ways to advertise by monitoring your Internet browsing, history folders and by collecting personal information. All Windows based PCs have a Unit 8 Analysis 1: System Performance System registry. Over time the accumulation of unused files can affect the performance of your computer. Limited RAM and too many operations running at the same time can also negatively affect the speed of the CPU.