You’ve probably heard about this optimization tip a thousand times—disabling the Windows Search index will significantly increase PC performance and reduce hard disk activity. Is this actually true? Or is it not worth giving up this nice Windows 7 feature? How does Windows Search work? Right after you install Windows or turn your PC on [...]
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is probably one of the most epic western RPGs. It offers more than 100 hours of gameplay (if you’re into exploring every detail) and is open-ended. But, the game doesn’t win the award for most beautiful–and it can also cause quite a slowdown on less powerful PCs. In this [...]
Today’s PCs come pre-installed with either the 32-bit (also known as x86) or the 64-bit (also known as x64) edition of Windows. With the full retail package of Windows 7 (which includes one 32-bit and one 64-bit disc) now available, both novice and professional computer users are having a difficult time deciding which version they [...]
A few week’s ago we had a blog post, in which we explained the reasoning behind developing our power-saving feature, TuneUp Economy Mode (part of our TuneUp Utilities 2012), and how it works. But in the end, it all boils down to one question: How much battery life can I really save? Today, we’ll put [...]
It’s ready for prime time: Today, after months and months of research on our part, I’m very happy to announce the release of our brand-new TuneUp Utilities 2012 on friday! This year’s version upgrades your PC not just with an enhanced feature for peak performance, but also with a brand-new power management system that delivers [...]
Does it take an eternity for your PC to boot up? Have you trolled the web for some tips on improving it? There’s some good advice out there; unfortunately, there’s also some really bad advice as I discussed last week. In this blog post, I’m going to finish off my extensive boot optimization analysis and [...]
Boot optimization isn’t rocket science, however, there is a lot of false information out there. One reason for this is that many boot optimization tips come from the era of Windows 3.x or Windows 98, and no one really checks their validity anymore. In this blog post, we’re going to look at common Windows boot optimization myths and show you that most don’t effectively decrease boot time and that some are even dangerous.
It’s an age-old PC fact: Protection from malware, intruders, hackers, phishing and even spam comes with a loss in performance. We asked ourselves—is this still true in today’s world of super-fast computers? Have security suite makers learned any lessons from the past and reduced the footprint of their products? Over the past several months, we [...]
Antivirus software provider ESET describes its security solution “Smart Security 4” as “High scanning speed with low memory demands ensures your computers does not slow down.” In this blog post, we’ll determine if ESET’s security suite really is that lightweight and will explain what kind of performance impact you can expect. This test is the [...]
You demanded more results from our security solution performance benchmark series, and here they are! If you’re a newcomer, here’s what’s been happening—in January, we kicked off a series of speed tests to measure the impact of antivirus solutions and full-blown security suites on a typical PC. We explore how much security tools affect Windows [...]
