Performance is critical for everyone—not just those using PCs but also for those accessing the Web. Mozilla recently pre-released Firefox 7 (also known as Aurora) which promises massive performance enhancements for Javascript but also resulting significantly lower memory usage. This news caught my attention, as I stopped using Firefox a couple of years ago because [...]
Microsoft recently caught my attention with the release of a performance-related hotfix. Blog readers should pay attention to KB2555428. It fixes an issue which can cause Windows 7 to boot extremely slowly. The culprit is System Restore with the slowdown occuring when many restore points have been created. To quote Microsoft Support on the symptoms [...]
No matter how fast your PC is, there’s one thing slowing it down and that is low disk space. It’s probably the no. 1 cause of a sluggish machine and even one that IT pros tend to overlook. In this blog post, I’ll explain why low disk space can make every program slow down to [...]
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 [...]
Mechanical hard disks have ruled for ages—but their reign is coming to an end. Uptake of faster, more energy-efficient solid state drives (SSDs) is increasing. Fast boot times and overall performance coupled with a decrease in prices are their major upsides, but users need to take special care of their SSDs. This blog post outlines [...]
In 2007, Microsoft introduced “Windows DreamScene” into Windows Vista. This feature made it possible to enjoy a video clip, and not just static images, as your desktop wallpaper. Although users loved it, DreamScene was only available as part of the “Ultimate Extras” program—and only those users with Windows Vista Ultimate could access the feature. To [...]
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 [...]
Google Chrome led the way, then Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 4 followed—modern browsers are becoming less cluttered, render websites faster, launch even quicker, and still add tons of new features with every new release. However, there’s still one thing that has a negative effect on all these fantastic improvements and that’s poorly written, low-performance [...]
As you know, it is essential for Windows users to know their systems are secure; however, the impact security solutions have on PC performance is a big issue. This is why the TuneUp blog team recently conducted a number of benchmarks to compare popular antivirus programs and find out which ones slow down your PC. [...]
