Question Help me Clean Up a Sluggish Computer

[Xarzu]

I have had to start working from home. That work has involved setting up virutal machines and I quickly ran into a memory problem. The way I see it, there are a number of things I can do. The first thing is to look at my task manager and see how many processes and aps I have runnnin gin the backgrounnd that I can clean up. Then I can see how much memory I have and how much more memorny I can install in my motherboard. Finally, I can get a new computer. But I am going to put that last option off to the last moment .



So let's start with cleaning up my computer. So, my first question would be to ask for advice on some good software for removing malware and garbage. The next request is for you to have a look at the screen shots I made of my task mannager. I don't know how to do text grabs. So please have a look and tell me what you think.



I am going to just post the links to the images here.

https://millionthompson.com/images/tasks%2001.png

https://millionthompson.com/images/tasks%2002.png

https://millionthompson.com/images/tasks%2003.png

https://millionthompson.com/images/tasks%2004.png

 

[Tech Junky]

Well first of all it helps to mention whether the system is using DDR3 or DDR4.
Secondly the 2nd tab "performance" shows the total amount of RAM in the system.



Looking briefly at your screenshots though it appears you're using some legacy software like real player / MWbytes... which version of Windows are you running?

Also a snapshot of your inventory could be helpful - just hit the windows key and type "system information"

 

[Xarzu]

Here is the system info of my computer:

https://millionthompson.com/images/System_Info.png

I have DDR3 unfortunately.
The good news is that, now that I know I have two slots open on my motherboard, I can double my memory.

https://millionthompson.com/images/Memory.PNG

 

[Tech Junky]

4th gen CPU isn't bad, ddr3 though means more $ for an upgrade than say DDR4.

I did 32gb in my laptop for $100 and 16gb in my server for $60.

PCPartPicker is a good resource for picking ram though for prices at glance to match them with the mobo/ CPU. You could just match the brand and speed or look for something a little faster but is it worth it for the older CPU?

What the root issue is for maxing out the 16GB might be worth looking at the startup tab on task manager to see what's auto launching at boot. The main issue for me usually is Chrome w/ multiple tabs open w/ a couple of them being "flash" games that consume a horrendous amount of RAM / GPU





So, the options seem to be pushing GSKILL $50-$200 for 16GB @ current speed - https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/zsTmP6,dgDwrH,9BZ2FT,QMCD4D/

Bump to 2133 w/ 4 new DIMM's - $160-$200

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/M6CwrH,mBMFf7,cF7wrH,Bk4gXL/

Next up to 2400 w/ 4 new DIMM's - $160 - $210

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/9VNp99,PMLypg/

So, it might come down to pricing vs performance. Doubling to 32GB either way will give you some breathing room until your next major overhaul / rebuild. The same speed @ 1866 is the cheapest option adding 2 DIMM's for $50. The next 2 steps are about the same price replacing all 4 for $160. This comes down to what you're using the RAM for whether it will be a tangible difference in how things perform with a higher speed tier.

If what you're doing is more on the GPU side then an upgrade over there would be a bigger impact. Also, killing the pagefile completely is one of the first things I do when setting up a new system as it's kind of pointless to put the wear on the drive when you have RAM these days. It's aa legacy setting to back when systems were only running 4-8GB of RAM. In Linux it's the swap file which does the same thing.

If it were me I would just add the $50 upgrade and start plotting an upgrade to a completely new system to take advantage of the new tech. I upgraded a system I built a few years back with a 8700K to 12700K and the price to do so was a wash in what the 8700K would sell for post upgrade. The process gained PCI/DDR 5 as options but DDR5 prices / tax on the mobo side swayed me to stick with DDR4. The gains on DDR5 weren't enough to pay the extra $100/MOBO and double the price on the RAM. On the laptop side I went from 9750H to 12700H and that felt like more of a hit to the wallet because there's less you can do yourself when it comes to the MOBO option. I still managed to snag a barebones system w/o dries / ram / etc. for $1300 and I already had those so it wasn't an added cost but, also upgrade the panel to 4K as a personal preference. The upgrades to that $1300 system add up to ~$425 for 4K+32GB / 1TB SN850 ~$170. Comparable tech / specs prepackaged easily comes in at $2500-$4000 depending on the brand. The nice thing is that it's stealthy w/o any branding drawing attention to the laptop.

 

[Xarzu]

This shot is a wierd angle. It is looking down at the memory cards. I had a shop do the installation. The thing is, they are spaced with an empty slot between them. I thought that one had to have then stacked side-by-side but I guess I was wrong. Now I have more questions. If I don't want to replace these two and I only want to add two more, am I bound by the restrictions of the amount of memory? In other words, if I add two more cards, do the two new cards have to be just like the ones I have? Also, how do I shop for the next cards and make sure they are the right physical size to fit in the motherboard?

 

[Tech Junky]

Well, to make this simple....

Slot 1 & 3 are one channel to give you dual channel speed
Slot 2 & 4 are the other channel

The system has a max of 32GB that will work with the CPU and you have 2x8GB already which means you can still add another 2x8GB to slots 2 & 4.

I gave you the compatible options in the links based on the HW info you provided.

 

[Xarzu]

When I have a look at what I have in my motherboard, here is what I see:

https://millionthompson.com/images/memory01.PNG

https://millionthompson.com/images/memory02.PNG

https://millionthompson.com/images/memory03.PNG

Choose language | Drupal

millionthompson.com

I need some advice. I had thought that the memory cards had to be installed in the motherboard side-by-side. I see that this is not the case. Also, I don't want to buy two more cards and find that they are physically too long to fit. How do I determinne that I will buy the proper physical length? Also, and I constrainded to buy two more idenntical cards that have the same amount of memory?

 

[Tech Junky]

I already gave you what's compatible.

They don't have to be identical but the same speeds make them perform better.

The slots work in pairs. You can move the side by side but it won't boot.

 

[Xarzu]

I already gave you what's compatible.

They don't have to be identical but the same speeds make them perform better.

The slots work in pairs. You can move the side by side but it won't boot.

OK, I undersatand. Are all memory cards the same physical lenght and will it be easy for me to order the two additional 8 gb cards?

 

[Xarzu]

Do you think this will work?

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-HyperX-FURY-1600MHz-DDR3/dp/B00J8E8Y5C/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=hyperx%2Bmemory%2B8gb&qid=1656536439&sprefix=hyperx%2Bmemory%2B%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-7&th=1

 

[Xarzu]

Well, those are sold out. How about these?

https://www.amazon.com/Tech-Desktop-240-Pin-Non-ECC-Unbuffered/dp/B07XFGKY2V/ref=sr_1_21_sspa?crid=MSQYF64TN5NX&keywords=hyperx%2Bmemory%2B8gb%2Bddr3&qid=1656536623&sprefix=hyperx%2Bmemory%2B8gb%2Bddr3%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-21-spons&smid=A3LKWIQ3PBTNT2&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExR1hMMDdCUDJWMEc5JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODIyMzkxMk5aRUFDUEhCRFU5QiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDA1NTY4MlVYWkk3TExFTjFFTiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2J0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

 

[daveybrat]

It looks like you have RAV antivirus running on your system. Did you pay for that? It appears to be malware and/or a program that installs without your permission.

As for ram, i'd go with this kit:

https://www.amazon.com/G-Skill-Ripjaws-240-Pin-Desktop-F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL/dp/B0064DQR9U/ref=sr_1_14?crid=1HWHNZAV8PAHX&keywords=16gb+ddr3+desktop+kit&qid=1656538284&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&sprefix=16gb+ddr3+desktop+kit%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-14

 

[Xarzu]

It looks like you have RAV antivirus running on your system. Did you pay for that? It appears to be malware and/or a program that installs without your permission.

As for ram, i'd go with this kit:

https://www.amazon.com/G-Skill-Ripjaws-240-Pin-Desktop-F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL/dp/B0064DQR9U/ref=sr_1_14?crid=1HWHNZAV8PAHX&keywords=16gb+ddr3+desktop+kit&qid=1656538284&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&sprefix=16gb+ddr3+desktop+kit%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-14

Thank you for the advice. I will look and see about RAV. I will also buy the memory you suggested if the one I just got does not work..

I went ahead and took the leap and bought memory.

Will this work or should I return it? What do you think?

20220702_170621.jpg

drive.google.com

There are lots of reasons why the memory might not work. One reason repeated is that it is the wrong type of memory. I wanted to ask the fourm before I even try.

20220702_165839.jpg

drive.google.com

I appreciate any input, suggestion or advice. Here is the memory screenshot from before. Please tell me if more informatioin is necessary. https://millionthompson.com/images/Memory.PNG

 

[Shmee]

I would run Malwarebytes and Superantispyware, as well as windows defender, to clean up any malware on your computer. Also, you can go to edit the startup programs in your task manager, and disable the ones that don't need to run right away on startup. Unfortunately, way too much stuff often loads on startup by default.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I appreciate any input, suggestion or advice. Here is the memory screenshot from before. Please tell me if more informatioin is necessary. https://millionthompson.com/images/Memory.PNG

Return the one you bought. That one is lower speed than the one you have working in your PC.

Patriot Viper 3 16GB SDRAM DDR3 1866 Desktop Memory - Newegg.com

Buy Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin PC RAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 15000) Desktop Memory Model PV316G186C0K with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

This one is compatible speed-wise. You may still want to see what timings your current RAM is running at. You can do that with CPU-Z. Post a screenshot of the memory tab of CPU-Z.

 

[Shmee]

Yeah, if possible you want to get the same speeds, and also the same type of RAM chips (Samsung Bdie, Micron E die, etc...) Otherwise the two kits may not play well together. Those A tech DIMMs may work, with your current kit, but I suspect they would all run at 1600MHz or below.

Also, be sure to get sticks rated for the right voltage.

 

[Xarzu]

Return the one you bought. That one is lower speed than the one you have working in your PC.

Patriot Viper 3 16GB SDRAM DDR3 1866 Desktop Memory - Newegg.com

Buy Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin PC RAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 15000) Desktop Memory Model PV316G186C0K with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

This one is compatible speed-wise. You may still want to see what timings your current RAM is running at. You can do that with CPU-Z. Post a screenshot of the memory tab of CPU-Z.

Here is the memory tab of CPU-Z

https://millionthompson.com/images/cpu-z-03.png

Here is the details of the memory card in slot 2

https://millionthompson.com/images/cpu-z-04.png

Here is the details of the memory card in slot 4

https://millionthompson.com/images/cpu-z-05.png

I don't know what the numbers and specifications on the link you gave me mean. Are you sure this is the right choice?

Patriot Viper 3 16GB SDRAM DDR3 1866 Desktop Memory - Newegg.com

Buy Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin PC RAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 15000) Desktop Memory Model PV316G186C0K with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

 

[igor_kavinski]

Your RAM timings are 10-11-10-30. These timings match that Patriot RAM's timings on Newegg. I think it should work just fine. The command rate may drop to 2T with four sticks but if it stays at 1T, that would be an excellent result. @Shmee, what do you think?

 

[Shmee]

Yeah I would agree. The Patriot kit looks like it has the same speed and timings for XMP, which should help. Same voltage too. Just be sure to enable XMP after install if it isn't already.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Be sure to blow dust off the vacant RAM slots. You don't want them pesky dust particles giving you any trouble.

 

[Xarzu]

Be sure to blow dust off the vacant RAM slots. You don't want them pesky dust particles giving you any trouble.

I sprayed the empty memory slots with "surf onn" electronics duster compressed gas cleaner once. Maybe I should spray it again?

I don't remember the last time I added memory to my motherboard. And I do not know what specifics about my system you need to know in order to give me some advice.

Here is the problem in a nut shell. After I installed my memory, I powered on my computer and it would cycle between starting up and shutting down continuously. I don't know that to think. I don't know if there are some steps I am missing. The memory is brand new. Could the memory be faulty and I need to return it? Do I need to do something with the BIOS settings?

 

[igor_kavinski]

Remove all the RAM sticks and then insert just one brand new stick to see if it will boot. If successful, add the second one and then the third old one and finally the fourth old one. Usually, a mobo will "learn" how to manage the sticks this way (this is how my Gigabyte mobo learned to get stable with 4 sticks). You may also need to change to a different RAM slot if the stick doesnt work in the first slot. Keep trying. It can be pretty nerve wracking. If in the end, no matter what you do can make the new sticks work, you have no choice but to return them and try a different brand. Also, try to see if there is a beta BIOS available for your mobo. Sometimes that can help. But try it only after you have tried everything else.

 

[Xarzu]

Remove all the RAM sticks and then insert just one brand new stick to see if it will boot. If successful, add the second one and then the third old one and finally the fourth old one. Usually, a mobo will "learn" how to manage the sticks this way (this is how my Gigabyte mobo learned to get stable with 4 sticks). You may also need to change to a different RAM slot if the stick doesnt work in the first slot. Keep trying. It can be pretty nerve wracking. If in the end, no matter what you do can make the new sticks work, you have no choice but to return them and try a different brand. Also, try to see if there is a beta BIOS available for your mobo. Sometimes that can help. But try it only after you have tried everything else.

I think this is an excellent suggestion.

 

[Xarzu]

We have success. I have it working. The memory I got works.

It is actually a shock.

There were so many difficulties that I expected more difficulties,

But the BIOS recognized the memory.

The only hick-up that worried me was that when windows started, there was a statement that it was "Restarting" with that rolling icon -- you know what I am talking about, I think, That was there for hours. I was worried about doing anything but finally I had the courage to shut the computer down and restart it. And now, here I am. I mean, the fact that I am online posting this means I am back to life again.

 

[igor_kavinski]

There were so many difficulties that I expected more difficulties,

Short summary, if you don't mind please.