Why is my computer a dud?

In my previous post about Task Manager and Resource Monitor (https://www.ihatemypc.com.au/post/task-manager-resource-monitor-finding-blockages) I outlined briefly how the various interactions of the components of your computer dictate the overall behaviour.

Your computer works by moving things around. Even when you aren't doing something, it probably is.

The Task Manager shows you an overview of the major components of your system, as can be seen below; CPU, Memory, Disks etc.

NOTE: The things that connect these components can also be the bottle neck. This usually can be filed under the title of "motherboard". The motherboard is where all these components are joined together. If it is slow or rubbish or faulty then it doesn't matter now fast anything you plug into it is.

Some of these things correspond to questions you may, or should have, asked when you bought the machine; how much memory (RAM) does it have? How fast is the hard disk (SSD or traditional hard drive), how fast is the processor (CPU) and so on.

So depending on the answers to those questions it is quite possible that your machine is a dud right out of the box.

These $300 laptops you see advertised...yeah, they are that price because the answers to those questions aren't good.

When any one of the graphs shown above is constantly at capacity then you are going to be frustrated if not outright thwarted.

I have had customers come to me with brand new machines complaining that they are slow.

Thinking that they've done something wrong they ask me to fix it.

Unfortunately there's no way to turn a Toyota Corolla into a Ferrari.

Of course there are lots of other factors that can make a computer a dud.

There are many examples of poor design, manufacturing faults and bad software that can leave you with a hole in your bank account and not much of a computer.

It is hard to find an objective review of these things these days. Whatever viewpoint you have can be verified by Googling. But is it the right viewpoint?

The best advice I can provide in this context is:

1) Don't be cheap. If you want it to work OK you need to pay an OK amount of money. You do still get what you pay for (mostly).

2) Know your consumer rights and return policies. If an item is NOT "fit for purpose" then you have a right to a no-questions-asked return and refund (check your local laws).

3) Be strong. Retail stores will often bully you into buying what they are selling over what you need or want.

4) Get some advice before buying. Check out CHOICE online, ask you computer person...whatever. Just get some help BEFORE you buy.

I have a buying guide that I update and send to my customers (when they ask for it). It answer a lot of your questions about how to buy a new computer. Message me through this web site and I'll send it to you.

As an amusing end to this post, I'll tell you about a phone call I recently had.

A customer obtained my buying guide about 2 years ago and went to a retail store with it so they could buy the right laptop.

The smarty pants in the store poo-pood my buying guide and sold my customer something else.

My customer put up a fight but the instore doubt meant he bought what the salesman said not what my document and his considerations had decided upon.

Guess what? The machine was a pain in the arse from day one.

Go figure.

Have fund and dodge those duds :-)

David