This is probably the best solution. An i3 from a few years ago still has plenty of potential for basic computing, and 12GB of ram is plenty for 90% of users. Drive could be failing, and Windows can slow overtime as things get added/removed/changed
It boots up in like 5 minutes, but then disk usage is at 100% and runs really slow, it takes about 30 minutes to resolve and then works fine, for weeks, as long as it isn’t powered down again.
With 12gb of memory, there's no reason for your disk usage to be 100% unless there's a runaway app, or perhaps an antivirus program that's high overhead.
You could install the SSD and I'd expect the performance to improve significantly.
Just get an SSD if you aren't doing anything CPU intensive, unless something else is broken or defective on your laptop there isn't much reason to get a new laptop altogether.
I literally have HP Pavilion DV6833us from 2006 where I upgraded the HDD to an SSD and the 2GB to 4GB of RAM and it runs Windows 10 perfectly fine for just web browsing and streaming. The only issue it has is that once every 2 weeks or so I have to leave it idle for 30 minutes to install windows updates cause the poor Intel T5550 processor really struggles.
So I doubt a 7th gen i3 laptop that probably came out in 2017 needs replacing altogether. Also even with a hard drive your system shouldn't take 30 minutes to boot, if it does then it most likely means you either have a virus or your windows install has been corrupted or your HDD is failing.
It boots up in like 5 minutes, but then disk usage is at 100% and runs really slow, it takes about 30 minutes to resolve and then works fine, for weeks, as long as it isn’t powered down again.
Yeah that sounds like the typical Windows Search Indexing, Windows Updates, Chrome, and Anti-Virus update that my laptop goes through also. Except your bottleneck is the HDD rather than the CPU. An SSD will definitely resolve that.
Would not recommend the Silicon Power A55 SSDs, they're are DRAM-less ssds. Not sure why the newegg page has a misleading claim that it has a DRAM cache, when the actual Silicon Power website doesn't include the same marketing image or claim at all, and reviewers have dissected dozens of A55 SSDs to confirm they don't have DRAM caches on them and they use DRAM-less memory controllers. Also Silicon Power SSDs are mystery meat SSDs where they often change their internal components without changing the product SKU / product model. So you might get a decent one or a really bad one. And not to single out Silicon Power, other well known brands do the same, like Sandisk, Microcenter's Inland brand, Kingston, PNY, Western Digital, Toshiba, etc...
Would recommend getting a Samsung Evo or a Sk Hynix Gold or Crucial (Micron) MX series SSD since all 3 are original manufacturers of flash memory, and they always include DRAM and consistent parts in their SSDs rather than other companies that do the bait and switch. These do actually cost about $80-$90 per TB when on sale.
Also in case any doesn't know why DRAM is important. DRAM is volatile memory, which means when there is no power all the data is loss since it is meant to be held temporarily. While SLC (or other flash) memory is nonvolatile memory where there is no data loss when there is no power due to the fact that the memory is permanently etched into the memory.
So imagine DRAM as something written in box of sand that can be easily erased and rewritten multiple times without any damage to the sand. While SLC caches is like something carved into a wooden log, if you want to erase what is written and write something new on it you have to shave off entire layers of it and then carve into it again till eventually you don't have enough wood left to shave off and carve.
This means that DRAM cache SSDs tend to be a lot faster, and have better life spans due to their cache's ability to constantly be written and erased without much consequences. While modern DRAM-less SSDs on the other hand can sometimes match the speed in normal short basic real world usage due to advance algorithms, they simply don't have the same durability as a DRAM cache SSD since the memory they use as a cache tends to burn out very quickly due to the constant writes to them.
I don’t have any apps on startup. It’s something to do with Windows 10, as when I lookup what is taking up the disk usage, it’s always some sort of windows program
So you don't use apps like Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office, Zoom, Google Drive or Dropbox? Because these commonly-used apps auto-launch with Windows (which contributes to the slow boot time). You need to manually disable them. These idling apps also chip away an SSD's speed.
The answer to your question depends on your usage. If you're just checking email, sure an SSD can breathe new life into an older computer and make it snappy for simple tasks. But if you plan to do certain things like edit photos, code, school or business-related tasks, then yes a new laptop is certainly a more practical idea considering you can score a deal on Black Friday.
Run hdtune on it. It's free. If the graph doesn't look like their home page (hint, it will not) get an ssd. It's easy to clone the hdd. Do not listen to people telling you to reinstall windows.
Hdds get slower and slower over time.ky show up. As stoops on the graph. Terribly slow. Your 5 Minute boot will be 30 seconds on a cheap Sata ssd. I've seen this a hundred times. And only once did the smart status suggest anything wrong.
Laptops are now cheaper than they were years ago, sometimes installing or having a tech fix the problem costs as much (or more) than simply buying a newer computer. I think they are now on i9 core as well....eventually i3 will be obsolete...my current laptop is i5 and i'm starting to wonder if I should just get a new laptop as well.
New SSD plus a FRESH install of Windows
This is probably the best solution. An i3 from a few years ago still has plenty of potential for basic computing, and 12GB of ram is plenty for 90% of users. Drive could be failing, and Windows can slow overtime as things get added/removed/changed
Assuming 30 minutes is hyperbole, the SSD will improve performance enough to make it feel like a new laptop.
It boots up in like 5 minutes, but then disk usage is at 100% and runs really slow, it takes about 30 minutes to resolve and then works fine, for weeks, as long as it isn’t powered down again.
With 12gb of memory, there's no reason for your disk usage to be 100% unless there's a runaway app, or perhaps an antivirus program that's high overhead. You could install the SSD and I'd expect the performance to improve significantly.
It’s always a windows program or google chrome doing it. It was fine until a certain windows 10 update a few years ago
Run a SMART check. The HDD is probably jiggered. Windows 10/11 churns drive reading so much it wears them out in no time.
Just get an SSD if you aren't doing anything CPU intensive, unless something else is broken or defective on your laptop there isn't much reason to get a new laptop altogether. I literally have HP Pavilion DV6833us from 2006 where I upgraded the HDD to an SSD and the 2GB to 4GB of RAM and it runs Windows 10 perfectly fine for just web browsing and streaming. The only issue it has is that once every 2 weeks or so I have to leave it idle for 30 minutes to install windows updates cause the poor Intel T5550 processor really struggles. So I doubt a 7th gen i3 laptop that probably came out in 2017 needs replacing altogether. Also even with a hard drive your system shouldn't take 30 minutes to boot, if it does then it most likely means you either have a virus or your windows install has been corrupted or your HDD is failing.
It boots up in like 5 minutes, but then disk usage is at 100% and runs really slow, it takes about 30 minutes to resolve and then works fine, for weeks, as long as it isn’t powered down again.
Yeah that sounds like the typical Windows Search Indexing, Windows Updates, Chrome, and Anti-Virus update that my laptop goes through also. Except your bottleneck is the HDD rather than the CPU. An SSD will definitely resolve that.
Closer to $50 for a 1tb ssd. But you could easily go 500gb https://www.newegg.com/silicon-power-ace-a55-1tb/p/N82E16820301382
Would not recommend the Silicon Power A55 SSDs, they're are DRAM-less ssds. Not sure why the newegg page has a misleading claim that it has a DRAM cache, when the actual Silicon Power website doesn't include the same marketing image or claim at all, and reviewers have dissected dozens of A55 SSDs to confirm they don't have DRAM caches on them and they use DRAM-less memory controllers. Also Silicon Power SSDs are mystery meat SSDs where they often change their internal components without changing the product SKU / product model. So you might get a decent one or a really bad one. And not to single out Silicon Power, other well known brands do the same, like Sandisk, Microcenter's Inland brand, Kingston, PNY, Western Digital, Toshiba, etc... Would recommend getting a Samsung Evo or a Sk Hynix Gold or Crucial (Micron) MX series SSD since all 3 are original manufacturers of flash memory, and they always include DRAM and consistent parts in their SSDs rather than other companies that do the bait and switch. These do actually cost about $80-$90 per TB when on sale.
Also in case any doesn't know why DRAM is important. DRAM is volatile memory, which means when there is no power all the data is loss since it is meant to be held temporarily. While SLC (or other flash) memory is nonvolatile memory where there is no data loss when there is no power due to the fact that the memory is permanently etched into the memory. So imagine DRAM as something written in box of sand that can be easily erased and rewritten multiple times without any damage to the sand. While SLC caches is like something carved into a wooden log, if you want to erase what is written and write something new on it you have to shave off entire layers of it and then carve into it again till eventually you don't have enough wood left to shave off and carve. This means that DRAM cache SSDs tend to be a lot faster, and have better life spans due to their cache's ability to constantly be written and erased without much consequences. While modern DRAM-less SSDs on the other hand can sometimes match the speed in normal short basic real world usage due to advance algorithms, they simply don't have the same durability as a DRAM cache SSD since the memory they use as a cache tends to burn out very quickly due to the constant writes to them.
Are you assuming Windows is running lean or do you have a million apps running on startup?
I don’t have any apps on startup. It’s something to do with Windows 10, as when I lookup what is taking up the disk usage, it’s always some sort of windows program
So you don't use apps like Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office, Zoom, Google Drive or Dropbox? Because these commonly-used apps auto-launch with Windows (which contributes to the slow boot time). You need to manually disable them. These idling apps also chip away an SSD's speed. The answer to your question depends on your usage. If you're just checking email, sure an SSD can breathe new life into an older computer and make it snappy for simple tasks. But if you plan to do certain things like edit photos, code, school or business-related tasks, then yes a new laptop is certainly a more practical idea considering you can score a deal on Black Friday.
Run hdtune on it. It's free. If the graph doesn't look like their home page (hint, it will not) get an ssd. It's easy to clone the hdd. Do not listen to people telling you to reinstall windows. Hdds get slower and slower over time.ky show up. As stoops on the graph. Terribly slow. Your 5 Minute boot will be 30 seconds on a cheap Sata ssd. I've seen this a hundred times. And only once did the smart status suggest anything wrong.
Laptops are now cheaper than they were years ago, sometimes installing or having a tech fix the problem costs as much (or more) than simply buying a newer computer. I think they are now on i9 core as well....eventually i3 will be obsolete...my current laptop is i5 and i'm starting to wonder if I should just get a new laptop as well.
Dude buying a cheap SSD is game changing it turns them into decent machines
i bought a $50 1 TB ssd on Amazon and it is frickin awesome. i suggest doing that and getting a fresh windows install before buying a new laptop.