fixed Slight performance Issues in windows with i-5 6600k Resolved

llucioo · May 31, 2020

Hey guys!

I truly hope this is the correct section to post in, but anyway I wanted to share my experience and maybe solve someone else's problems too.

TL;DR : Overclocking solved the issues

My issues were that the OS (win 10) felt sluggish, not responsive. When I started a program it took a while to open it, but most of all there was lag in registering clicks and keystrokes, not too much, but enough to tilt me.

And yes, I do have an ssd, 2 in fact: a Crucial 240GB (the first I bought when I built the PC) where I storethe os and few other programs and a 1TB m.2 ssd for the bulk of my games and projects.

Moreover the problems started about a year ago (I feel like it's windows security updates for spectre/meltdown etc. that slow things down, let me know if that is possible). I tried a fresh install 6 months ago, but it was useless.
Despite having a 6600k I used to keep it with stock clock speeds, because it didn't provide a justifiable difference in performance compared to consuming around 60% more power from the wall (50 watts non-overclocked, 80 watts with overclock).

Then a couple days ago I connected the dots and thought: "if the performance issues are CPU bound, I can overclock it!"

I loaded the overclocking profile I saved when I first built the pc and puff, no more problems.

Now when I click on a cell in excell it doesn't take half a second to select it, when I change the fonts in word I can see them without delay, when I rotate objects in fusion 360 it doesn't lag behind the cursor, when I open or close a folder
it doesn't wait for my patience to run out. I found happiness again XDXDXD

Although I fixed the problem for now I'm not sure if it was the correct approach or if it will be long lasting.

Let me know what you think and if I helped anybody else

porina · May 31, 2020

I've seen Windows 10 go sluggish on several systems, but never found a solution other than complete re-install. Choosing my words carefully, I'm not doubting that overclocking "fixed" it for you, but I suspect it is overcoming a problem elsewhere. For example, maybe Windows isn't making the CPU ramp up from idle to normal power fast enough for some reason. Overclocking may cause it to remain in a higher power state.

llucioo · May 31, 2020

I agree with you, overclocking solved the sympthoms and not the cause. I feel like it can still be useful as a temporary solution in situations when you don't have a ton of time to dedicate to a fresh install or just don't want to.

I feel reassured now that you have told me a fresh install solved the issue when you encountered it, thanks!

I will go for it in a few months, after I finish my exams and try stock and overclocked again just to see what happens.

porina · May 31, 2020

4 hours ago, llucioo said:

I feel reassured now that you have told me a fresh install solved the issue when you encountered it, thanks!

I can't say for sure what I saw is exactly what you're seeing either. Software and hardware can have complex interactions and yours might have a different cause from mine. Still, a clean install should sort out any software/driver related problems. If you have a spare drive, you can even do a test install to confirm that. Disconnect your existing OS drive to prevent any unintended changes to it if you do this.

Personally I hate doing clean installs. It takes a fair amount of time to get software installed and configured just how I like it. I'm still using my main system from 5 years ago because of that, although I've moved gaming to more modern systems.