Gaming PC was slow after a Windows install: when the drive is to blame
Sometimes Windows is installed correctly, the drivers are in place, and the computer is still slow. Here is a case where the cause was the drive, and I will say honestly how it ended: not the way I wanted.
What the problem was
A young man from the outskirts of Batumi called me. He needed Windows installed on a gaming computer. I came in the evening and installed Windows. All the drivers went in, everything worked, I checked and left.
What I noticed at once and did not take seriously
While working I noticed slight stuttering. At the time I did not pay attention: there was little time to investigate and the internet there is very weak. Perhaps that was already the first sign.
The second day
The next day the client sent screenshots: the computer was slow to boot and to work, and then a blue screen appeared. I looked at the error code: it pointed either to the graphics card or to the drive.
I said I would come and look. I did not charge for the second visit. Later I thought it could have been called paid diagnostics, but at the time I did not have time for a full check.
What I checked and what I found
When I arrived I ran tests on the M.2 drive and reinstalled Windows. We opened the computer: it had two M.2 slots. I moved the drive to the nearer slot.
My conclusion: something is wrong with the drive, and it needs replacing.
What I offered
I advised buying a new drive. So the client would not spend money for nothing, I offered a scheme: I had a faulty laptop with a new 500 GB M.2 drive. I could put that drive in the client’s computer. If everything worked, the client would either buy the drive or pay with old equipment he had for sale. If it did not work, he would pay nothing.
The client hesitated and in the end did not decide: neither on the swap nor on buying a drive.
How it ended
Honestly: the problem is not solved. The client declined the offer. The next day his computer stopped booting altogether, and he wrote to me. I reminded him that the drive needed replacing and that I would do it without prepayment. He replied that he would get in touch if needed, and I took that as a polite no.
I do not know what happened to the computer after that. Why a person who could afford a drive did not buy one, I never understood. For me it remained an open question.
What I advised the client
- Replace the M.2 drive: reinstalling Windows will not help here.
When you need a technician and when you can manage yourself
You can reinstall Windows yourself. But if after a clean install the computer is still slow and blue screens appear, the problem is most likely not the system. A technician can check the drive’s condition with tests and by changing the slot. If the drive is faulty, no reinstall will help.
Author: Tariel, Batumi. Details changed to keep the client anonymous. Updated: October 2026.
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