A customer reports that their desktop computer is slow and unresponsive when several applications are open. All software is up to date, a malware scan shows the system is clean, and rebooting with unnecessary applications closed does not help. Which of the following actions should you take FIRST to identify any hardware resource that might be causing the sluggish performance?
Install additional memory modules to increase total RAM capacity
Verify that the installed RAM modules are compatible with the motherboard
Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest revision to resolve performance issues
Open Task Manager or another performance monitor to review CPU, memory, and disk activity
The logical first diagnostic step is to open Task Manager (or a similar performance-monitoring utility) and observe real-time CPU, memory, and disk usage. This immediately reveals whether a particular resource is saturated and points you toward the specific hardware (CPU, RAM, or storage) to investigate further.
Verifying RAM compatibility assumes a configuration fault that is not indicated by the symptoms.
Updating the BIOS carries risk and should be done only if release notes show it addresses the specific issue.
Installing additional RAM may help after you confirm that memory is the bottleneck; it is not the first diagnostic step.
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What specific metrics should I look for in Task Manager to identify performance issues?
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How can I interpret high memory usage in Task Manager?
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What role does checking for disk activity play in diagnosing performance issues?