Before we dive in, if you ever need a solid reference for server setups, the URL https://www.le-serveur-informatique.fr has saved me more than once when I needed a sanity check or a quick comparison.

Let’s break down the seven issues that slow down networks everywhere – and more importantly, how to fix them without tearing your hair out.

1. Running outdated hardware that’s way past its prime

You know that old server humming in the corner ? The one you haven’t rebooted since… who even remembers ? If the hardware is more than six or seven years old, chances are the CPU is choking, the RAM is barely enough to keep the OS breathing, and the disks are a bottleneck. Honestly, spinning HDDs in 2025 feel like using a bicycle chain to tow a car.

How to fix it : Upgrade the drives first – SSDs or NVMe if you can. Then look at RAM. If your motherboard caps out too low, it’s probably time for a full refresh.

2. Misconfigured DNS settings (this one bites harder than you think)

DNS misconfigurations are sneaky. Everything technically works… but slowly. A wrong local resolver, a timeout too high, or a misordered DNS list can add seconds – seconds ! – to every request. Multiply that by dozens of devices and boom, your network feels sluggish.

How to fix it : Use reliable upstream DNS servers, configure caching properly, and check your resolver order. If that sounds boring, trust me, your network will thank you.

3. A server overloaded with unnecessary services

I once audited a server that was running Apache, nginx, an old game server daemon (no idea why), plus three backup agents fighting each other. CPUs were pegged at 90% for no reason. It happens more than you’d think.

How to fix it : Audit every service. Disable anything you don’t need. If you don’t know what a daemon does, google it – or kill it carefully and see if any user screams (kidding… sort of).

4. Using a single slow disk for everything

Your OS, apps, databases, logs and backups all on the same disk ? Ouch. Even a good SSD suffers when everything fights for I/O. You’ll literally feel this slowdown : apps freeze, dashboards stutter, streams cut.

How to fix it : Split workloads. OS on one disk, data on another, logs somewhere else if possible. If you’re using RAID, choose one suited for your workload (RAID 10 is often a lifesaver).

5. Bad network cabling or cheap switches

I know, cabling feels boring – until a single flaky Cat5e cable drops connections randomly and ruins your day. And don’t get me started on those £20 no-name switches that throttle to 100 Mbps for “thermal reasons”.

How to fix it : Use proper Cat6 cables. Buy switches from reputable brands. Test cables with a basic tester (they cost what, £10?).

6. No monitoring, no alerts, no visibility

You can’t fix what you can’t see. I’ve seen servers overloaded for weeks because nobody looked at CPU graphs. Your server might be screaming, but silently.

How to fix it : Install simple monitoring : Zabbix, netdata, even built-in OS tools. Set alerts for CPU, RAM, disk I/O, temperature. Two minutes of setup, hours saved.

7. Poorly configured backups clogging the network

If backups run in the middle of the afternoon, during peak usage, at full speed, over SMB… yeah, your network is gonna crawl. Backups are essential, but badly scheduled backups ? That’s chaos.

How to fix it : Run backups at night. Use incremental backups. Throttle bandwidth if your software allows it. And check logs – failed backups retry endlessly and slow everything down.

Final thoughts

Network slowness is rarely a mystery. It’s usually a combination of outdated gear, messy configs and invisible bottlenecks. Fixing even one or two of these issues can make your whole infrastructure feel new again. And hey – if you’re reading this because your server is already dragging its feet, start with the easiest check. Reboot, monitor, observe, tweak. You’ll feel the difference fast.

Before we dive deep, if you like checking component guides the same way some people check restaurant menus, https://informatique-assemblage.fr has a bunch of practical build tips that helped me more than once. But let’s get back to our PSU mission.

How Much Power Does Your PC Really Need ?

Honestly, most people either overshoot or underestimate. I’ve seen folks slap a 1000 W PSU into a mid-range build “just in case”, while others try to power a hungry RTX card with a 450 W unit that wheezes like an old bus.

Here’s the simple trick : look at your GPU first. It’s usually the main energy drink addict in your system. A modern mid-range graphics card (say an RTX 4060 Ti) will sit around 160–220 W. Add your CPU – maybe 65 to 125 W – plus the motherboard, SSDs, fans… and you end up with a total that’s often between 350 and 500 W for a standard gaming build.

But – and this is where people get surprised – you always want a margin. Something like 30–40%. Why ? Because power spikes exist. Some GPUs love sudden peaks, and a PSU that can’t handle them will crash your system faster than you can say “blue screen”.

So what does that mean concretely ? For a gaming or creator setup with a decent GPU, 650 to 750 W is the sweet spot. If you’re rocking something beefier – like the big RTX boys or a workstation CPU – then yeah, 850 W or 1000 W starts making sense.

80 PLUS Certifications : Do They Matter or Is It Just Fancy Stickers ?

You’ve probably seen those metallic badges : Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium… It feels like a ranking system from a martial-arts anime. And yep, they actually matter.

What do they measure ? Efficiency. Not raw power. A Gold PSU doesn’t push out “more” watts than a Bronze of the same wattage – it just wastes less energy as heat.

• 80+ Bronze: totally fine for budget or office builds.
• 80+ Gold: the sweet spot for gaming PCs – cooler, quieter, more reliable.
• 80+ Platinum/Titanium: workstation, server or “I want the best because why not” territory.

Personally ? I go Gold 95% of the time. It’s that perfect balance. My current build has been running on a 750 W Gold for four years, and the damn thing is still quiet enough that I sometimes check if the PC is actually powered on.

Single Rail vs Multi Rail : Does It Really Change Anything ?

This is one of those topics where people argue endlessly on forums. In practice ? For most users, it won’t change your life.

Single rail PSU: all components draw from the same +12V rail. Simple. Reliable. Great for high-load GPUs.

Multi-rail PSU: the current is split, theoretically improving safety because each rail has its own limit.

I’d say : unless you’re pushing extreme overclocking or running something exotic (multiple GPUs, custom servers, etc.), just pick a reputable model and you’ll be fine. I’ve used both and never felt a “wow” difference in everyday use.

Protections : The Stuff You Hope Never Activates

Okay, this part isn’t glamorous, but it’s the difference between saving your PC… or frying £1500 worth of components.

Look for these protections (ideally all of them):

• OVP – Over Voltage Protection
• UVP – Under Voltage Protection
• OCP – Over Current Protection
• SCP – Short Circuit Protection
• OTP – Over Temperature Protection
• OPP – Over Power Protection

If a PSU brand doesn’t clearly list these, I get suspicious. Kind of like when a restaurant menu doesn’t include prices. That’s never a good sign.

Brands That Don’t Disappoint (At Least in My Experience)

I won’t pretend there’s one “best” brand forever – the market shifts – but some names consistently deliver :

• Seasonic: the quiet legend. Solid, efficient, long-lasting.
• Corsair (RM/RMX series): dependable, easy to find, great warranties.
• Be Quiet !: extremely silent, excellent build quality.
• EVGA (G series): stable and often well-priced.

When I see a PSU from these brands, I’m already 70% reassured.

So… What Should You Buy ?

If you’ve skipped to this part (it’s okay, I do it too), here’s the quick recipe :

• Pick your wattage based on your GPU + CPU, then add 30–40% overhead.
• Go for 80+ Gold unless you have a special use case.
• Choose a reputable manufacturer – really, don’t cheap out here.
• Make sure the PSU includes full protection features.
• Modular cables ? Very nice to have. Saves you from wrestling with spaghetti inside your case.

And voilà. With the right power supply, your PC will run smoother, cooler and longer. Honestly, once you’ve had a stable, quiet PSU, you never want to go back – it’s like upgrading from cheap trainers to shoes that actually fit.

If you’ve got a specific build in mind, feel free to ask – choosing the right PSU gets way easier once we know what we’re powering.

I’ve been there, more than once. And believe me, there are ways to bring that stubborn USB stick back to life – without black magic or paying a fortune.

Some fixes are surprisingly simple, others take a bit of patience.
If you’re dealing with a really critical drive and don’t want to risk it, I’d seriously consider checking pros like https://informatique07.com – they’re solid when it comes to data recovery.
But if you’re up for some DIY troubleshooting, keep reading.

1. Try the Obvious Stuff First (It Often Works !)

Before diving into command lines and utilities, start simple.
Unplug the USB stick and try another port – preferably one on the back of your PC.
Why ? Because front ports can sometimes have power issues (especially on older machines).
If that doesn’t help, test the drive on another computer.
I once thought a USB drive was dead until I plugged it into my laptop – turns out, it was just a bad port on my desktop.

2. Check If Windows Sees the Drive

Open Disk Management (hit Win + X → “Disk Management”).
If your USB drive shows up there but doesn’t have a letter assigned, right-click it and choose “Change Drive Letter and Paths”.
Sometimes that alone makes it magically reappear in File Explorer.

If you see the drive marked as “RAW” – that means the file system is corrupted.
Don’t format it just yet ! There are other tools that can rebuild the structure.

3. Run CHKDSK Like a Pro (It’s Not as Scary as It Sounds)

Here’s the classic move : open Command Prompt as administrator and type :

chkdsk X: /f

(Replace “X” with your drive letter.)
What this does is check and repair errors on the USB file system.
It can take a few minutes, especially if you’ve got tons of small files.

Honestly, I’ve seen this fix 70% of unreadable drives.
But sometimes, Windows just can’t fix deeper damage – that’s when you’ll need recovery software.

4. Use Free Recovery Tools (When You Really Need the Files)

If CHKDSK doesn’t do the trick, don’t panic.
There are great tools like Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, or TestDisk.
Recuva is the most beginner-friendly – it scans the drive and lists recoverable files.
TestDisk, on the other hand, is more technical but insanely powerful if you’re patient.

Tip : always recover your files to another disk, not the same USB stick.
Otherwise, you risk overwriting what’s left of your data.

5. If Nothing Works, Try Formatting (The Smart Way)

If your files are already backed up or totally lost, formatting can make the USB usable again.
But do it right – open Disk Management, right-click your USB drive, and choose “Format”.
Pick FAT32 if you want compatibility with most devices, or exFAT if you often handle large files (over 4GB).

If Windows refuses to format, try Rufus or HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool – they can handle stubborn drives better.

6. And Sometimes… It’s Just Physically Broken

Yeah, sometimes it’s not your fault.
Cheap USB sticks (especially the ones you get for free at trade shows) have weak connectors or poor memory chips.
If the drive gets hot, clicks, or randomly disconnects – it’s probably toast.

In that case, the only hope is to bring it to a data recovery lab – they can open the casing and extract the memory chip directly.
It’s not cheap, but if the data’s worth it, it’s your best bet.

Final Thoughts

A corrupted USB drive doesn’t always mean a lost cause.
Start simple, move step by step, and keep your expectations realistic.
I’ve personally revived drives that looked completely dead – and lost others despite all efforts.
That’s why I now back everything up twice (one local, one in the cloud).
Because honestly, spending three hours trying to fix a 16GB stick from 2014 isn’t fun the second time around.

So yeah – take a deep breath, grab a coffee, and try these methods in order.
Chances are, one of them will get your files back.

Before we dive in, here’s something that struck me recently while reading https://ecransvoyageurs.fr – they talked about how tech choices are never black and white. It’s the same story here. There’s no single “best” option, but rather the one that fits your way of working, your level of paranoia, and let’s be honest, your budget.

So, what exactly is a “backup” these days ?

When people say “backup,” they often mean plugging in an external hard drive, copying everything, and calling it a day. It’s tangible. You can hold it in your hands, stash it in a drawer, even label it with a Sharpie if you’re old school. Personally, I like that physical reassurance – that feeling of control.

The downside ? That same drive can die on you without warning. Or get stolen. Or just… vanish in a move (true story, happened to me between flats in Manchester). That’s why experts keep repeating the 3-2-1 rule : three copies, on two different media, with one offsite. It sounds fancy, but really, it just means don’t put all your digital eggs in one basket.

And the Cloud – how “safe” is it really ?

The cloud feels magical at first. No cables, no clutter, automatic sync. Services like Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox keep your stuff backed up without you even noticing. You can grab a document from your phone while queuing for coffee – that’s hard to beat.

But here’s where it gets tricky. Cloud security depends on two things : your provider’s protection and your own habits. A strong password and two-factor authentication make a massive difference. Still, the idea of “someone else” holding your data can feel uneasy. I mean, do you really know where your files are physically stored ? (Fun fact : probably in a data center somewhere in Ireland or the Netherlands.)

Performance and costs : the less glamorous part

Cloud storage feels cheap until you hit those higher tiers – suddenly, £9.99/month doesn’t sound so small when you multiply it by a year or two. On the other hand, a decent 2TB external SSD might cost you around £120 once, and you’re done. No subscription, no “storage full” notifications.

Then again, speed plays a role. Uploading 500GB of photos over a slow Wi-Fi connection ? You’ll want to cry. Local backups win here, hands down. But if your flat catches fire (hope not), that same drive won’t help you much. Cloud wins there.

So, which one should you pick ?

Honestly ? Both. That’s the secret few people say out loud. Use the cloud for convenience – instant access, version history, offsite protection. Use a local backup for speed, independence, and peace of mind. The perfect combo looks like this : an automatic cloud sync + a weekly copy to an external drive. It takes 10 minutes and saves you hours of panic later.

Final thoughts

If you’re the type who sleeps better knowing your files are duplicated in three different places, you’re not paranoid – you’re prepared. And in 2025, that’s just smart. Technology fails. Drives crash. Even big cloud services have outages. So mix it up, stay flexible, and remember : the safest backup is the one you actually keep updated.

Oh, and if you’ve been putting off sorting your backups, maybe take this as your sign to do it today. Seriously – plug that drive in, open your cloud dashboard, and make sure your digital life’s not hanging by a thread.

If you’re in the UK and need hands-on help, you can always check out https://depannageinformatiquelyon.fr – they’ve got solid, real-world experience fixing all sorts of computer issues, and their guides often inspire some of the tips I’ll share below.

1. Check the Obvious First (You’d Be Surprised)

It sounds silly, but the number of times I’ve seen a PC “dead” just because the power strip was off… it’s more than I’d like to admit. Start simple :

• Is the power cable properly plugged in (both ends)?
• Try a different outlet – maybe the one you’re using blew a fuse.
• If it’s a laptop, check that the charger light is on. No light ? Try another charger if you can borrow one.

Sometimes, the problem isn’t your computer at all. A bad wall socket or a tripped breaker can make you think your PC is gone for good when it’s not. So yeah, rule out the basics first – it saves you headaches.

2. Any Signs of Life ?

Press the power button and listen carefully. Fans spinning ? Lights flickering ? Beeps ? Those tiny clues tell you a lot. For example :

• Fans spin, lights on, but no display : could be RAM, graphics card, or monitor issue.
• No lights, no sound, total silence : probably power supply or motherboard.
• One long beep or several short ones : that’s your motherboard’s way of crying for help (check your BIOS beep code list online).

If you’re on a desktop, open the side panel (carefully, unplug first) and look for any obvious damage – burned smell, swollen capacitors, or loose cables. Yeah, that smell of “fried electronics”? If you know it, you know it.

3. Try a Hard Reset

Sometimes, your PC just needs a little nudge. Unplug it completely (yes, battery too if it’s a laptop). Hold down the power button for 15–20 seconds – this drains leftover electricity from the system. Then, plug back in and try again. It’s like giving your computer a mini defibrillator. I’ve seen this trick revive machines that seemed totally lifeless.

4. Test the RAM (Seriously, It’s Often That)

If your PC powers up but won’t boot, the culprit might be bad or mis-seated memory. Open up your case, take out the RAM sticks, and reinsert them firmly. If you have more than one, try booting with just one at a time. This isn’t guesswork – it’s a super common failure point.

5. Listen for the Hard Drive or SSD

If the screen stays black but you hear the drive clicking, that’s a red flag – the drive may have failed. But if you hear nothing at all, it could also mean your operating system isn’t loading. Try booting from a USB recovery stick or a Windows installation drive. If it boots from USB, your system drive might be toast.

6. Could It Be the Power Supply ?

Desktop computers depend on that metal brick called the PSU (Power Supply Unit). If that thing fails, everything goes dark. Try another power cable or, if you’ve got access to one, another PSU. Just… don’t open the PSU yourself unless you really know what you’re doing – there’s serious voltage inside, even when unplugged.

7. When the Screen Is the Problem (Not the PC)

Don’t forget to test with another monitor or plug your computer into a TV via HDMI. I’ve had clients swear their “PC was dead” when it was just the monitor’s backlight that failed. It happens more often than you’d think.

8. Still Nothing ? Time for Deeper Diagnosis

If you’ve tried everything – power, RAM, PSU, display – and your computer still refuses to cooperate, it might be time to check the motherboard or CPU. These aren’t easy or cheap to replace, so this is the point where I usually say : get a pro to test it with proper tools. No shame in that – hardware diagnostics can get tricky fast.

9. Last Resort : Data Recovery Before You Wipe

If your system drive is the issue, don’t panic about your files yet. You can remove the drive and connect it to another computer using a USB-to-SATA adapter. If it mounts, copy your data immediately. If it doesn’t, that’s when specialized recovery tools or services come into play.

10. Prevention for Next Time

Once you’ve brought your computer back to life, make sure you don’t end up here again. Keep your machine clean, inside and out. Dust kills – literally. Use a surge protector. And, please, set up an automatic backup. I personally use a cloud + external drive combo, because drives always fail when you least expect it.

Final Thoughts

When your computer won’t start, it feels like the end of the world – especially if you’ve got deadlines, photos, or important stuff stuck in there. But nine times out of ten, it’s fixable. Go step by step, don’t panic, and test the simple things first. You might just save yourself a trip to the repair shop – or at least walk in there knowing exactly what’s wrong.

And hey, if you’re really stuck, don’t hesitate to get a professional to take a look. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes – or a multimeter – is all it takes to bring your machine back from the dead.

Speed: SSDs are miles ahead

Alright, no surprise here — SSDs are insanely faster. Booting up Windows on an HDD feels like watching paint dry. On an SSD? Your system’s ready before you’ve even taken a sip of coffee.

To give you an idea, a decent SATA SSD can hit around 500 MB/s read speed. A classic HDD? More like 100 to 150 MB/s. And if you go for an NVMe SSD, we’re talking up to 3500 MB/s on a good day. It’s not even a fair fight anymore.

Whether you’re editing videos, playing games, or just opening Chrome with 20 tabs, you feel the difference instantly. It’s one of those upgrades that makes you wonder why you waited so long.

Price: HDDs still win on pure storage value

Here’s the catch: SSDs are still pricier per gigabyte. Prices have dropped like crazy over the past few years, sure, but HDDs are unbeatable when it comes to storing tons of data on a budget.

Right now, you can find a 1TB HDD for around £35, while a 1TB SSD will set you back roughly £50–£70 depending on the brand. That gap used to be huge; now it’s shrinking. But if you need 4 or 8 terabytes for backups, media libraries, or surveillance footage, HDDs make way more sense financially.

In short: if you’re hoarding data, go HDD. If you care about performance, go SSD. Simple as that.

Durability and reliability: a bit of a plot twist

People used to say SSDs wear out faster. And, technically, that’s true — flash memory has a limited number of write cycles. But unless you’re writing terabytes of data every single day (you’re not, right?), a modern SSD will easily last 5–10 years.

What’s more, HDDs have moving parts — little spinning disks, magnetic heads, the whole mechanical circus. Drop your external drive once, and poof, goodbye files. SSDs have no moving parts, so they’re more resistant to shocks and heat.

Personally, I’ve had more HDDs die on me than SSDs. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Noise and heat: silence is golden

This one’s easy. SSDs are completely silent. HDDs, on the other hand, hum, click, and sometimes even sound like they’re grinding coffee beans. It’s not the end of the world, but once you’ve gone full SSD, going back feels… loud.

SSDs also run cooler. Less heat means less stress on your components, especially in compact builds like laptops or mini PCs.

So, which one is more “worth it” in 2025?

Honestly, it depends on what you do.

• For everyday use — SSD, 100%. You’ll feel the speed boost immediately.
• For gamers — SSD again, especially for load times. A 1TB SSD for your OS and games, and maybe an HDD for backups? Perfect combo.
• For media storage or backups — HDDs still shine. They’re cheap, and reliability is solid for long-term use.

But here’s the thing: prices are closing in. SSDs keep getting cheaper, while HDDs haven’t really evolved in years. So if you’re building or upgrading a PC in 2025, SSDs are now the default choice. HDDs are just… there, waiting in the corner for bulk storage duty.

Final thoughts

So, SSD vs HDD — who wins? Let’s call it like it is: SSDs have taken over. They’re faster, quieter, and increasingly affordable. HDDs still have a place, but it’s more like a storage warehouse, not a main drive.

My advice? Go hybrid if you can. One solid SSD for your system and apps, and a big, cheap HDD for your archives. You’ll get the best of both worlds — speed and space. And honestly, that’s what feels the most “worth it” today.