ASUS's slow-system article opens by naming hardware reasons a machine may slow: CPU frequency, insufficient memory or a hard disk drive instead of an SSD. It adds that whether the device is on its AC adapter affects performance, so connect the power supply for the best experience. Its steps are to disconnect accessories and peripherals (external drives, printers, dongles, memory cards and discs), update the BIOS, Windows and drivers through MyASUS, and then raise the power mode (fan mode) in MyASUS if the machine feels slow, since a quiet mode trades speed for battery and noise. On the ROG Ally X and gaming laptops, the same idea applies through Armoury Crate performance modes. Thin ASUS laptops have soldered memory that cannot be added, so free-up beats upgrade.
Differential
Likely causes of “ASUS laptops is running very slowly”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A power mode set for quiet or battery
What separates it The machine is slow on battery and quick on the charger
How to confirm ASUS says connect the AC adapter for best performance and raise the power (fan) mode in MyASUS
- 2
Accessories or dongles attached
What separates it The machine is slow with a drive, dock or dongle connected
How to confirm ASUS says to disconnect all accessories and peripherals and remove memory cards and discs
- 3
Outdated BIOS, Windows or drivers
What separates it Slowness began after an update or on an old BIOS
How to confirm Update the BIOS, Windows packages and drivers through MyASUS System Update
- 4
Not enough memory or storage
What separates it The machine slows with many apps or a nearly full drive
How to confirm ASUS lists insufficient memory and hard disk drives as hardware reasons; free space and close apps
- 5
A background program
What separates it There is slowness with nothing obvious open because of a background program
How to confirm Use Task Manager to find and close the resource-heavy program
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which ASUS machine you have, its memory and drive, and BIOS and Windows versions
- Whether the slowness is on battery, on the charger or both, and the power mode
- The top processes in Task Manager and free space on the drive
- Whether accessories are attached to the laptop
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedConnect the charger
ReversibleConnect the charger, since ASUS says that the AC adapter affects performance, so test on power.
Disconnect accessories
ReversibleDisconnect accessories, by removing drives, dongles, memory cards and discs from the laptop, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Raise the power mode
ReversibleRaise the power mode, in MyASUS, by choosing a higher performance mode, and on ROG models use Armoury Crate.
Check Task Manager
ReversibleCheck Task Manager, and close programs using a lot of CPU or memory on the laptop.
Free storage
ReversibleFree storage, by running Storage Sense, and see the storage page for more, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Run System Diagnosis
ReversibleRun System Diagnosis, in MyASUS, System Diagnosis, to look for hardware faults on the laptop.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Memory and chips by model
- Zenbook S14: Intel Core Ultra, up to 32 GB LPDDR5x soldered. Vivobook S15 S5507: Snapdragon X Plus or Elite, 16 or 32 GB LPDDR5X. ProArt P16: Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, up to 64 GB LPDDR5x. Zephyrus G14: Ryzen AI 9 365, up to 32 GB LPDDR5X. Ally X: Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 24 GB LPDDR5.
- Serviceable storage
- The Ally X has a standard M.2 2280 SSD; thin laptops vary. Check your model's manual before buying a drive.
- Repair cost
- Slowness is usually startup apps, storage or updates and costs nothing to fix. A drive replacement is $99 to $179 per BadgerLayer's 2026 PC repair guide, and data recovery from a failing drive starts at $149, per BadgerLayer's 2026 laptop repair guide.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the ProArt P16 H7606, Vivobook S 15 S5507, ROG Ally X handheld.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the machine is slow on the charger in a performance mode with free space and updated drivers, run MyASUS System Diagnosis and contact ASUS
- !If diagnostics report a drive or memory fault, back up and contact an ASUS service center
- !If slowness comes with heat or swelling signs, see the heat and battery pages
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Hardware reasons, AC adapter, disconnecting accessories, updates and power (fan) mode.
Storage Sense and freeing space.
The Zenbook premium ultrabook line.
The Vivobook mainstream laptop line.
The ROG Ally handheld gaming PC line.
Exact questions
Common questions
Can a power mode make an ASUS laptop feel slow?+
Yes. ASUS laptops offer performance modes in the MyASUS or Armoury Crate software, and a quiet or battery-saving mode lowers speed on purpose. Switch to a balanced or performance mode while plugged in and test again.
How do I see what is slowing it right now?+
Open Task Manager and sort by CPU, Memory and Disk. One program holding most of a resource is the cause to remove or update, and a disk sitting near 100 percent while idle points at storage.
Does the charger really change speed?+
ASUS says whether the device is connected to the AC adapter may affect performance and recommends connecting it for the best experience.
What hardware reasons does ASUS list?+
CPU frequency, insufficient memory or using a hard disk drive instead of an SSD.
Can I add memory to a Zenbook S14?+
The catalog lists up to 32 GB of soldered LPDDR5x, so memory cannot be added; the ProArt P16 lists up to 64 GB LPDDR5x.
What is the ROG Ally X doing when it is slow?+
The Ally X runs full Windows on a handheld chip; lower power modes trade speed for battery, so raise the performance mode on the charger.
Does the Snapdragon Vivobook run every app?+
Windows runs native Arm apps best and x86 apps by emulation, so a rare app may be slow or unsupported; that is the platform, not a fault.
Should I reset Windows?+
Only as a last resort and after a backup; see the recovery page.
Do I need a part number to upgrade?+
No. ASUS identifies the machine by model and serial number.