One of the joys of purchasing a PC is experiencing that fresh-out-of-the-box system newness. The computer boots up quickly, and applications open in a flash. Unfortunately, that freshness fades over time as you edit photos, create and delete files, install and remove apps, and use your computer for a host of other activities. However, you can turn back the hands of time by installing and running a tune-up utility.
A tune-up utility, at its most basic, is an application designed to defragment your PC's hard drive, fix the incredibly problematic Windows registry, and delete useless and duplicate files. Some tune-up utilities do only those things, while others go above and beyond the call of duty to improve your PC in interesting ways.
For example, SlimWare Utilities SlimCleaner 4—the Editors' Choice for free tune-up utilities—scored high marks for its effective system cleaning, browser clean-up tools, and community-based system recommendations. Likewise, Iolo System Mechanic 14—our Editors' Choice for paid tune-up suites—cleaned our gunked-up test bed with its real-time system monitoring and CRUDD Remover (read the review to find out what this excellent acronym stands for).
This tune-up utility collection doesn't include every single system-enhancing tool on the market—just the best. Some are paid apps, some are free apps, but they have one thing in common: they'll make you PC fly.
Click the links below to read full reviews of these PC tune-up tools. If you have a tune-up utility you like better, let us know in the comments.
Iolo System Mechanic 14
$39.95$24.97 at IoloIolo System Mechanic 14 includes a defragger and other typical tune-up tools, but it also includes PowerSense, a welcome new feature. PowerSense gives your PC a boost by unlocking CPU cores and boosting the CPU clock speed as needed. Iolo System Mechanic 14 is pricier than some of the competition, but this utility suite's packed with system-enhancing features. It's our Editors' Choice for paid tune-up software.
SlimWare Utilities SlimCleaner 4
Free
This free tune-up utility uses aggregated data collected from its user base to recommend optimal settings for your PC. It even rewards selfless users with badges for contributing accurate information to the community. In short, SlimCleaner is a mashup of social network and utility that does a fine job of cleaning gunked-up PCs. It's our Editors' Choice for free tune-up utilities.
Anvisoft Cloud System Booster
$19.99
Cloud System Booster came close to dethroning the Editors' Choice award-winning SlimWare Utilities SlimCleaner, but the license limitations kept it from claiming the crown. Still, Cloud System Booster is a very respectable tuneup utility that's easy to use, attractive, full of helpful tips, and most of all, effective.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 10
$39.99
Ashampoo's tune-up utility stands out from the competition thanks to two features: Icon Save and Link Checker. Icon Save creates save points that contain the positions of all desktop icons so you can restore them at a later time should your PC flake out. Link Checker scans your PC and makes certain that your icon shortcuts all point toward valid targets.
Comodo PC Tuneup
$19.99
Comodo PC Tuneup not only improves a PC's performance, but it comes with the added benefit of no installation limits. It may not possess some of its competitors' effectiveness, but Comodo PC Tuneup is a very solid selection for those in multi-PC households.
Norton Utilities
$29.99$29.00 at AmazonNorton Utilities did a satisfactory job of degunking and increasing our testbed's overall performance, but in the age of the multi-computer household, the installation limitations are outdated. Still, Norton Utilities is a decent collection of tune-up tools that gets the job done.
AOL Computer Checkup
$39.99
AOL Computer Checkup doesn't particularly impress or stink up the joint. It's a middle-of-the-road utility that does a decent job of improving a PC's performance, but lags behind the big boss of the space, the free SlimWare Utilities SlimCleaner
CleanMyPC
$39.99$29.95 at AmazonCleanMyPC delivered solid performance improvement, but it drops the ball in terms of license limitations and its boot time improvement isn't the best. If you need to tune up just one PC CleanMyPC is worth a consideration, but there are better all-around products on the market.
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