I engaged "Dave's Computer" to build a new custom build Windows 11 computer as replacement for the Windows 10 machine. I presented my thoughts and needs to Dave about the new unit and he asked some basic questions as to my needs and want for the new unit. We touched on cost for the unit and I left...
Read the full review on Google
PC Tune-Up Service · Dave's Computers, Somerville NJ
PC Tune-Up and Speed-Up Service in New Jersey
Your desktop takes forever to boot and every click comes with a pause. A real tune-up strips out what's dragging a healthy machine down, and I'll tell you plainly if the problem is hardware instead. It's part of my desktop computer repair service in New Jersey, done at my drop-off shop in Somerville, NJ. Walk in with the tower; no appointment needed.
⭐ 4.8 Stars · 430+ Google Reviews
🏆 On the Bench Since 2011
📍 Somerville, NJ · Drop-Off Shop
🔧 Flat Quote at Drop-Off
📞 Call (908) 428-9558
🚗 Directions to the Shop
What a Real Tune-Up Includes
Not a "cleaner" app and a reboot. This is what I work through on every desktop.
1
Startup programs
Every program that loads at sign-in costs boot time and memory for as long as the machine is on. I go through the Startup list, plus the scheduled tasks and services that don't show up there, and turn off updaters, game launchers, printer utilities and cloud clients you never open. Windows documents the basic toggle on its startup apps support page; the trouble is the stuff that isn't registered there.
Want to try this part yourself? My guide on stopping programs from opening on startup walks through it.
2
Bloatware and trial software removal
Dell, HP and Lenovo towers ship with trial antivirus, "support assistants" and games that call home in the background. Family PCs pick up toolbars and duplicate cleaner apps over the years. I uninstall all of it, including the leftover services the uninstaller misses, and I write down what came off.
3
Windows Update and driver updates
I bring Windows fully current, including the cumulative updates that get stuck behind a failed install. Then drivers: chipset first, because it controls how the CPU, memory and storage talk to each other and an old one costs real performance on AM5 and current Intel boards. GPU next, then network, audio and storage. Microsoft's driver update page covers the Device Manager route, but Device Manager rarely finds the current chipset or GPU package, so I pull those from the board and card manufacturers directly.
4
BIOS update, when it fixes something
Newer BIOS releases fix memory training problems, fan-curve bugs, USB dropouts and microcode issues. I check the board's release notes and flash it only if a fix applies to your machine. A BIOS flash for no reason is risk without reward.
5
Disk health check
I read the drive's SMART data and run a surface check. Reallocated or pending sectors mean the drive is on its way out, and no amount of cleanup fixes that. If the drive is failing, the tune-up stops here and we talk about a replacement before your files are at risk.
This is the step that gets skipped most often, and it's why some machines come back slow again in a month.
6
Storage cleanup
A Windows drive that's more than about 90 percent full slows down, and a nearly full SSD slows down more than people expect. I clear old update caches, temp files, leftover installers and the previous-Windows-version folder. Your documents, photos and downloads stay where they are.
7
Browser cleanup
Most "my computer is slow" complaints are really "my browser is slow." I remove unwanted extensions, reset hijacked search engines and home pages, clear the bloated cache, and leave your saved passwords and bookmarks alone.
8
Temperature check
A hot CPU throttles itself, and a throttled CPU feels exactly like a machine that needs a tune-up. I log CPU and GPU temperatures under load before the tower goes back. If they're high, that's a dust or cooling problem for my desktop PC cleaning service, not something the software work solved.
What It Costs
One flat number, given at the counter, before any work starts.
Flat quote at drop-off. I quote the job at drop-off once I've seen the machine and what's on it, and nothing is charged until you approve the number. No hourly billing, no surprise line items at pickup.
The quote depends on what's on the machine. A two-year-old office tower with a few startup programs is a shorter job than a ten-year-old family PC with five browsers' worth of extensions and a Windows Update queue that has been failing since 2023.
If the look at the counter tells me a tune-up won't fix your problem, I say so and quote the thing that will. Virus removal is $149 flat. An SSD upgrade or a RAM upgrade is quoted with the part included, since I supply parts with the service. Most jobs are done in 24-48 hours, same-day rush is available, and most work carries a 30-90 day labor warranty.
Symptom by Symptom: Does a Tune-Up Fix It?
Match your complaint to the row and you'll know what you're walking in for.
| Symptom | Does a tune-up fix it? | What actually fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Boots in 1-2 minutes, then runs fine | Usually yes | Startup cleanup and driver updates. If it boots from a spinning hard drive, an SSD upgrade is the real fix. |
| Everything is slow, all the time, even after a reboot | Sometimes | Disk health check first. A failing drive or a hard-drive boot volume needs an SSD, not cleanup. |
| Browser is slow, pop-ups, search engine changed itself | Partly | Browser cleanup if it's just extensions. If it's a hijacker or adware, that's virus removal at $149 flat. |
| Fast for a few minutes, then bogs down under load | No | Temperature check points to dust or a dried-out cooler. That's a physical cleaning, not a software job. |
| Runs out of memory with a few browser tabs and Office open | Partly | Startup cleanup frees some RAM. If the tower has 8 GB or less, a RAM upgrade is the fix. |
| Random freezes, crashes, blue screens | Rarely | Driver and BIOS updates fix some. Repeat crashes need a diagnostic to rule out memory, power supply or storage. |
| Still on Windows 10, no more updates | No | A Windows 11 upgrade, or a plan for a machine that can't take it. |
| Loud fans, hot case | No | Physical cleaning, thermal paste, or a cooler. A tune-up only tells you the temperatures are high. |
When two things are wrong at once, which happens a lot with older towers, I'll quote both and you can pick.
What I'll Tell You If a Tune-Up Isn't the Answer
I'd rather lose a tune-up sale than hand back a machine that's still slow.
If it boots from a spinning hard drive, the SSD is the fix. I can trim the startup list and update every driver on a hard-drive machine and it will still feel slow, because the drive is the bottleneck. An SSD upgrade with your Windows install and files moved over is the biggest speed change most older desktops can get, and I'll tell you that before you pay for a tune-up.
If it's malware, it's not a tune-up. Pop-ups, a browser that redirects, a "support" number on the screen, an antivirus that's been switched off: that's an infection, and cleaning startup programs around it does nothing. That's my virus removal service at $149 flat.
If the drive is failing, we stop. Bad SMART data means the next step is getting your files off it while it still reads, then a replacement drive. If the tower runs hot instead, that's a cleaning job, and I'll say so if it needs both.
Windows 10 machines get their own conversation, because a tune-up doesn't change what operating system you're on. If the tower meets the Windows 11 requirements, my Windows reinstall and Windows 11 upgrade service is the better use of the money. If it doesn't meet them, read your options for a desktop that isn't compatible with Windows 11 before deciding what to spend on it.
If the machine also crashes or restarts on its own, the right first step is a computer diagnostic rather than a tune-up. Guessing is how you pay twice.
✓ Want to try the free stuff first? My guide on how to fix a slow computer covers what you can safely do at home. Plenty of New Jersey customers do the easy parts and bring me only what still needs the bench.
What I See on the Bench in New Jersey
Composite examples, built from the kinds of jobs that come across my Somerville counter.
A Bridgewater customer's four-year-old HP office tower. Five-minute boot, then usable. The Startup list had fourteen entries, including three updaters and a utility for a printer they no longer owned, and the chipset driver had never moved past the factory image. Startup cleanup, bloatware removal and a driver pass brought boot time under thirty seconds. Drive health was fine, so a tune-up was the whole job.
A Hillsborough family's older Dell desktop. Slow everything, even after a restart. The tower was booting from a spinning hard drive with SMART showing early reallocated sectors. I told them at the counter that a tune-up would be money badly spent, and they went with an SSD upgrade with Windows and their photos moved over. The old drive went home with them as a spare copy.
A Somerset small-business owner's front-desk PC. "It's slow and the browser keeps opening a shopping site." That's adware plus two hijacker extensions, not a tune-up complaint. Virus removal at $149 flat cleared it, with the startup cleanup and Windows Update work done in the same visit.
Bring the tower and its power cord to Somerville. I'll look at it with you at the counter, tell you whether it needs a tune-up or something else, and give you a flat quote before anything starts.
📞 Call (908) 428-9558Drop-off shop at 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 9-2
Directions to Dave's Computers in Somerville, NJ
Downtown Somerville, one block off Main Street, behind Bank of America.
Dave's Computers, 75 N Bridge St, Somerville, NJ 08876Drop-off shop, Mon-Fri 10-5 and Sat 9-2. Street and municipal-lot parking around Main Street.
Directions to the ShopFrom Bridgewater
3 miles · about 10 minutes
Route 22 or Route 202/206 to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east (West Main Street) into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Hillsborough
5 miles · about 12 minutes
Route 206 north into Somerville, right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Bound Brook
4 miles · about 12 minutes
Route 28 west straight into downtown Somerville. Right onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Piscataway
10 miles · about 20 minutes
I-287 north to Exit 17 (Route 202/206 south), then Route 28 east into downtown Somerville.
Open in Google MapsFrom Flemington
15 miles · about 25 minutes
Route 202 north to the Somerville Circle, then Route 28 east into downtown. Left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsFrom Princeton
18 miles · about 30 minutes
Route 206 north through Montgomery and Hillsborough into Somerville. Right onto West Main Street, then left onto N Bridge St.
Open in Google MapsTimes are typical drives outside rush hour. Call 908-428-9558 before a long drive if you want to confirm I'm at the counter. First time? Read how to bring a desktop to the repair shop.
Google Reviews
What Customers Say on Google
Live from the Dave's Computers Google listing. Tap any review to read it on Google Maps.
4.8
★★★★★★★★★★Based on 434 Google reviews
I have been going to Dave's Computers for years because he always fixes my problems. I also use his anti-virus and it is as good as any, if not better, than others that I would have to pay much more for. If you're having problems, go to Dave's. He doesn't break the bank and he solves the problems.
View on Google
Over the last decade or so, whenever I had a computer problem, I went to Dave. I recently had a very worrisome crash; the system failed to boot up. (I hadn't needed to use him for about 3 years.) I paid the "rush fee" on Saturday when dropping the machine off with the weekend agent. By Monday...
Read the full review on Google
"As a Broker of over 40 years in New Jersey I rely on my computer help", which is the artery to my success and business. Thank goodness Dave's is here for me with the messes I get into with scammers, land grabbers and just uneccesary things that I pick up. The most effective virus program have ever...
Read the full review on Google
I had previously tried to build my own PC to no success. Even though right now it is really tough to get a PC built due to the price increases with RAM’s, GPU’s and other parts because of AI, I still really wanted to get one for myself. I came across Dave’s Computers online and went in for a...
Read the full review on GoogleReviews from Google Maps
PC Tune-Up Questions From NJ Customers
The things people ask at the counter before they hand over the tower.
What is a PC tune up service?
A PC tune-up is a software-side service that removes what's slowing a healthy desktop down: startup programs, bloatware, stale Windows and driver installs, a full drive and a cluttered browser. I also check disk health and temperatures so the slowness isn't a hardware problem in disguise. It's done at my Somerville, NJ shop, usually in 24-48 hours.
How much does a computer tune-up cost in New Jersey?
I quote the job at drop-off once I've seen the machine and what's on it, and nothing is charged until you approve the number. It's a flat quote, not hourly. If the machine needs something other than a tune-up, such as an SSD or virus removal, I tell you before doing any work and quote that instead.
Will a tune-up make my old desktop fast again?
If the desktop already boots from an SSD and has enough memory, a tune-up usually gets it back to how it ran when it was new. If it boots from a spinning hard drive, a tune-up helps a little and an SSD upgrade helps a lot, and I'll tell you that at the counter.
Do I need to bring the whole computer or just the tower?
Just the tower and its power cord. I have monitors, keyboards and mice on the bench. If the machine has a login password, write it down for me or be ready to give it by phone, because most of the tune-up happens inside your Windows account.
Will I lose any files or programs during a tune-up?
No. A tune-up works inside your existing Windows install. Your documents, photos, email and the programs you actually use stay put. I remove trial software, toolbars and manufacturer bloat you didn't ask for, and I list what came off. If a program is a judgment call, I leave it and ask.
Do you update the BIOS during a tune-up?
Only when a newer BIOS fixes something on that machine, such as memory compatibility, a fan-curve bug or a security update the manufacturer has flagged. A flash carries a small risk if power drops mid-update, so I don't do it for its own sake. Chipset, GPU, network and audio drivers I bring current on every tune-up.
How long does a computer tune-up take?
Most tune-ups are done in 24-48 hours; a lot of that is waiting for Windows Update and driver installs to finish and reboot. Same-day rush is available. Bring the tower to 75 N Bridge St in Somerville, Mon-Fri 10-5 or Sat 9-2, no appointment needed.
Sources and further reading
- Microsoft Support, Change which apps run automatically at startup in Windows: the Settings and Task Manager toggles for startup apps.
- Microsoft Support, Update drivers manually in Windows: the Device Manager route for updating, reinstalling and rolling back drivers.
Slow Desktop? Bring It to Somerville, New Jersey
Bring the tower and its power cord to 75 N Bridge St. I'll check it at the counter, tell you whether it needs a tune-up, an SSD or something else, and give you a flat quote before any work starts. It's all part of my desktop computer repair service for New Jersey.
📞 (908) 428-9558Mon-Fri 10am-5pm · Sat 9am-2pm · 75 N Bridge St, Somerville NJ · Drop-Offs Welcome