Swift boot times and speedy operations are among the greatest joys of unboxing and firing up a brand-new PC. After all, we want our PCs to run at peak performance, regardless of whether we have a budget laptop or a beast gaming desktop. Inevitably, however, that out-of-the-box performance fades away. Eventually, every PC slow downs, either gradually or suddenly. In those instances, you should invest in a tune-up utility.

All computers eventually lose that day-one luster, becoming lethargic, unresponsive, and, at worst, unreliable. The operating system gets gunked up as apps are added and incompletely deleted, leaving behind drivers and all sorts of other system detritus. Their hard drives fill up with forgotten files we've abandoned in folders whose existence we've forgotten. Programs build up enormous caches behind the scenes that we don't even know about. Eventually, our full hard drives choke the OS as it tries to run. Outdated drivers cease to work correctly. Toolbars and other plug-ins can precipitously slow our browsers to a crawl. It doesn't matter how diligent you are, or what sort of productivity software you use to get the most out of your time if end up sitting around and waiting for your computer to catch up to you.

When our machines become so impaired through use and neglect that we can no longer use Microsoft Word or play PC games with the same speed and efficiency to which we have become accustomed, we often ponder buying new computers. But that's a drastic solution, and one that's frequently unnecessary. Instead, you can get often that fresh-out-the-box performance for tens of dollars—instead hundreds or even thousands—thanks to a relatively inexpensive tool: the PC tune-up utility.

What Is a Tune-Up Utility?

A PC tune-up utility is an application that digs deep into your computer and fixes trouble areas. It performs several functions, including defragmenting your PC's hard drive, repairing the incredibly problematic Windows Registry, and freeing up disk space by deleting useless and duplicate files. Some tune-up utilities perform just those basic functions, while more elaborate ones add numerous features that improve your computer in interesting ways. For example, Iolo System Mechanic cleans gunked-up PCs with its real-time system monitoring; Ashampoo offers a file-deletion tool and backup app; and AVG offers a driver updater.

We tested all the tune-up utilities in this story on a junked-up Windows 10 test bed. Note that Microsoft's operating system has many built-in tools for improving your PC's performance, though they're scattered throughout the OS (unlike the third-party tune-up utilities mentioned here).

Please note that while tune-up utilities were valuable tools in the Windows 8/7/XP eras, we now find them harder to recommend in the Windows 10 era, as the operating system lets you effectively tune-up your PC for free.

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Tune-Up Utility Pricing

You won't spend a small fortune to begin the PC clean up process. Expect to spend roughly $20 to $50 for a standalone tune-up utility purchase or a monthly subscription. Starting prices for tune-up utilities grant between three and 10 licenses per purchase, which means you're allowed to install the software on three PCs. If you live in a household with more than three computers that you'd like to freshen up, buying licenses may cost a pretty penny. To be fair, many companies offer multi-license packages, but they can prove pricey, too. That's why you should look for a paid tune-up utility with either a high license allowance or no installation limitations; Ashampoo and AVG's offerings have generous 10-PC licenses, while Iolo lets you install its System Mechanic on as many PCs as you'd like (for non-business purposes).

Many companies offer free version of their tune-up utilities, but how that's executed varies. For example, AVG TuneUp's free version lets you tune-up your PC for 30 days before needing to whip out your bank card. That's rare. Many tune-up utilities have free versions that tell you what's wrong with your PC, but won't let you perform a clean up until you make a purchase.

Extra Tune-Up Features

Tune-up utilities frequently include other software that sweetens the purchasing deal. Some come bundled with file shredders that permanently delete your unwanted data, though there are plenty of free and paid file shredders that perform the same action. Antivirus suites, program uninstallers, and driver updaters, which sometimes come bundled in tune-up utilities, can also be purchased as standalone software from Ashampoo, AVG, and other companies. Windows 10 has file-deletion programs, but it's hidden in the system. Again, third-party tune-up utilities have the benefit of gathering everything into one central location.

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How We Test Tune-Up Utilities

We test tune-up utilities with a very specific, repeatable process. We run the Geekbench system performance tool and measure boot times on a junked-up testbed before and after running a tune-up utility to compare the computer's potency. We run each test three times and average the results.

Each tune-up utility we've tested improved a PC's performance in some fashion. Typically, the operating system feels snappier, and the computer boots up far quicker than it did before we ran the software.

Clean Up Your PC

This tune-up utility collection doesn't highlight every single system-enhancing tool on the market—these are our favorite tune-up utilities, after all. You can trust that they'll help your PC run in orderly fashion.

Click the links below to read full reviews of these PC tune-up tools. If you an experience you'd like to share with one of the tune-up utilities we've reviewed or if you have one you like better than the ones we've reviewed here, let us know in the comments.