Question HELP! SHUTTLE MINI PC IN NEED OF UPGRADES?

[SamMcN]

First post and very new to building computers,

I have recently just got my desktop PC back up and running after sitting in a cupboard for years, it was built for us a long time ago and was very unreliable, I have taken it all apart, cleaned it all out, updated the BIOS and it seems to be more reliable starting every time it is turned on. However, it is really quite slow, it may all be old and not able to be saved cost effectivley but thought I would ask people who know more than I do.

Current Specs:

Windows 7 Pro
Shuttle SX48P2E
Intel Core 2 Quad CPU - Q300 @ 2.5 GHZ
Corsair 120GB SSD
Corsair XMS DDR2 4 x 2GB Ram
Asus EAH5450 Silent Graphics card

All feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Is your SSD full? Have you tried a malware scan? What is idle ram usage?

8gb ram, an SSD, and a core 2 quad should be reasonably snappy for web browsing, but your CPU is over a decade old so don't expect miracles.

 

[SamMcN]

How do I do a malware scan?
Idle ram is saying 3.2GB which seems a lot?
How much of a performance uprade would I see from putting an i5 processor in for example?
Thanks!