A customer has reported that their desktop computer has been experiencing slow and sluggish performance, especially when running multiple applications simultaneously. You have confirmed that all software is up to date, and no malware is present on the system. The issue persists even after rebooting and closing unnecessary applications. Which of the following actions would you take FIRST to diagnose the hardware contributing to the sluggish performance?
Check for malware using system resources such as a crypto miner or botnet client
Perform a BIOS update on the motherboard to address potential performance issues
Verify the compatibility of the installed RAM with the motherboard
Use the Task Manager or system performance monitoring tools to assess the CPU, memory, and disk activity levels
Install additional memory modules to increase the system's total RAM capacity
The best first action for diagnosing sluggish performance due to hardware would be to check the Task Manager or system performance monitoring tools to review CPU, memory usage, and disk activity. These metrics will help identify if the CPU is overtaxed, if there is high memory usage, or if the disk activity is elevated, any of which could cause sluggish performance. Choosing to verify the RAM compatibility without any indication that it is not compatible would not immediately apply to this scenario; It assumes an intrinsic problem with the RAM components that have not been indicated by the information given. A BIOS update should only be performed if it specifically addresses the type of problem being experienced and after other troubleshooting has failed because of the associated risks. Installing additional memory may alleviate the problem only if a lack of sufficient RAM is diagnosed as the cause of the sluggish performance, but this should not be the first step without investigation.
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What tools can I use in Task Manager to monitor system performance?