Why does Windows 11 become slow after running for a few hours, even though CPU and RAM usage stay low?
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I've been facing a strange issue on my Windows 11 PC. After using it for 3–5 hours, the entire system starts feeling sluggish. Opening File Explorer takes several seconds, right-click menus lag, and switching between applications isn't as smooth as it is after a fresh restart.
The confusing part is that Task Manager shows:
CPU usage below 20%
RAM usage around 50%
Disk usage below 10%
SSD health is reported as goodI've already tried:
Updating Windows and all drivers
- Running sfc /scannow and DISM repair commands
- Disabling unnecessary startup apps
- Checking for malware
- Updating BIOS
A restart fixes the issue temporarily, but it always comes back after a few hours.
Has anyone experienced something similar? What could cause Windows to slow down even when system resource usage looks normal, and what advanced troubleshooting steps would you recommend?