Hello Everyone,

I hope this message finds you well. I'm reaching out to the community today because I'm facing a rather frustrating issue with my workstation, and I'm hoping that some of you might be able to offer some guidance or solutions.

Issue Description:
For the past week, I've been encountering persistent performance problems with my workstation. It's become incredibly sluggish, and even basic tasks like opening applications or browsing the internet are taking an eternity. I've tried a few troubleshooting steps like cleaning up unnecessary files, running antivirus scans, and updating drivers, but the problem persists.

Workstation Specs:

Operating System: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K
RAM: 16GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660
Storage: 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD
What I've Tried So Far:

Disk Cleanup and Defragmentation
Scanned for malware and viruses
Updated graphics and system drivers
Checked for overheating issues (none detected)
Checked for background processes consuming resources (nothing unusual)
Seeking Your Expertise:
I'm at my wit's end trying to figure out what's causing this problem, and it's affecting my productivity significantly. That's why I'm turning to this community for help. If any of you have experienced similar issues or have expertise in troubleshooting workstation problems, I would greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions you can provide.

Here are a few specific questions I have:

Are there any diagnostic tools or software you recommend for pinpointing performance bottlenecks?
Could this be related to a recent Windows update, and if so, how can I identify and resolve such issues?
Should I consider a hardware upgrade or is there anything else I should explore before going down that route?
I'm open to any ideas, no matter how small or technical they may be. Your insights could make a world of difference for me, and I'm sure others in the community facing similar issues would benefit as well.

Thank you all in advance for your help, and I look forward to your responses!

Best regards,
Steve