Your PC's processor, while important, isn't always given the time it needs to execute tasks. Power users might consider maximizing the CPU's priority. Open the system Registry editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Services \ VxD \ BIOS. In the rightmost pane, create a new DWORD value and label it: "CPUPriority" (without quotes). Double-click the newly created setting, switch its format to Decimal, then enter "1" (without quotes) as a value. Upon reboot, this tweak should speed up the launching of programs.

 

NOTE: your mileage may vary.