Is there a way to monitor my PC’s performance to better assess its speed?

Yes. You can use various software tools to monitor the performance of your PC. Windows has a built-in tool called Performance Monitor, which can track CPU, memory, storage and network utilization. There are also many third-party applications available, such as CPU-Z and GPU-Z, that allow you to view information such as clock speeds, temperatures, and power consumption. Additionally, tools such as MSI Afterburner and EVGA PrecisionX can be used to overclock components in order to maximize performance. All of these tools can help you understand the performance of your PC.