Could be, my kids have identical pc's, but the disks are different. One has a slower ssd and its symptoms are exactly how you described, I knew it was slower but it's all I had around. Both pc's have SATA ssds. We're saving for new disks, which I'm sure will alleviate the symptoms.
At work a similar problem with Windows server. The hosting company changed the IO tier and like snow these issues disappeared. Clicking start and waiting for it to open would take a minute, completely unacceptable, but ultimately fixed by having faster storage.
I'm not saying Microsoft is doing good work, I'm suggesting a workaround until they do, which we both know is very probably never.
They already pushed out older hardware with Windows 11, they won't care about slower storage options.
Nobody sees it that way, nobody notices what we notice. They don't know any alternatives, it has new features so it's innovating, it does what they want/need. I hear no complaints, only from tech people who are invested in privacy and digital sovereignty. That's the reality.
I've been running Linux for many years now and for those games that need it I reboot to Windows. It doesn't happen a lot. So many games just work on Linux, I just play those.
Fwiw, should you need it, there are AA lithium batteries with a usbc slot for charging and they deliver 1.5v. I bought a pack out of curiosity and was very pleasantly surprised.
I have this. It's been on my wishlist ever since I was little and now that i have some disposable income I bought it. Unfortunately the analog signal has been disabled for years, but there's a jack on the tuner that allows you to connect composite video (with a special cable to go from the yellow, red and white to a single 3.5mm jack).
I played some Xbox on it, for the novelty. The screen is small, the resolution is low, the lcd isn't very clear in some cases, ... I love it.
There are special kits to replace the screen with a modern crisp led screen, but they are not compatible with the tuner, something to keep in mind.
I use an RCA switch. 4 input and 1 output. Also easier to change an input on this box than on the TV.
Has a very satisfying tactile click to the buttons.
I wanted an hdmi switch with the same dimensions, so it would stack nicely, but feels like chasing a unicorn.
If you want I can take a picture of the thing, but there's plenty out there. Rectangular, 4 round buttons on the front.