I've been in that situation before with older hardware, and it can indeed be a bit of a challenge. With the Intel GMA 4500 series, you're dealing with a chipset that was primarily supported up to Windows 7. Windows 10's generic drivers might offer basic functionality but often lack full hardware acceleration and the performance optimizations found in dedicated drivers.
One approach I've found useful is installing compatibility mode drivers designed for an earlier version of Windows. For instance, you could try downloading the latest driver from Intel that was officially released for Windows 7 and running the installer in compatibility mode. To do this, right-click on the installer, choose 'Properties,' then go to the 'Compatibility' tab and select 'Windows 7.'
Some users have also had luck using third-party modified drivers, specifically for older Intel graphics chipsets. These community-driven projects sometimes offer enhanced functionality beyond what official drivers provide. Of course, these come with their own risks, so make sure you download from a reputable source and potentially create a system restore point before installing.
Keep in mind performance may still be limited due to the hardware's age, particularly with modern software and heavy tasks. If you wish to explore alternatives, you might also want to consider a lightweight Linux distribution, which often has broader out-of-the-box support for older hardware.
I'm curious, have any specific applications been giving you trouble, or is this more of a general performance issue? That could help narrow down some more targeted tweaks.
