Why do some games play slow and kind of "jerky"?

I absolutely LOVE to play hidden object and puzzle games. Most of these games install and play just fine, but occasionally I come across one that just can't be played because it is incredibly slow, and the cursor either won't move or moves incredibly slow. I wish I knew more computer "lingo", but sadly, this is the best description I can give. There are several games I just flat can't play because of this. I have a HP Pavillion Slimline, with Windows Vista Home Edition. I wonder if it has to do with the driver? Can anyone explain this in layman's terms that I can understand, and possibly offer a solution?