I have this 14-year-old ASUS A42F laptop with an Intel Core i3 M 370 and 4GB of RAM. I recently upgraded it with a 128GB SATA SSD and installed Windows 10 LTSC, which works okay until I try to open multiple tabs and windows - then it freezes and I have to force restart. On idle, it uses about 1.6 to 2GB of RAM. I'm considering switching to a Linux distro for better performance. I know XFCE is lightweight, but I've heard some KDE Plasma distros can be just as light, using only 600-800MB of RAM, while XFCE saves around 200-300MB. I have some limited experience with Fedora's KDE Plasma 6 and really liked it, but I've read that KDE can be memory-intensive, sometimes needing 6-10GB. What's the best option for me? If KDE ends up being too heavy, what's another distro with a modern desktop environment that won't look outdated?
3 Answers
KDE can actually run fine on 4GB of RAM if your CPU and GPU can handle it. However, keep in mind that your web browser will consume a lot of RAM regardless of the desktop environment you choose. If you're looking for something even lighter, consider Lubuntu; it uses LXQt and is very efficient. You might also want to check out the distro selection page for more recommendations tailored to older computers.
If your main issue is browser usage, you could consider lightweight browsers like Lynx for text-based browsing, especially if you primarily need to browse simple sites without much media.
Good point! Lynx can save a ton of resources, but it's definitely a different experience!
Have a look at Bodhi Linux 7.0 HWE; it's designed for older systems and has a unique aesthetic. Just a heads up though, it might not be everyone's cup of tea in terms of appearance!
Yeah, that distro definitely has its quirks! But if it works well, that’s what matters!
It's true, I’ve had good luck with Lubuntu on older machines. Plus, it's pretty sleek and modern looking!