I'm trying to switch to Linux for better stability, especially since my old laptop can't handle Windows 11 anymore. However, from day one, I've been dealing with constant freezing and unresponsive apps, which is really disheartening. I don't think this is a hardware issue because my laptop ran fine with Windows. If these freezing problems persist, I might have to abandon Linux altogether. Here are my specs:
**LAPTOP MODEL:** ASUS X441UA-GA508
**CPU:** INTEL CORE I3-7020U
**SSD:** 240GB (new)
**RAM:** 4GB.
Oh, and I'm using Linux Mint.
3 Answers
Getting to know your distro and desktop environment can really help when you're troubleshooting issues. If you're using a heavier DE like GNOME or KDE Plasma, it might strain your system with only 4GB of RAM. You could try something lighter like XFCE or LXDE if the freezing persists.
It sounds like you might be running out of memory, especially with only 4GB of RAM. If you're using a heavier desktop environment or browsing with a modern browser, that could definitely contribute to the freezing. It would be great to know more about your specific setup to help diagnose the issue better.
Could you share what version of Linux you're running? Also, make sure you have some swap space set up. I had a similar issue when I neglected to configure swap on my old laptop a few years back and it caused severe freezes.
I'm using Linux Mint, but I'll double-check my swap settings. Thanks for the tip!
Yeah, memory issues can really cause problems. You might want to check how much RAM your desktop environment is using and consider lighter alternatives.