Hey everyone! I'm new to Linux and recently installed Ubuntu on my Lenovo laptop, but it's running slower than I expected. The startup is slow, programs take a while to open, and sometimes they freeze for a few seconds. In case it helps, my laptop has an Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and an HDD (not an SSD). I understand the HDD can slow things down, but I'm looking for advice. Is there a better Linux distribution I could try that might work faster on my setup?
3 Answers
Linux Mint is another great choice for those looking for a newbie-friendly experience, and it typically has better performance on older laptops than Ubuntu. You might also want to check out Fedora if you're interested in a more general-purpose distro. Both offer a good balance of usability and performance!
You're right, the HDD is going to be the main issue here. These days, traditional hard drives just aren't great for running operating systems quickly. If it's an option down the line, consider picking up an SSD. It'll really speed things up! In the meantime, you might want to try a lighter Linux distro like Zorin OS, which is optimized for older PCs and could give you a boost in performance.
I recently switched from Ubuntu to an Arch-based distro called EndeavourOS on my older laptop, and it's lightweight and much more usable for me. If you’re considering alternatives, something built around Arch might be a good fit. Linux Mint with the XFCE desktop environment is another solid option—very user-friendly and it runs smoother on older hardware.
Yeah, I’ve heard Mint is pretty solid! Definitely a good call for a beginner.