I'm running Linux Mint XFCE on my old laptop that's got 8GB of RAM but a pretty outdated CPU. I also use it as a media server, but I've been hitting some snags with slow browser performance. Given that modern browsers tend to be resource-heavy, I'm wondering if switching to a lighter Linux distribution would actually help improve performance for browser-based tasks. Would using something lighter than Mint make a noticeable difference?
6 Answers
You can go lighter, but since you're running XFCE with 8GB of RAM, you’re in pretty good shape. If it were just 4GB, I’d suggest something like Debian with LXDE. Also, consider a different ‘light’ browser like Min or something else. Performance often depends on hardware specifics too—like if you're on a spinning HDD!
I've got a desktop from 2011 running Arch Linux with i3wm, and it's super snappy for web browsing! It might be worth giving a lighter setup a try, but your current XFCE is already light.
Yes, going lighter can help! Switching your desktop environment can extend your hardware's life. As things age, lightweight options can make a big difference, especially for web browsing.
Definitely consider both a lighter distro and a lighter browser. You might free up a lot of resources that way!
Not really. If you're already using XFCE, which is one of the lighter desktop environments, then the distro itself isn't the main issue here.
I think the key isn’t just the distro but also your desktop environment. XFCE is already pretty light. Arch might be faster but you could test that out using a live USB. You'll find that the browser you use and the extensions you have could be impacting performance more than the distro.
Thanks for the tip! I'll look into testing out Arch with a live USB.
I appreciate the advice! I'll check out some lighter browsers too.