Xfce Forum

M.P.

Member

Registered: 2022-06-18

Posts: 2

Xubuntu running slow (RAM upgrade?)

Hi, I just installed Xubuntu on an old machine and it runs slow and freezes sometimes. RAM memory is of 2G only, and I am considering an upgrade to 4GB, but I need advice, because I do not know if it will solve the problem, as the processor is not very fast (Intel 2200MHz). I am attaching a print screen of what happens at a certain moment even when few or none applications are open. Any advice or tips would be appreciated.

M.P.

Member

Registered: 2022-06-18

Posts: 2

Re: Xubuntu running slow (RAM upgrade?)

Sorry I don' t know how to embed an image here. CPU usage is very high, touching the limit sometimes and RAM usage is very high sometimes.

Clio

Member

Registered: 2011-01-25

Posts: 97

Re: Xubuntu running slow (RAM upgrade?)

You should ask in a ubuntu forum, this is not a problem of the desktopenvironment xfce.

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 10,998

Re: Xubuntu running slow (RAM upgrade?)

A "pure" Xfce install (with dependencies) will consume about 300MB of RAM. Most distros, like xubuntu, will include other packages to improve the user experience (as they see it). As a result, their memory requirements increase. A default Xubuntu install is more than double the base Xfce requirements.

There are distros that package a lighter version of Xfce. For example, a Debian install, the parent of Xubuntu, or an Arch-based Xfce install will consume less RAM that Xubuntu (but will also have less features). If you are looking to make Xubuntu lighter, then @Clio is correct, the ubuntu forums will be a better place to ask.

Note that regardless of the distro or desktop environment you choose, the web browser will be the biggest load on your computer. The specs you've indicated will not run a modern web browser (with mulitple tabs) well.

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KBar

Moderator

Registered: 2021-11-05

Posts: 689

Re: Xubuntu running slow (RAM upgrade?)

I shall concur.

Web browsers are by far the biggest consumers of our precious RAM. They're basically fully-fledged operating systems on their own. Add Java on top of that and it's a recipe for disaster.

With that said, that doesn't mean they like to eat up all of the resources. Most browsers are quite "smart" and automatically unload inactive tabs in periods of system memory shortage.

If you want a pleasant and tolerable experience in this day and age, 4 gigs is the minimum. If you don't care about browsing at all and use w3m or lynx, even then, 2 gigs might not be enough.

Last edited by KBar (2022-06-19 15:02:40)

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agashamu

Member

From: California

Registered: 2021-03-01

Posts: 136

Re: Xubuntu running slow (RAM upgrade?)

Five years ago, when I started Linux, I had an old HP desktop, made in 2011, running Win 7, slow as hell. I installed Xubuntu in it, did not get much better. It had an old HDD, Celeron CPU, 3 GB Ram...Everybody on Ubuntu forum suggested to get a newer motherboard. Instead, I upgraded the old thing: Samsung SSD, 8 GB ram, E5800 CPU, the total cost about $100-120. (Ebay, Amazon) End it started flying!! I still use it with Linux Lite and Mint Xfce installed. My 2 years old Asus laptop hardly any faster then the old guy, including browsing with Brave. Switching from 3GB ram to 4GB made a big difference, but from 4GB to 8GB did not. And of course, the new SSD!

Last edited by agashamu (2022-06-19 18:15:45)

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