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Browser for low-power computers. Browsers on weak computers

24.02.2016

Not everyone has a fast and productive computer, equipped with the latest technology. Many have one main computer, so to speak, a workhorse, and the second is an old, unpretentious and weak one, which seems to be a pity to throw out, but it’s impossible to use it normally, even for banal surfing on the Internet.

In this case, it is desirable to find . The task is not the easiest, but still solvable.

Note: if your computer is really weak and hardly pullsWindows XP, which, by the way,Microsoft have long ceased to support, the best solution would be to install a lightweight distribution on a PClinux. You can read about which one to choose. .

Internet explorer

Since your computer does not shine with performance, you can try to use what the system itself offers us - a standard browser. Yes, few people love it, and most use it only to download some other browser. Yes, it is not the most convenient to use, but it is certainly less gluttonous than the popular Opera, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, .

In any case, it's worth a try, especially since you don't need to download anything, the browser is initially installed in the operating system.

Chromium

This browser is really fast, stable and easy to use. Its interface is identical to Google Chrome, since both of them are based on the same engine. There is the same extension store, but on a weak computer, this temptation, which greatly simplifies interaction with the browser, is best avoided. The more extensions you install, the more tabs you open, the more your browser will eat up RAM, the more it will load the system with its work.

This is a kind of light version of Google Chrome, noticeably lighter, so for a weak computer it may well come up.

DownloadChromium you can by this link.

Comodo Dragon

A fairly fast and feature-rich browser that will work well on weak computers. It is based on the same Chromium engine. The developers of this browser have made it safe and private, productive and fast, but at the same time undemanding to system resources. In any case, everything you need to surf the Internet, you will definitely find here.

Download Comodo Dragon You can .

Apart from fast work on a weak computer This browser can also please with other nice features. It does not leave traces of your surfing on the Internet: it does not save the history of visited sites, cookies, cache, completed forms and other rubbish that the browser accumulates after each use. It is distributed in a portable version, that is, it does not even require installation on a computer. Yes, it's built for anonymous surfing, but that's exactly what it does. Browzar the best browser for a weak computer. It will definitely not load your OS and your PC, no matter how outdated it may be.

DownloadBrowzar you can by this link.

Actually, this can be the end. Which to choose fast browser for a weak computer of those that we talked about, it's up to you. We’ll add on our own - after working in the browser, do what it does Browzar automatically, that is, if possible, delete history, cache and cookies. This will make your next surfing session much easier.

The top rating in terms of functionality, security and speed is occupied by Yandex.Browser, Google Chrome, Opera and Mozilla Firefox. Which browser you choose, only you can tell, so let's take a quick look at the features of each browser again.

If we talk about the simplicity of the interface and innovation in total, Yandex Browser will win. The developers have proven that it is possible to create a product that is equally respected by both "dummies" and professionals without strict restrictions for users. The browser is cross-platform, fast, stable, synchronizes with Google and Yandex services equally. In fact, it is a combination of the best features of competitors with two significant additions: a unique search bar with hints and a functional bookmarks bar codenamed "scoreboard". Recommended for download if you are tired of template solutions and glitches. In addition, this secure browser on a Windows computer is "thrifty" about RAM. Other Internet browsers are much more demanding on the resources of computers and laptops.

Orbitum is considered a relatively young web browser that is able to compete with any known browser, both in terms of performance when working with Internet resources, and in terms of the number of available settings and tools. Its main feature is an interactive chat that allows you to be on any page and simultaneously correspond with friends from social networks. networks. Try Orbitum and you will be satisfied with the high speed of web page launch, the benefits of using the built-in downloader and the useful omnibox. This is a good choice of browser for a computer at home.

Not so common: Amigo and K-Meleon. The latter is a serious competitor to its progenitor Mozilla Firefox. However, while succeeding in security, the K-Meleon browser loses in the frequency of updates. Amigo's close connection to social networks can be perceived as an advantage for regular visitors to VK, OK, FB and other social networks. But thanks to the many extensions, plugins and minimal CPU usage, the browser runs smoothly and without glitches. The program will be appreciated by all categories of users.

Unfortunately, our review did not include products such as the cross-platform Comodo iceDragon, good solutions Pale Moon and Srware Iron, the only browser with advanced anonymity - Tor browser, the once famous Netscape Navigator, Torch Browser, designed for true fans of Rambler Rambler Browser. Each of them deserves special attention, which we will definitely pay in the following publications. I also want to separately mention a good browser UC Browser. Its creators relatively recently began expanding around the world, constantly adding to their offspring used chips, such as integration with video hosting. Even now, the balance is positive in the "merits - demerits" competition, but we doubt that UC can be called a safe browser. It is often installed on smartphones without the consent of the user.

At my work, I have a weak, obsolete computer with 512 meters of RAM and Windows XP.

The eternal problem - slows down, freezes, especially at the end of the day.

I clean Windows with all sorts of cleaners, utilities, optimizers, but I don’t get any tangible effect.

With browsers, there is an eternal problem - they load the system, eat an unfortunate and already frail operative. My favorite Opera finally disappoints. She became like Firefox - fat and clumsy. Google Chrome, which is praised so much as the fastest and clearest - on my computer is not fast and clear, for some reason it loads the system and the flash player is always buggy in it. He has finally a wonderful feature: he is updated without millet in the background. And it can't be turned off anywhere. Suddenly, the computer starts to slow down terribly, I climb into the task manager - and this dear chrome decided to upgrade and loads the CPU by 80%.

Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Yandex browser - not suitable for weak computers. A special horror begins when you enter heavy sites such as slando or ria.ua - a bunch of loading interface elements, the browser slows down and drags the entire computer along with it.

I would like to say about the Opera that it is like the Dynamo football club (Kyiv). We love everyone for a long time, but lagged behind in development and became heavy and poorly developed, buggy in modern conditions, but still having an old crowd of loyal fans who suffer, but use it and everyone is waiting, waiting for it to become the best and competitive again. A huge plus of Opera is awesome customizability. A bunch of settings, you can customize the browser for yourself and your needs. In Chrome settings - the cat cried.

I rummaged through a lot of information on the internet, read a lot of opinions and reviews. I was looking for an EASY browser to eat less resources on a weak computer. Installed several little-known browsers that position themselves as "light and fast". For example, Browsar Winstyle. Yes, they are light and fast. But fucking not comfortable and crookedly working. So that's not an option either.

As a result, I settled on Comodo Dragon. Externally and internally similar to Chrome, because it is made on the Chromium open source engine. Calls itself "a faster, more secure version of Chrome".

And you know what? So yes! I achieved what I wanted - on my weak computer, the browser works quickly. Really nimble compared to the rest, correctly loads pages and all content. I don't know how it works in Windows 7, but in XP it's great. Heavy modern sites load noticeably faster than in other well-known browsers.

Who has a weak computer and Windows XP - I warmly recommend the Comodo Dragon browser

This article will talk about the best browsers that we can recommend for use on a weak computer. In principle, any modern web browser is suitable for these purposes, even memory-hungry Chrome and its clones on the Chromium platform. You just don't need to install a lot of extensions and produce a huge number of active tabs. But if we talk about products specially optimized for old or weak devices, then it is better to look at Mozilla Firefox or a browser based on its old Gecko engine - Pale Moon. But which of the two is still better for survival? Let's compare them: how they are optimized, and which one performs better in tests on the BrowserBench.org website.

Which browser is best for weak computers

Modern Mozilla Firefox or a project based on its old Pale Moon engine.

Mozilla Firefox Survival

In November 2018, Mozilla Firefox celebrates its anniversary in a new format - on the Quantum engine, which has evolved to replace the outdated Gecko engine, and with a new modern Photon interface.


The Quantum engine, among other things, was also announced as a solution for weak computers. Modern Firefox can work with multiple processor cores and is designed to save RAM. As its creators assure, the browser consumes 30% less memory than Chrome. Plus, Firefox can be further optimized by the users themselves. You can adjust the number of its content processes optimally for your amount of memory, refuse to animate the interface, disable unused plugins, block autoplay of videos, and use other features in the hidden "about:config" settings.

Pale Moon for Survival

Pale Moon is essentially the old Firefox frozen in time when it was still powered by the Gecko engine. And how many knew him in the 2000s. and a little later, until the 29th version, released in 2014, which introduced the new interface of Australis, the predecessor of the modern Photon. Pale Moon is a fork of Mozilla Firefox 28, a browser with a consistent interface from the 2000s, but it's a live, enthusiast-supported, periodically updated product.


Moreover, it is a browser with its own content - its own themes, extensions, plugins. And even with its own user data synchronization service. Pale Moon is specially optimized for performance on weak computers by removing rarely used features in Firefox and minimizing the use of RAM. Well, being a modified clone of the old Ognelis, like himself, "Pale Moon" can be further optimized for specific user interests in the hidden "about:config" settings.

Battle on BrowserBench.org

To compare these two browsers, let's use the BrowserBench.org web service, designed to test browsers on various aspects of their work. And for testing, as a base for the operation of web browsers, we will take a virtual machine cut in hardware capacity - with two cores of the old 2nd generation Intel Core I5 ​​processor, with only 2 GB of RAM located on the HDD. The operating system on the machine is Windows 7 Embedded. Both Firefox and Pale Moon will be tested under the same conditions - with the same number of Windows background processes, in its purest form, without unnecessary tabs and extensions installed.

motion mark

The MotionMark test measures the performance of browsers as they process graphics and web animations. According to the results of the test, points are awarded, the more there are, the better the browser copes with this particular task. And according to the results of this test, Pale Moon won by a significant margin. It got 81.11 points while Firefox only got 59.78. Pale Moon proved to be 26% more productive in terms of graphics processing.


jet stream

The JetStream test is designed to determine the speed of web browsers when they process Java content. The principle of summing up is the same as that of MotionMark - the more points scored, the better the web browser coped with the task. And here the victory is again for Pale Moon, albeit only with a 10% margin. It scored 108.75 while Firefox scored 97.582.


Speedometer

Speedometer is a clumsy speed test, it measures the number of operations per minute. It works on the principle of simulating user actions to open various sites (with different content loads) and launch the same various web applications. The results are summarized as a fixed number of such operations per minute. The more of them, the formally better. And here Pale Moon has already lost miserably to Firefox - 14 operations per minute against 36.6. At 38%, the modern Ognelis, sharpened to work with several processor cores (in our case, with two), is more efficient than Pale Moon, in fact, itself from the distant past.


Appetite for RAM

Which of these two browsers is more economical in terms of RAM consumption? With the same Windows background processes, with the same sites open in web browser tabs, if they are open in Firefox, the system consumes 65% of the memory.

If they are open in Pale Moon - 59%, 6% less.

Summing up…

So, Pale Moon won two BrowserBench.org tests, and Firefox won one. Few users use the browser in endurance mode, thoughtlessly and with particular fussiness opening anything in its window. Plus, Pale Moon uses RAM more efficiently. The winner according to the results of all tests is obvious - Pale Moon.

You can download this browser on the official website of the project:

www.palemoon.org

It's just that it comes initially with an English-language interface, Russification (or translation into another language) is carried out manually by the users themselves. To do this, in the Pale Moon window, you need to go to the project website.


When working with equipment, I want it to quickly follow the instructions given by the user. But not everything and not always goes like clockwork. So, the equipment that does not have significant operational capacities does not meet such a requirement. Especially such inconveniences are felt on inexpensive PCs and laptops. And within the framework of the article, we will consider which simple browser for a weak computer to choose and what are the features of its use.

Problem

To fully understand what we need, we need to have an idea of ​​what we are dealing with. In our case, it is necessary not only to use a light browser for a weak computer, but also to configure it for optimal performance. Since even the most advanced software may not function in the best way due to inept user actions. Moreover, optimization refers not only to the operation of the computer, but also to the display of the site.

What do you want to say about popular browsers

More specifically, about Opera, Mozilla and Google Chrome. You can often hear complaints about them that these versions have become much harder for technology. This is not entirely true. If we open any browser of any such complainer, we can almost always see that there is a lot of “body kit” installed there, which makes it so heavy. Therefore, it must first be dealt with in order to be able to talk about the speed of action. Special attention will be given to such a browser for weak computers - Opera. It has a special "Turbo" mode, with the help of which, without additional settings and fiddling with hardware, you can optimize your work and get improved performance on the Internet. Separately, it is worth mentioning about "Google Chrome". It is not known what computers the developers have, but they probably have 32 GB of RAM. Therefore, this browser often sins by frantically “eating” RAM. To avoid this, it is recommended not to leave tabs open for a long time and restart them.

Setting up popular models

Let's look at this using Mozilla as an example. First of all, you need to make sure that all plugins are disabled. Of course, they allow you to conveniently navigate the Internet and get acquainted with multimedia content, but along with these operations, the machine is loaded. But our goal is a lightweight browser for a weak computer. An exception can be made for only one category of plugins - those that are engaged in "cutting" heavy (usually advertising) elements from pages. This is an example where they will only help save operational power. Also, as an alternative possible solution, you can consider installing outdated versions. Let's take Mozilla version 2 or Opera ninth, and we have a browser for weak computers. They are both quite functional and at the same time low-cost in terms of the use of system resources. But back to setting up the program.

The ideal browser for weak computers can be obtained by sacrificing some of the features. So, you can disable the download of various videos, pictures and other optional elements - thanks to this, you can get a machine that can perform the working functions of information search. But this all applies to the usual user operating systems "Windows". If you are looking for a lightweight browser for weak computers that have one of the versions of Linux installed, then we suggest paying attention to Midori. It is characterized by ease of operation and correct interaction with various sites.

Taking a Look at Unpopular Browsers

But what is popular does not appeal to everyone. Which browser for a weak computer should you choose if you want to try something new? There is a wide variety of different programs that are written on the Chromium open source engine. It should be noted that the merit of these browsers is that they take up little space and are quickly processed. But the other side of the coin is that they do not always have a user-friendly interface (although most are similar to Google Chrome) and errors often occur that make it problematic to use them comfortably. So, an uncommon browser for weak computers:

  1. Browsar Winstyle.
  2. Comodo Dragon.

There is no unity of opinion about them, but, nevertheless, if you are satisfied with their functionality, you can safely use them.

Conclusion

In general, any computer with at least 256 MB of RAM can easily work with the modern segment of the Internet. Of course, in this case, it will be necessary to carefully approach the programs that are installed on it, forget about autoloading various social network clients or other sites, but the end result can please you - the browser will, albeit a little slowly, but surely load any page of an arbitrary site. Here it is necessary to mention that working with heavy elements of a flash player or 3D models will not be available (or very incorrect), but ordinary text documents will work without problems.

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