Which browser to choose for a weak computer. It couldn't be faster: top browsers for weak Android devices A browser that consumes little RAM

Lightweight browsers for older computers- this is the topic of our article today. As you probably know, Chrome, Opera and Mozilla have stopped supporting Windows XP and Vista. This means that you cannot run the latest versions of these browsers on older laptops and desktops.

Even if Chrome is still compatible with Windows XP, its high RAM usage will limit the system resources of legacy computers. There is only one conclusion - Google Chrome is not suitable for use on older computers. But there are a number of lighter alternatives to Chrome that will not use system resources 100% and load the PC, even causing the operating system to freeze.

Lightweight browsers for older computers

Most of the lightweight browsers discussed in this article are compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista.

So, let's look at a few modern browsers that are ideal for older, slow PCs.

K-Meleon

The K-Meleon browser is over ten years old. It runs on the Firefox Gekco engine, which is used in the Mozilla browser. It's no surprise that the browser's appearance is so similar to Firefox.

K-Meleon is a fast and lightweight browser that works on many older PCs, from Windows 95, XP, Vista and above. Recommended system requirements 256 RAM. K-Meleon is not updated very often, the last update was in 2015. Despite this, the browser has proven itself to be excellent. In addition, it has a Russian interface, which cannot but please the Russian-speaking user.

K-Meleon has many options for flexible browser settings. For example, prohibiting JavaScript and Cookies, disabling loading images from the main browser window. Of course, Firefox has had all this for a long time, but there some of these functions are implemented exclusively in the browser settings and third-party extensions that must be installed separately.

K-Meleon: a lightweight browser for older computers

The K-Meleon browser cannot add Firefox extensions, but it has many of its own convenient plugins.

Midori

We developed Midori as an alternative to more bloated browsers. The browser is the least consuming of PC resources, in particular the hard drive space. It weighs only 37 megabytes. By comparison, Firefox requires 200 MB of free hard drive space.

Midori, like all modern browsers, supports the latest web technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3. It was designed with the Webkit rendering engine, which provides page opening speeds similar to the popular Google Chrome.

Midori: a lightweight browser for older computers

Unlike Chrome and Firefox, the browser does not have a huge repository of extensions, but it does include several add-ons that improve its functionality. The disadvantage is that there is no Russian language.

Maxthon 5

Maxthon 5 is an old browser with very good reviews and ratings. The browser has 670 million active users. It's hard to believe, but this is stated on the official page. Maxthon system requirements are 1 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM and 64 MB hard disk space.

The browser is also compatible with Windows 2000, XP and Vista, as well as the latest platforms; so it will work on most older PCs.

Maxthon 5 includes some tools and options that you won't find in popular browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer 11, Edge 14 and Firefox. It includes a built-in add-on blocker that allows you to remove add-ons, which can be good for your memory and CPU usage.

Maxthon 5: a lightweight browser for older computers

Maxthon 5 has cloud sync and backup functionality so users can seamlessly sync data across devices. One of the useful features of Maxthon is the ability to take screenshots using the built-in tool. Another advantage is the presence of a Russian interface.

Pale Moon

Pale Moon is a browser based on the Firefox source code. This stripped-down version of Firefox runs on Windows 7 and higher operating systems (Windows XP is unfortunately not supported). Pale Moon requires only 256 MB of free RAM and is optimized for modern processors. This browser is more efficient in using system resources than Firefox, and it will run quite quickly on low-end laptops and desktops.

Pale Moon's design is very similar to older versions of Firefox 3. Many of Firefox's add-ons are compatible with Pale Moon. In addition, Pale Moon has its own exclusive additions. The browser also shares many of Firefox's settings for tabs, page content, etc. Among the shortcomings is that there is no Russian language, but it can be added. In the article "" I showed how to do this.

Firefox

The latest versions of Firefox no longer work on Windows XP and Windows Vista. However, it is still the best browser for slightly older Windows 7 desktops and laptops with 4GB RAM. Mozilla claims that Google Chrome consumes 1.77 times more RAM than Firefox.

Firefox is more resource efficient than Safari, Chrome and Edge. The browser also has many add-ons that you can use to improve your browser's performance. These add-ons include tab managers, ad blockers, and other extensions that you can use to shorten the content of a website page, which will further reduce the RAM usage of each tab and increase browsing speed.

This is undoubtedly one of the best browsers, which opens up wide possibilities for flexible customization of the interface, theme and navigation bar (see also

The question of which browser loads the system the least should be considered from the point of view of multimedia content or development tools provided by the browsers themselves.

If we talk about multimedia, it’s immediately worth considering that the processing tools provided by default browsers in the main versions of programs are often supplemented by a fairly large number of special plugins. Take, for example, the same Adobe Flash Player, which is responsible for high-quality reproduction of animation, graphics and sound.

Thus, the relevant question will be not so much about which browser consumes the least resources, but about how resource-intensive the additional plugin is, because the browser itself in its pure form may not work with some elements of web pages.

Basic performance parameters

If we consider the main characteristics of the most famous and most commonly used means of surfing the Internet, the first place for any user or expert tester is the speed of launching the program itself from an executable file and the speed of opening pages.

Unfortunately, many users who are trying to figure out which browser uses less CPU or RAM, often ignore the application startup options. So to speak, in their pure form after installation, they all start quite quickly. This is only due to the fact that they do not have plugins connected, the cache is not full, there is no browsing history, etc.

Over time, any, even the most sophisticated browser with a bunch of bells and whistles turns into a clumsy hulk. The saddest thing is that even clearing the cache or deleting temporary files does not help. And if you also take into account the initialization of plug-ins at program startup, in general, it’s worth thinking about the advisability of installing them.

Some applications have their own set that cannot be deleted, but can be disabled. For example, Chrome comes with built-in components like Adobe Flash Player or AdBlock. If everything is clear with the first plugin, the second sometimes causes legitimate complaints. It is responsible for blocking ads, pop-ups and banners, and can also prevent some auto-executing scripts and applets embedded in web pages from running. And all this takes a lot of time.

Opening pages with preliminary content analysis directly depends on the content. Any modern browser takes a fraction of a second to do this. Again, it all depends on the plugins - the more there are, the slower the program runs. And incorrectly installed or incompatible add-ons slow down the system even more.

Which browsers use less memory?

But let’s start checking the means of Internet access themselves. Here you should take into account the consumption of RAM, virtual and physical memory. If you understand the question of which browser loads the system the least, you should pay attention to the basic default settings and the size of the allocated cache.

Cached data, although it allows you to increase the speed of opening the most frequently visited pages by saving some elements on the hard drive, is nevertheless capable of clogging up the system too much and causing programs to freeze. This is due to the constant analysis of loaded structural elements of pages. If there is a sufficiently large number of them, more time is required for analysis and loading.

In this regard, the best performance, judging by user and expert reviews, is shown by Internet Explorer 11, Edge from Windows 10, Mozilla and Google Chrome. Opera, although a very popular means of accessing the Internet, is much slower. In addition, today you can find so many versions of the program in unofficial sources that you don’t always know whether a given product is safe.

The best browsers: ratings and reviews

If we consider modern browsers, we can compile a list in which, as one would expect, there are only programs from the most famous developers:

• Internet Explorer;
• Edge;
• Opera;
• Chrome.

It would be possible to add here some programs like Amigo, Yandex Browser, 360 Safety Browser or something else. But they are specifically not included in the list, since they are built on the basis of Chrome and are not of interest as truncated or expanded derivatives of the main product. Often, due to unfinished technologies and algorithms, many more problems arise in them than in the parent product. This is evidenced by clearly unflattering statements from users.

Now let’s look at the question of which browser loads the system the least in a little more detail.

Internet Explorer

Users have an extremely negative attitude towards IE, which is part of any Windows operating system, since the early versions of the program were so unfinished that it was not even possible to talk about any ease of working on the Internet.

Over time, Microsoft developers revised the basic concept of the browser, resulting in the 11th version of the application. No matter what anyone says, Internet Explorer 11 in all respects surpasses Mozilla, Chrome, and even more so Opera. The load is minimal, startup is much faster than similar applications, clearing the cache and temporary files does not require user intervention, as it was before (you had to clean the Temporary Files folders manually).

Edge

The same Internet Explorer became the progenitor of a new generation browser called Edge, which appeared only in Windows 10 (a version is not provided for systems of a lower rank).

This application rightfully occupies the top positions in all ratings. Most of the background processes when starting the program are automated, the start takes place within a couple of seconds, opening pages even without installing the accompanying plugins is very fast. By the way, you don’t need to install add-ons - everything comes included here.

Another thing is that this browser is somewhat inconvenient to configure, especially in terms of disabling extensions. And the default start page (news, weather, advertising, etc.) is a little annoying. But all this can be disabled if you set the dummy at startup, similar to how it is done in IE.

Opera

The notorious "Opera", although revered by many, has recently lost ground. Despite the convenient and fairly simple interface, performance leaves much to be desired.

Even at startup, you may notice that it takes too long to access the hard drive, as well as when completely clearing the cache and deleting temporary files. True, one of the advantages is the ability to quickly configure, disable or remove extensions. But this in no way can affect the overall rating.

Mozilla Firefox

The search for an answer to the question of which browser loads the system the least cannot do without this browser.

Light and fast - that's what you can say about it. However, not all users appreciate it fully. The fact is that “Fire Fox” cannot be considered as the most primitive means of accessing the Internet. This browser is more suitable for web developers and can be used as a complete platform for creating web applications. The tools here are much wider than what other favorites on the list offer.

Chrome and browsers based on it

Chrome is considered the fastest of all existing browsers. Developments based on it are fast only after the first installation, but over time they begin to slow down incredibly.

The speed of launch, the speed of opening pages, and the ease of setup or management are excellent. Plus - the largest number of developed plugins and extensions. The question is different. Is it worth installing them? This is something everyone decides for themselves. Nevertheless, this browser is not inferior to Edge in all the main indicators in the popularity lists.

What to choose?

So, choose the lightest browser. Of course, preference (based on user reviews) could be given to Microsoft products, however, it is believed that the best option would be to install Chrome.

And here the choice is supported not only by technical characteristics or performance parameters with minimal load on the system. If you look more broadly, you will notice that the latest version of the application supports RDP (remote desktop) technologies and can be used as the main client for connecting to computers and laptops, even from mobile devices.

Thus, the balance in the question of which browser loads the system the least, is the easiest to manage and configure, clearly tips in favor of Chrome, although this assessment is based solely on ratings, nothing more.

Quite a lot of web browsers force everyone working on the Internet to solve the problem of a functional and lightweight browser, the actions of which can be “eat” by a smaller number of users.

Each program that runs on a computer takes the number of resources it needs, which in turn are necessary for good performance. In the browser situation, the amount of OP taken away is subject to a number of reasons.

Browser optimization

A developed Internet browser that is not optimized will take a larger number of OP, which is dangerous when a person’s computer has only up to four gigabytes. For each opened tab in the browser, additional memory is allocated. The more of them are open, the stronger the browser’s appetite is manifested.

Additional functions

At the moment, it is impossible to imagine the operation of a browser without additional functions, the actions of which make it possible, if necessary, to change the IP address, block advertising content, download files and perform many other necessary options.

And, if too many options are installed in the browser settings, it will begin to take up several times more PC resources.

Viruses

A virus attack has a detrimental effect on the operation of the operating system and programs in general, as well as on the operation of browsers, thereby disrupting their proper operation. Considering all of the above, we can consider browsers empty, that is, without add-ons and with the same number of tabs. This is the only way to really find out which browser consumes fewer resources.

Browser OP consumption, comparative points.

The most consumed browser is Mozilla Firefox, and the lightest is Opera.

2. Opening 3 tabs.

Having opened 3 identical tabs, you will notice that the indicators are the same. It is worth considering that Chrome is power hungry, just like Firefox.

3. Opening ten tabs.

Most people can't get by with just two or three tabs, so it's best to pay attention to how search engines behave with 10 tabs open.

In this case, Opera remains an advantageous browser in terms of OP consumption compared to other browsers. Both Yandex and Google moved higher, eating up a decent amount of OP, while Mozilla's results came close to Opera.

4. Opening nine tabs. You should immediately close nine tabs in each browser and make sure that your OP consumption remains unchanged.

So, everything has returned to its place - Opera is the most effective, and Firefox is again the last. In conclusion to what has been said. From this process, it becomes clear that the most effective browser at all verification steps is Opera.

It should be noted that Mozilla is ideal for a large number of tabs to open. The same cannot be said about Google and Yandex, which increase the amount of RAM they consume with each new tab they open.

I would like to highlight that each candidate is a powerful and functional browser that behaves excellently with a large number of open sites.

It’s hard to imagine the life of a modern person without a smartphone, you see. Some people choose flagships and use their device as a full-fledged multimedia processor, while others choose budget models without the need to run heavy applications. For such devices you need only the most lightweight programs. In this collection we have collected the fastest and lightest browsers for the Android operating system.

The fashion for light versions of applications has reached Yandex. The younger version of a fairly popular mobile browser is built on the Android System Webview and therefore will not load the smartphone. No heavy engines, only optimized native mobile OS tools from Google. Among the advantages are: the light weight of the application (the size of the installation package is less than 1 MB), convenient navigation with the address bar at the bottom, as well as integration with the Yandex.Zen service.

Perhaps the most unusual application in this collection. Here the concept of a full-fledged browser faded into the background. The main function in Flynx is to view web pages from any application in windowed mode without having to leave the main one.

All application control outside the settings screen is carried out using a small interface add-on that works in overlay mode. A small circle displays how many tabs you have open. Chrome provides similar functionality, offering to open links directly in the application. However, in order not to lose the open page, in any case you will have to transfer it to an already open Chrome. And this is not entirely convenient.

New browser from Opera, focused on use on the move. Convenient one-handed surfing, Flow mode for exchanging information with the desktop version of the browser, and light weight combined with good performance can serve as an alternative to Chrome, especially on devices with large displays.

Opera conducted a study in which 86% of participants responded that they use a smartphone with one hand during any daily activity: while walking, traveling on public transport. Therefore, the developers made a Fast Action Button, which allows you to both view all open tabs and quickly go to the settings page. It makes one-armed surfing much easier.

A real oldie in the list of browsers for the operating system from Google. It was very popular at a time when Flash technology was widespread. Those days have passed, but the functionality and speed of work remain. Ease of use is provided by an advanced tab system, gesture controls, a personalized home page that explores what content you prefer, and a large selection of different add-ons for a more comfortable surfing experience.

The lightest and fastest browser in this collection is Naked Browser. Almost devoid of a familiar user interface, it is perfect for weak and old devices, where every ten megabytes of RAM counts. In addition, Naked Browser does not require access to system components such as contacts and SMS. Control is implemented with simple gestures, because the program has practically no interface. The system WebView is entirely responsible for web surfing. You can find a lot of useful and interesting things in the settings.

Hi all. You know that there is a browser that consumes little RAM and which does not overload the system and does not eat up a lot of RAM.

Yes, there is such a browser, but few people know about it. And this is Pale Moon. I learned about it a long time ago - I liked it because, unlike others, it works under a normal engine - Mozilla, it’s just that everything is very optimized and even some processor instructions seem to be taken into account. That is why I can even say that this is the fastest browser today.

True, I still use Chrome, which is slower. Why Chrome? Yes, there are many reasons - bookmarks, necessary extensions, something else... I don’t remember anymore... that is, I use Chrome only because I’ve been using it for more than one year. And not all the extensions I need are supported in Pale Moon.

Pale Moon is based on the Mozilla engine, but not the latest version. I don’t know how they change it, it seems out of necessity, but all the sites work very well. And there is no Russian language yet - but it can be installed separately without any problems. After installing Pale Moon and loading a website, you will immediately notice the difference.

You can download Pale Moon here (off site):

It is completely free and does not install anything extra during installation. There are both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Installation is simple and should not cause any difficulties:

I downloaded the browser, installed it, and launched it - this is what it looks like:

Yes, right away, of course, he’s not very good. But if you set the Russian language and play around with the interface, it will become much more convenient. I won’t write about the Russian language - I thought it would be difficult to deliver. But as it turned out, everything is easy, there are instructions on the Internet, everything is simple there, if you want, then install it. The main thing about a browser is its speed.

Regarding the RAM and the load on the computer - yes, it loads little and uses little RAM. But don’t forget that websites are also quite fragile now—it can’t be that a heavy website can fly in a super-fast browser on an old computer. I hope you understand this.

The browser is cool in my opinion. But there are downsides, or only one downside: extensions. There are few of them and they are special for Pale Moon. I don’t remember exactly - from regular Mozilla either all of them don’t work or only some work.

Even now - I installed Pale Moon, searched for YouTube - it opened incredibly quickly. Another site is also unrealistic. Well, simple websites can be opened in just one second.

Pale Moon main menu:

I opened a couple of sites. Now I have closed them. I looked in the manager - the browser (the palemoon.exe process) uses 200 megagrams of RAM, which by today’s standards seems to be not much:

Now I have opened the sites again - Google search engine, Apple site, Pale Moon, RBC, YouTube. Everything is loaded:

In the dispatcher, RAM consumption increased to 300 megs:

But I must admit that when everything was loaded, consumption reached 360, and immediately after it was loaded, it was 300. The entire loading process took a matter of seconds.

300 megs - a lot or a little? It's difficult to answer. I stopped monitoring my RAM consumption a long time ago. But when I was watching, and this was back in the days of Windows XP, then the optimal amount was no more than 250 meg. Overall, I think the browser is good and uses little resources.

I didn't write about CPU usage. It all depends on the site itself; if it’s heavy, it can load it, but I think it won’t last long, and the sites themselves load quickly. That is, all these processes in the browser are optimized.

On the Internet, and maybe on the official website, you can even find a version for Atom processors.

The browser is installed in this folder:

C:\Program Files\Pale Moon

The size of the folder with the browser weighs almost 100 megagrams:

The official website has a portable version (portable) - you can put it on a flash drive and carry it with you.

To remove the browser, press Win + R, then paste the command:

Find Pale Moon in the list, right-click and select Uninstall:

Can be removed without problems.

That's all. I hope the information was useful. Good luck.

19.10.2017