In order to understand which browser is the easiest, you need to try installing at least several of them. Then they are launched one by one (the main thing is that the conditions are the same, that is, the pages are the same).
To compare, let's take the following three Internet pages:
1. http://lumpics.ru/about/
2. http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/
3. http://ladio.ru/flash/en/index.html#
When each of the sites is open, you need to click on “Task Manager” to look at the processor load, as well as memory.
Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge
Desktop computers usually do not have good performance, so you can use what the system offers, that is, a standard browser. Of course, Internet Explorer is not so convenient and few people use it, but it needs significantly less memory to work than the well-known browsers Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
1. The Internet Explorer browser opens on the page http://lumpics.ru/about/. Call up “Task Manager” and look first at “Memory” - 66.7 MB.
3. And now it’s time to open the last page http://ladio.ru/flash/en/index.html#. In Task Manager, Memory will show as 84.9 MB.
In Windows10, the standard browser is different - Microsoft Edge. It looks quite promising. The browser is not loaded with various themes, plugins and extensions. His opening speed is truly impressive.
1. Launch Microsoft Edge and go to the website http://lumpics.ru/about/. Call “Task Manager” and look at “Memory” - 14.8 MB.
2. In the browser, open the page http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" will be 17.6 MB.
3. Open the last page http://ladio.ru/flash/en/index.html#. In the “Task Manager” we again look at “Memory” - 23 MB.
Chromium
Chromium can be called a lightweight version of Google Chrome, which is perfect for a weak computer.
1. Open the browser and the first site from the list of tests - http://lumpics.ru/about/. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" will be 29.6 MB.
2. Launch the website http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/. Now in the "Memory" section of the "Task Manager" there will be 36.1 MB.
3. We go to one more last site http://ladio.ru/flash/en/index.html#. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" shows a figure of 48.1 MB. In this, as in the other screenshots above, you can see that there are a number of additional (background) processes nearby that use at least as much memory, if not more.
Comodo Dragon
Comodo Dragon works well on a weak computer. This browser has everything you need to surf the web.
1. Launch the browser and go to the page http://lumpics.ru/about/. The site in Task Manager uses 134.9 MB of memory.
2. Go to the page http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" will be 148.9 MB.
3. Last page http://ladio.ru/flash/en/index.html#. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" shows 164.3 MB.
Opera developers have optimized the performance of this browser to the maximum. It works quite well on relatively weak computers, which attracts a large number of users.
1. Open the browser and follow the usual pattern and go to the website http://lumpics.ru/about/. In the “Task Manager” we pay attention to “Memory” - 27 MB.
2. Go to the website http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" will appear - 31.7 MB.
3. Go to http://ladio.ru/flash/en/index.html#. In the “Task Manager” we look at “Memory” - 35.7 MB.
Yandex browser
Yandex Browser has a lot of capabilities in some areas, so it looks promising and lively.
1. Launch the browser and go to http://lumpics.ru/about/. The Task Manager will show 30.7 MB of memory.
2. Go to the website http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/. In the “Task Manager” we look at “Memory” - 37 MB.
3. And launch the last page http://ladio.ru/flash/en/index.html#. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" will be 42.7 MB.
As part of my job, I have to maintain several very advanced computers in working order. In terms of hardware, this is not difficult - fortunately, machines produced 10 years ago are often assembled (soldered) to a higher quality than modern consumer goods. But in terms of software, the task is more difficult. The biggest headache for me is antiviruses and browsers. Both of them are very hungry for RAM, which, alas, is in short supply (for the last 1.5 years, the budget for upgrading computers at school has been approaching zero, and a small upgrade can only be done if the old hardware completely fails). Meanwhile, it is highly advisable to update both the antivirus and the browser periodically. We'll talk about choosing an antivirus some other time, but today I'll try to find the fastest browser for old computers.
First, a little background. Until recently, I installed the old Opera 12 on all old computers. But, alas, one fine day, this once wonderful browser began to display crookedly a vital site - an electronic magazine. Well, I had to say goodbye to the old Opera and look for alternatives.
First of all, of course, I checked how the fresh Opera would behave on old machines. Alas, as expected, Opera 30 (this version was current at the time of my experiment) behaved like a typical Chromium browser: it consumed a lot of memory, forcing the computer to swap heavily (IDE disk, heh...). Things were a little better with other standard chrome clones (Yandex.Browser, Chrome itself). The latest Firefox 40 behaves relatively well, but it has obvious problems with interface rendering (it slows down) and memory consumption is still quite high (especially when opening 2-3 tabs). Well, since the browsers known to everyone cannot cope with the task, let’s try different exotic ones.
Part 1. Looking for a fast browser in the Chromium camp
I was pleasantly surprised in terms of speed. Being an add-on to Internet Explorer, it works very quickly and does not eat up too much memory. But, alas, all this happiness is available only on Windows 7, and my weakest machines run Windows XP. No, the mentioned SlimBrowser works great under Windows XP, but the IE8 engine, alas, is hopelessly outdated and is not much different in rendering quality from the same Opera 12-.
Next, I decided to try out “unusual” variations on the Chromium theme. There were as many as three candidates. The first of them is . It is positioned by the developers as a light and fast browser. In general, this statement is true - for a chromo clone, Midori is really quite light and fast. But, unfortunately, on computers with 1 gigabyte of RAM (and even more so with 512 megabytes) it is not light enough.
The second candidate is Chinese. The younger brother of the well-known Maxthon was born about a year ago. In essence, it is Chromium stripped to the limit. It really works quite quickly, but it still consumes a lot of memory. I would recommend it rather as an addition to the main browser on normal machines (when you need to quickly read something without waiting for the main browser to load - Nitro loads almost instantly). But this browser is not suitable for older computers.
Finally, the last Chrome in my experiment is the OpenSource project. The developer positions it as the successor to the good old Opera, but on a modern engine (guess which one?). True, from a technical point of view, this browser is built a little differently - it does not create a separate process for each sneeze. This feature allows Otter (and this is how the name of the browser is translated from English) to save memory quite well. In terms of speed and functionality, Otter is also doing pretty well. But, alas, it is still very crude and not stable enough for everyday use. And the interface, to be honest, leaves much to be desired... Besides, Otter is essentially a one-man show (in the sense of a developer) and, alas, there is almost no hope for quickly bringing the project to a digestible state.
Otter Browser. In the depths of the tundra Otter in spats...
Part 2. Looking for a fast browser in the Gecko camp
Well, since the Chrome community can’t please us with anything in terms of speed, let’s try to turn to the second opposing side and look at browsers based on the Gecko engine. This engine is no less popular among developers, although it has its own specifics. While browsers based on Chromium (and Blink) are mainly built by various commercial companies (Otter is a rare exception), Gecko is more popular among the OpenSource community. Unfortunately, this community, for the most part, is busy changing the basic functionality of Firefox, as a result of which clones of Ognelis (or Firepanda - as you prefer) with different sets of functions are born. Against this background, several projects stand out that make optimized assemblies for certain platforms. Among them, only two focus their efforts on improving the speed of Firefox. The first project is . Within its framework, they make assemblies that work (according to the developers) 25% faster than the original FF. Until recently, the PaleMoon project even had a separate assembly optimized for Windows XP, but due to the cessation of official support for this OS, its release was discontinued. However, to this day there is a separate build for weak Atom-based machines, which can be used on any old computers.
In terms of speed, I was very pleased with PaleMoon - the subjective speed of launching the browser and loading pages on a computer with 1 GB of RAM is even higher than when working with Opera 12 (although it uses a little more memory). The interface, by the way, is rendered noticeably faster than that of its ancestor in the face of FF (the cut Australis has an effect). True, for greater ease of use, the “lunar” browser will have to be modified a little (in particular, and turned on in the settings). In general, the impressions from this browser are the most pleasant. Among other things, PaleMoon supports extensions from FireFox, which means expanding its functionality will be quite simple.
Finally, the last contender for the title of “fastest browser for old computers” is the . This project, which appeared at the dawn of the popularity of Firefox, was in hibernation for many years and only recently began to be revived. Essentially, this is a very distant relative of Firefox, taking only the Gecko engine from its ancestor. Due to its close relationship, K-Meleon does not support extensions from the original Firefox and does not inherit all its problems (working speed in particular). As a result, we have a very fast and quite functional browser. In terms of operating speed today, K-Meleon is the leader. The only thing that prevents us from definitely recommending it for use is the clumsy interface and the fact that it is overloaded with not all the necessary functions.
K-Meleon 74. The fastest browser…
As a conclusion. Based on the results of many days of testing (including on real users), I personally chose PaleMoon (more precisely, its assembly for Atom). In conditions of severe lack of RAM, it works noticeably faster than all other browsers. On computers with 512 megabytes of RAM, K-Meleon showed the best results in terms of memory consumption, but users in almost 100% of cases complain about its inconvenient interface (read: unusual appearance and non-standard arrangement of controls). In theory, all this can be solved by fine-tuning the interface (fortunately, K-Meleon provides such an opportunity), but in practice the difference in the speed of working with PaleMoon is not so great. The final decision, however, is yours.
Updated March 18, 2016
I tested a couple more programs that claim to be the “fastest browser for an old computer.” My impressions are in .
Updated February 19, 2019
It turns out that enthusiasts continue to make PaleMoon builds that work on older computers. Here, in particular, (you need to download the file mypal-28.3.1.win32.installer.exe).
Let's take a closer look at the most popular browsers for personal computers and laptops running Windows in the world and in RuNet, in particular. We will try to evaluate them as objectively as possible. advantages And flaws for the user. The main and most important characteristics are speed, ease of use, safety, functionality.
Before moving on to the review, let's turn to statistics, provided by leading web analytics companies.
The latest data on the share of users in the world at the beginning of 2017 was provided by the Net Applications agency. It is worth noting that these statistics have not undergone global changes for several years. 
Several companies maintain statistics on Russian-language Internet users, including OpenStat, LiveInternet and HotLog. 
As we see, confident leadership in RuNet and in the world beyond Google Chrome.
But these are just statistics. In order to fully experience the quality of the work of reviewers, it is worth trying them all in action, because everyone may have their own specific wishes and preferences.
Mozilla FireFox – free web surfing 
If you prefer simple interface with minimum extra buttons and tabs, then this browser is definitely worth trying. During the initial installation, you will receive a minimum of functions, which for some is even better - easy to use.
You can expand the functionality using numerous plugins And extensions, of which there is simply a sea (more than 100 thousand at the moment). 
Features a high level security Your personal data and passwords. Easy to at a construction site.
An important advantage is blocking pop-up windows and RSS support. Updates independently, without user intervention. 
High rates of development allow the observer to successfully compete with the leaders of the ratings, but it is still slightly inferior in performance the next browser in our review.
Google - Internet at the speed of Chrome 
Chrome offers the greatest speed of work. The functionality is very well thought out. Features a very convenient multilingual interface, which all other browsers are trying to copy with varying degrees of success.
Browser automatically blocks pop-up windows, in the search bar you can enter both the site address and the search query. 
Extremely convenient quick page translation. Supports operating mode by several users.
It's more than just a browser - it's a platform for web applications. Built-in Flash player, it is possible to view PDF And DOC files directly in the browser window. For some, the function of enabling the mode may be useful incognita to disable tracking of your online activity and recording of your Internet activity.
Lots of extensions, unfortunately, not all of them are of high enough quality, since many are created by third-party developers. Because of them, there may be a decrease in operating speed, so you should install only proven plugins and extensions.
From shortcomings one can note quite high loading RAM when opening multiple tabs, as well as tracking your interests, location and displaying advertising based on this information.
However, in general, it is not for nothing that this reviewer occupies a leadership position in Russia and the world, so we can recommend it first of all.
Opera - convenient, safe, fast 
The once most popular Internet browser in Russia is now losing more and more popularity every year. But its Mini version for smartphones is still used by the majority.
Among advantages should be noted comparatively fast work, will be very useful for low-power computers. The speed can be further increased by using the " Turbo». 
Easy to configure, can install about a thousand extensions And plugins. Has a pleasant interface.
TO cons Considering the large amount of loaded RAM, some sites may not be displayed entirely correctly.
Yandex Browser - fast with turbo mode 
Recently, a Russian-made columnist has become increasingly popular. True, the same engine is taken as a basis Chromium, and therefore the interface is similar to Chrome, but it must be admitted that it is a little more adapted for Runet. 
Among the differences, we note the unusual animated background Internet Explorer, which improves perception. Interface simplified to a minimum. Diverse panels take up less space, resulting in a 20% increase in site visibility. Services integrated Yandex disk, mail, online translator and other specialized ones.
For some, the simplified interface may be a disadvantage; it will take time to get used to it. If you do not connect to various Yandex services, the browser will work limitedly.
Tor Browser Bundle – incognito mode 
Not represented in the rating, which is no wonder - the browser is intended for users who want hide your data, spies trying to work on the network in incognita.
Basically it's Thor modified Mozilla FireFox, with a similar interface and functionality. But with its use you can hide your IP address, location and other personal data.
However, the cost of protecting your information will be significant. decreased productivity. That is, pages will open slowly, since traffic will be redirected through servers in many countries. You will constantly have to enter a captcha in a search engine in order to be checked to see if you are a robot.
If you care about privacy online – we recommend trying Tor Browser.
Internet Explorer - always at hand 
Explorer is the grandfather of all modern browsers. Now he has already lost his position significantly. In all respects - security, speed, convenience, it is quite weak.
However, in the latest version, Internet Explorer 11 tried to get closer to the leading browsers and mitigate a number of shortcomings. 
However cons its use is still too a lot of, because few users give it their preference.
Microsoft Edge– new fromMicrosoft 
Microsoft does not give up and in 2015 creates a browser that is rapidly increasing the number of its fans. It replaced Internet Explorer in Windows 10. 
Increased number of supported extensions, operating speed increased thanks to the use of the new EdgeHTML engine. Fully integrated in Windows 10, it cannot be used in other versions. We also worked on security.
From shortcomings– some sites may not be displayed correctly, the menu is not functional enough, and it is difficult to customize for specific tasks.
24.02.2016
Not everyone has a fast and productive computer, equipped with the latest technology. Many people have one main computer, a workhorse, so to speak, and a second one that is old, simple and weak, which seems like a shame to throw away, but they can’t use it normally, even for banal surfing the Internet. In this case, it is advisable to find. The task is not the simplest, but still solvable.
Note: if your computer is really weak and has difficulty runningWindows XP, which, by the way,Microsoft has long ceased to be supported, the optimal solution would be to install a lightweight distribution on your 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 like it, and most people use it only to download some other browser. Yes, it is not the most convenient to use, but it is certainly less power-hungry 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, as they are both based on the same engine. There is the same extension store, but on a weak computer it is better to avoid this temptation, which greatly simplifies interaction with the browser. The more extensions you install, the more tabs you open, the more your browser will consume RAM, the more it will load the system with its work.
This is a kind of lightweight version of Google Chrome, noticeably lighter, so it may be quite suitable for a weak computer.
DownloadChromium you can by this link.
Comodo Dragon
A fairly fast and multifunctional browser that will work well on weak computers. It is based on the same Chromium engine. The developers of this browser made it secure and confidential, productive and fast, but at the same time undemanding of system resources. In any case, you will definitely find everything you need to surf the Internet here.
Download Comodo Dragon You can .
Besides fast work on a weak computer This browser can please you with other nice features. It leaves no traces of your surfing on the Internet: it does not save the history of visited sites, cookies, caches, completed forms and other rubbish that accumulates in the browser after each use. It is distributed in a portable version, that is, it does not even require installation on a computer. Yes, it's designed for anonymous surfing, but that's exactly what it does Browzar the best browser for a weak computer. It will definitely not burden your OS and your PC, no matter how outdated it may be.
DownloadBrowzar you can by this link.
Actually, we can end here. Which to choose fast browser for a weak computer from those we talked about, it’s up to you to decide. Let’s add on our own – after working in the browser, do what it does Browzar automatically, that is, delete if possible history, cache and cookies. This will make your next surfing session much easier.
Any user of the World Wide Web knows that to surf the Internet conveniently, quickly and safely, you need an appropriate browser. But today there is so much software of this type in the world that choosing a browser is quite a difficult task. Let's look at the most famous browsers and try to figure out which one is better and faster.
General principles of browser operation
As you know, modern web browsers are quite complex systems, and the sites themselves are structures with a branched architecture. In this case, we are talking about the fact that the web browser is not only a primitive means of viewing web pages. Support for many add-ons and ActiveX controls or the Java platform makes it a universal tool for all occasions.
Now a few words about performance testing. Unfortunately, there is a misconception among many users that the lightest browser is the one that loads web pages the fastest. But you also need to take into account ease of use, settings and some other features.
Additionally, some versions of Windows OS behave completely differently. For example, Windows 7 provides a special SuperFetch technology, which allows you to fill the memory as much as possible with the most frequently visited pages. Naturally, they load much faster. However, increasing memory greatly impacts overall system performance, causing applications to run more slowly. Further garbage collection and loops increase the load on the CPU even more. It turns out that any, even the lightest browser, tries to grab as much space as possible in memory, and cannot unload data even when shutting down.
But this is all, so to speak, an example of technical aspects, and not all of them. Let's look at the most famous browsers and new products that took part in testing in 2014.
Internet Explorer
Oddly enough, the “old man” Internet Explorer 11, unloved by many, in the updated version (build 11.0.9600.16521) showed excellent results.
It was specially designed for Windows 7 and 8. It brings improvements in page loading, optimization of pre-rendering, caching and priorities, and execution of JavaScript applications. Among other things, it was optimized for touch screens and performed very well, which cannot be said about its previous versions. Of course, Internet Explorer is a lightweight browser for Windows 7, given its maximum integration with the operating system itself. But there is no reason yet to claim that he is the best.
Opera
Everyone's favorite lightweight browser for the computer (and for the user), Opera version 21 (build 21.0.1432.57) again pleased its users, showing ease of use, configuration and page loading speed, which is what most often worries the average user.
True, many users still use older versions of the browser, and this is where a lot of problems arise. The fact is that although the name of the version says, say, NI or Stable, in reality there is no need to talk about stability and speed. Firstly, constantly popping up requests to confirm the acceptance of certificates is simply annoying. Of course, security and protection against potentially unwanted software or spyware are good, but not to the same extent. Moreover, you can get rid of this only by disabling the execution of Java scripts. But in this case, some sites will not be displayed correctly, and download links or redirections will not work at all. Secondly, when opening tabs, there is often a short-term freeze. Thirdly, if we talk about speed, the so-called Turbo connection acceleration mode is a complete fiction. So you understand.
In principle, Opera is a lightweight browser for the computer, but only if you use the latest updated version, and nothing else.
Mozilla Firefox
One of the most famous web browsers, Mozilla Firefox, in general, is also at its best, if you take one of the latest versions - 29 (build 29.0.0.5224).
The developers paid priority attention not only to page loading speed, improving the user interface and creating a smart address bar, but also to the security system. For example, the new version provides one-click verification of the authenticity of a web resource, enhanced protection against fraudulent and spyware, etc. In general, if we take light browsers for XP, Mozilla Firefox can clearly claim a leading position.
Google Chrome
But the favorite of many users, Google Chrome (build 34.0.1847.131), has clearly lost ground. At one time it was so praised that many users preferred it.
Then it was really possible to safely say that Google Chrome is the lightest browser. Today, unfortunately, the situation is clearly not in its favor, although many innovations from previous versions continue to delight. Nevertheless, even at the end of 2014, this browser is almost at the very bottom of the list.
360 Safety Browser
But a newcomer to the web browser market called 360 Safety Browser from Chinese developers surprised everyone. Version 7 (build 7.0.0.143) will not leave even experienced users and experts indifferent.
Indeed, in almost all parameters it took a leading position in the test. Although it is built on top of Chromium, the browser itself uses two main engines, WebKit and Internet Explorer, which clearly improves performance. It can easily and quickly hide intrusive ads without any outside help in the form of add-ons or add-ons like AdBlock, since it has its own AdFilter tool, can filter phishing URLs, etc. The most interesting thing is that the browser has a special pop-up window for playing video, which can be placed on top of other windows. In addition, it has an integrated synchronization system with Google accounts.
Judging by the results of tests conducted by PC Security Labs in 2014, 360 Safety Browser is the lightest browser for all Windows operating systems.
Finally
Of course, each user decides for himself which browser to use in his work. And, naturally, you may not agree with the above information. But the numbers speak for themselves. In addition, we did not consider many other products such as Yandex Browser or Amigo, but limited ourselves to only the most famous ones.
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