Download browsers for windows XP. PCSL: Which browser is the lightest and fastest Browsers for windows xp that are still supported

With the development of web technologies, content displayed using a browser is becoming more and more "heavy". The video bitrate increases, caching and data storage require more and more space, scripts run on user machines consume a lot of CPU time. Browser developers keep up with trends and try to invest in their products to support all new trends. This leads to the fact that the latest versions of popular browsers put forward increased requirements for the system on which they are running. In this article, we will talk about which browser to choose for a computer that does not have enough power to use the Big Three browsers and the like.

As part of the article, we will conduct a kind of testing of four browsers - Maxthon Nitro, Pale Moon, Otter Browser, K-Meleon - and compare their behavior with Google Chrome, as the most voracious browser at the time of this writing. In the process, we will look at the speed of startup and operation, RAM and CPU usage, and also find out if there are enough resources left to perform other tasks. Since Chrome provides extensions, we will test both with them and without them.

It is worth noting that some results may differ from those that you get by conducting such testing. This applies to those parameters that depend on the speed of the Internet, in particular, page loading.

Test configuration

For the test, we took a really weak computer. The initial parameters are:


About browsers

Let's briefly talk about the browsers participating in today's testing - about the engines, features and more.

Maxthon Nitro

This browser was created by the Chinese company Maxthon International Limited based on the Blink engine - a redesigned WebKit for Chromium. Supports all operating systems, including mobile.

Pale Moon

This member is a Firefox brother with some modifications, and one of them is optimization for Windows systems and only for them. This, according to the developers, makes it possible to significantly increase the speed of work.

Otter Browser

"Otter" was created using the Qt5 engine, which is used by the developers of Opera. The data on the official website is very scarce, so there is nothing more to say about the browser.

K-meleon

This is another browser based on Firefox, but with the most truncated functionality. This move of the creators made it possible to minimize resource consumption and increase speed.

Launch speed

Let's start from the beginning - we will measure the time during which the browser starts up completely, that is, you can already open pages, make settings, and so on. The goal is to determine which of the patients quickly comes to a state of combat readiness. We will use google.com as the start page. We will take measurements until we can enter text into the search box.

  • Maxthon Nitro - 10 to 6 seconds;
  • Pale Moon - 6 to 3 seconds;
  • Otter Browser - 9 to 6 seconds;
  • K-Meleon - from 4 to 2 seconds;
  • Google Chrome (extensions disabled) - 5 to 3 seconds. With extensions (AdGuard, FVD Speed ​​Dial, Browsec, ePN CashBack) - 11 seconds.

As we can see, all browsers quickly open their window on the desktop and show that they are ready to work.

Memory consumption

Since we are very limited in the amount of RAM, this indicator is one of the most important. Let's look into "Task Manager" and calculate the total consumption of each test subject, having previously opened three identical pages - Yandex (main page), YouTube and the site. Measurements will be made after some waiting.


Let's run a video on YouTube at 480p resolution and see how much the situation changes.


Now let's complicate the task by simulating a real working situation. To do this, we will open 10 tabs in each browser and look at the overall responsiveness of the system, that is, we will check whether it is comfortable to work with the browser and other programs in this mode. As mentioned above, we have Word, Notepad, a calculator running, and we will also try to open Paint. We will also measure the page loading speed. The results will be recorded based on subjective feelings.

  • Maxthon Nitro experiences slight delays in switching between browser tabs and when opening programs that are already running. The same thing happens when viewing the contents of folders. In general, quite a working behavior of the OS with small lags. The page loading speed is not annoying.
  • Pale Moon beats Nitro in terms of tab switching and page loading speed, but the rest of the system is somewhat slower, with long delays when launching programs and opening folders.
  • When using Otter Browser, page rendering speed is quite slow, especially after opening multiple tabs. The overall responsiveness of the browser also leaves much to be desired. After starting Paint Otter, for some time it stopped responding to our actions, and running applications opened very “tight”.
  • Another thing K-Meleon - loading pages and switching between tabs is very high. "Risovalka" starts instantly, other programs also respond quickly enough. The system as a whole responds well.
  • Even though Google Chrome tries to unload the contents of unused tabs from memory (reloading them when they are activated), the active use of the swap file makes the work completely uncomfortable. This is expressed in the constant reloading of pages, and in some cases in the demonstration of an empty field instead of content. Other programs also "do not like" the neighborhood with Chrome, as there are high delays and refusals to respond to user actions.

Recent measurements have shown the real state of affairs. If in gentle conditions all products give similar results, then with an increase in the load on the system, some were overboard.

Since CPU utilization can vary in different situations, we will look at the behavior of browsers in idle mode. The same tabs as above will be opened.


All patients show good results, that is, they do not load the “stone” during the absence of actions within the program.

Video viewing

In this step, we will enable the graphics card by installing the NVIDIA driver. We will measure the number of frames per second using the Fraps program in full screen mode and 720p resolution with 50 FPS. The video will be included on YouTube.


As you can see, not all browsers are able to fully play videos in HD quality. When using them, you will have to reduce the resolution to 480p or even 360p.

Conclusion

During testing, we identified some important features of our current test subjects. Based on the results obtained, the following conclusions can be drawn: K-Meleon is the fastest in operation. It also saves maximum resources for other tasks, but is not entirely suitable for watching videos in high quality. Nitro, Pale Moon and Otter are about equal in terms of memory consumption, but the latter lags far behind in overall responsiveness under increased load. As for Google Chrome, its use on computers similar in configuration to our test one is completely unacceptable. This is expressed in brakes and freezes due to the high load on the paging file, and hence on the hard drive.

In order to understand which of the browsers is the easiest, you need to try installing at least a few of them. Then they are launched in turn (the main thing is that the conditions are the same, that is, the pages are the same).

To compare, 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 the "Task Manager" to look at the processor load, as well as memory.

Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge

Desktop computers usually do not shine with good performance, so you can use what the system offers, that is, a standard browser. Of course, Internet Explorer is not so convenient and a small number of people use it, but it needs much 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/. Called "Task Manager" and looks first of all "Memory" - 66.7 MB.

3. And now it's time to open the last page http://ladio.ru/flash/en/index.html#. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" will be displayed as 84.9 MB.

In Windows 10, 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 really impressive.

1. Launch Microsoft Edge and go to http://lumpics.ru/about/. We 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" again, we 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 tested - http://lumpics.ru/about/. In the "Task Manager" "Memory" will be 29.6 MB.

2. Launch the site http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/. Now in the "Memory" section of the "Task Manager" 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 other screenshots above, you can see that there are a number of additional (background) processes nearby that use no less, if not more, memory.

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. On relatively weak computers, it works quite well, which attracts a large number of users.

1. Open the browser and go to the site http://lumpics.ru/about/ according to the already familiar scheme. In the "Task Manager" pay attention to "Memory" - 27 MB.

2. We go to the site 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" look at the "Memory" - 35.7 MB.

Yandex browser

Yandex.Browser has a lot of features in some areas, so it looks promising and alive.

1. Launch the browser and go to http://lumpics.ru/about/. The Task Manager will show 30.7 MB of memory.

2. We go to the website http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/. In the "Task Manager" look "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.

Not all users have a computer with the most powerful processor, motherboard and high-performance memory. Many laptop users still use Windows XP. On a weak PC, surfing is slow. How to act in such a situation? Use a different browser. Consider the most popular ones, and determine the browser for a weak computer that is right for you.

Which browser is the lightest

How to choose a browser that works fast on a weak PC? But first, a little clarification. There is no definition of "weak computer". It all depends on its characteristics: RAM, and processor clock speed. Let's proceed as follows. Consider popular free browsers. In them, we will launch the "Task Manager", which shows the load on RAM and CPU.

QupZilla

The official website is located at https://qupzilla.com.
Its distinctive feature is the presence of a portable version, so there is no need for installation. QupZilla is a fast browser that works with all versions of Windows. Supports modern standards so pages will display properly.
It has the necessary standard features that you expect from a browser: bookmarks and history. By default, the AdBlock plugin is installed to block ads.

Opera

Equipped with a quick access panel. Popular for its Turbo mode, which allows pages to load faster, saving time and bandwidth. This is important when using 3/4G internet. Works well if many tabs are open (more than ten). If the application overloads the RAM, due to the opening of a large number of sites, it will crash and reboot again.

Maxthon

The peculiarity of the browser is that it supports working with the cloud. Therefore, tabs and settings will be available on a PC, smartphone and tablet, regardless of the installed OS.

Google Chrome

Main advantages: ease of use, minimalistic interface and installation of additional extensions. It is convenient to work for those who have a Google account, where information about passwords and bookmarks is stored. Works on multiple devices under one account. Available.

Chromium

The Chromium interface is similar to that of Google Chrome. These heaters are created on the same engine. According to the developers, it is designed for fast and safe surfing. This is a light version of Chrome. Supports modern web standards.

Comodo Dragon

Download it from the link: http://download.cnet.com/Comodo-Dragon/3000-2356_4-75119680.html?part=dl-&subj=dl&tag=button. Download the portable version so you don't have to install Comodo on your PC.

The main feature is the protection of personal information and high speed. The browser allows:

  • stay protected while surfing;
  • download additional plugins;
  • prevent emergencies.

Browser for Windows XP

I would recommend using Chrome, but Microsoft has stopped supporting updates for it on this OS. Therefore, using it, you will not provide a reliable level of security. How to proceed? For example, on my second laptop, 2008 release, Opera is installed, which works quickly. Only I disabled additional, extensions. Alternatively, try installing QupZilla. He works fast.

Before turning on the browser:

  1. Close unused programs. Especially Skype and Photoshop, which consume a lot of memory;
  2. After working in the browser, delete temporary files and clean up the history. I recommend using the program.

Which browser is better

Which browser is suitable for a weak PC? We will launch the browsers discussed above in turn, and load the same pages into them. For example site http://www.samsung.com/se/tvs/all-tvs/.
When opened, launch the "Task Manager". For quick access, use the key combination: "ctrl + esc + shift", and look at the parameters of memory, and processor load.
Here's what happened.

UC Browser can be said to be the world's most widely used browser that competes in the global market for Internet resources of its class, such as Chrome, Opera, and so on. Is the dominant page operator in the Indo-China segment. You can download UC Browser for Windows XP in a search engine widely offered by sites. The browser has been on the market for more than 10 years and, having risen on the steam of the global Internet boom, has shown its merits. China took up the development, which, in turn, pulled up the rest of the countries in the region.

It is worth saying that Chinese developers raised such a solution in 2004. As a result, they got a product for java-oriented devices. The goal was simple - to fill a cost-effective market segment, which contributed to work on both Windows and mobile operating systems, such as Android.

With Android it has developed very well and productively. There is a quick connection to the Internet, the ability to work on the page - create folders, localize them in other segments of the program structure. Exchange data in different types of information - photos, video content, music, as well as configure programs and applications. Working with projections of advertising content, turning them off. And, of course, excellent functionality-saving battery consumption. Attractive interface, ease of use, at the same time, the absence of unnecessary. Available to work with other browsers, and interact with them. Data transfer, export settings and pages. Benefits targeted for you.

The resource of the program is impressive! Using only a small amount of memory is ideal for portable devices. View the history or use of the administration of your visits to pages, deleting them provides options for recently downloaded addresses or will take your addresses from your bookmarks. A manual editing method is possible: to delete the history of entering addresses, delete the history of visits and the corresponding bookmarks.

After a while, the developers took a chance and presented a reformatted version for the PC. Squirrel lovers were delighted. Now comfort, efficiency and mobility will appear in a wide screen. An extraordinary decision ... but, the creators caught the wave of technology, and now, why not! Presented to the world and the general public new technologies, ergonomics, design. At the same time, efficiency returned to computers, in the form of a browser! Simplicity and at the same time, the originality of the content of the program allows you to enjoy it and quickly solve daily tasks.

7.0.0.143
Google Chrome 34.0.1847.131
Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.16521
Mozilla Firefox 29.0.0.5224
Opera 21.0.1432.57
Maxthon CloudBrowser 4.4.0.3000
Sogou Highspeed Browser 4.2.6.11794
The Cheetah Security Browser 4.6.50.7737
Baidu Browser 6.2.0.48213

Testing process

An updated Windows 8.1 x64 system image has been prepared. The computer is connected to the mains using the Everfine Power Meter.

Used hardware:

CPU: AMD A4-3300 2.5GHz/SOCKET FMl/lM/65w
RAM: 8GB DDR3

To evaluate the ease and speed of the browser, 6 data sets were measured, including: average CPU usage, average RAM usage, average power consumption, as well as the results of CanvasMark 2013, GUIMark Vector Charting Test and Octane.

The total value of each measurement is taken as 16.66666667, and the total weighted score represents the performance of the web browser. While measuring power consumption, CPU usage, and RAM usage, each browser was used to visit the same five blank web pages and watch one flash video for 15 minutes. A 2048MB Ramdisk was installed on the system.

Test results

1. Average electricity consumption (W)

2. Average CPU usage (CPU, %)

3. Average level of RAM usage (RAM, %)

4. CANVASMARK 2013 results (more is better)

5. GUIMARK - VECTOR CHARTING TEST results (more is better)