How do I improve system performance

[kayvee]

I am given an old computer to use on which I installed Kubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. Being an old computer it is not very attractive on the tech specs (posted below). Previously, it used to house Windows XP Home and used to work fine. Kubuntu makes the computer moan and cry. Running Firefox, Openoffice, Thunderbird, Amarok, Kopete and Dolphin simultaneously makes the system sluggish and at time each one of the programs use up as much as 90% CPU and brings the system almost to a halt. With 4MB of graphics RAM, I cannot even play youtube videos in firefox (other videos downloaded to the computer play fine in a standalone player). At any point of time, those 6 programs I mentioned above are almost necessary for me to be open. Can anyone please suggest me how to improve overall system performance? I just purchased RAM; so the final memory would be 512MB SDRAM (which is the maximum this motherboard can support).

  description: Computer
  product: L866r
  vendor: Dell Computer Corporation
  version: MT
  serial: XXXXXX
  width: 32 bits
  capabilities: smbios-2.3 dmi-2.3
  configuration: boot=normal uuid=9FDD7B27-FE53-11D4-B45F-001083FDCE0D
 *-core
    description: Motherboard
    product: CA810E
    vendor: Intel Corporation
    physical id: 0
    version: AAA01025-311
    serial: XXXXXXXXXX
    slot: USB2
   *-firmware
     description: BIOS
     vendor: Intel Corp.
     physical id: 0
     version: A09 (11/13/2000)
     size: 64KB
     capacity: 448KB
     capabilities: pci pnp apm upgrade shadowing escd cdboot bootselect socketedrom edd int13floppynec int13floppytoshiba 
int13floppy360 int13floppy1200 int13floppy720 int13floppy2880 int5printscreen int9keyboard int14serial int17printer int10video 
acpi usb agp ls120boot zipboot biosbootspecification
   *-cpu
     description: CPU
     product: Pentium III (Coppermine)
     vendor: Intel Corp.
     physical id: 4
     bus info: cpu@0
     version: 6.8.6
     slot: J5H1
     size: 866MHz
     capacity: 866MHz
     width: 32 bits
     clock: 133MHz
     capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 mmx fxsr sse up
    *-cache:0
       description: L1 cache
       physical id: 5
       slot: None
       size: 32KB
       capacity: 32KB
       clock: 25MHz (40.0ns)
       capabilities: pipeline-burst synchronous internal write-back unified
    *-cache:1
       description: L2 cache
       physical id: 6
       slot: None
       size: 256KB
       capacity: 256KB
       capabilities: synchronous internal write-back unified
   *-memory
     description: System Memory
     physical id: 2f
     slot: System board or motherboard
     size: 384MB
    *-bank:0
       description: DIMM DRAM Synchronous 100 MHz (10.0 ns)
       physical id: 0
       slot: DIMM1
       size: 256MB
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 100MHz (10.0ns)
    *-bank:1
       description: DIMM DRAM Synchronous 100 MHz (10.0 ns)
       physical id: 1
       slot: DIMM2
       size: 128MB
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 100MHz (10.0ns)
   *-pci
     description: Host bridge
     product: 82810E DC-133 (GMCH) Graphics Memory Controller Hub
     vendor: Intel Corporation
     physical id: 100
     bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
     version: 03
     width: 32 bits
     clock: 33MHz
     configuration: driver=agpgart-intel module=intel_agp
    *-display
       description: VGA compatible controller
       product: 82810E DC-133 (CGC) Chipset Graphics Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 1
       bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
       version: 03
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 66MHz
       capabilities: pm vga bus_master cap_list
       configuration: driver=i810_smbus latency=0 module=i2c_i810
    *-pci
       description: PCI bridge
       product: 82801AA PCI Bridge
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 1e
       bus info: pci@0000:00:1e.0
       version: 02
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pci normal_decode bus_master
      *-multimedia
        description: Multimedia audio controller
        product: ES1371 [AudioPCI-97]
        vendor: Ensoniq
        physical id: 9
        bus info: pci@0000:01:09.0
        version: 09
        width: 32 bits
        clock: 33MHz
        capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
        configuration: driver=ENS1371 latency=64 maxlatency=128 mingnt=12 module=snd_ens1371
      *-network
        description: Ethernet interface
        product: 3c905C-TX/TX-M [Tornado]
        vendor: 3Com Corporation
        physical id: a
        bus info: pci@0000:01:0a.0
        logical name: eth0
        version: 78
        serial: 00:01:03:d6:13:6a
        size: 100MB/s
        capacity: 100MB/s
        width: 32 bits
        clock: 33MHz
        capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
        configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=3c59x duplex=full
ip=XXXXXXXX latency=64 link=yes maxlatency=10 mingnt=10 module=3c59x multicast=yes port=MII speed=100MB/s
    *-isa
       description: ISA bridge
       product: 82801AA ISA Bridge (LPC)
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 1f
       bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.0
       version: 02
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: isa bus_master
       configuration: latency=0
    *-ide
       description: IDE interface
       product: 82801AA IDE Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 1f.1
       bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.1
       logical name: scsi0
       logical name: scsi1
       version: 02
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: ide bus_master emulated
       configuration: driver=ata_piix latency=0 module=ata_piix
      *-disk:0
        description: SCSI Disk
        product: ST3120023A
        vendor: ATA
        physical id: 0
        bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
        logical name: /dev/sda
        version: 3.33
        serial: XXXXXXXXX
        size: 111GB
        capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
        configuration: ansiversion=5
       *-volume:0
          description: Linux filesystem partition
          physical id: 1
          bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,1
          logical name: /dev/sda1
          capacity: 110GB
          capabilities: primary bootable
       *-volume:1
          description: Extended partition
          physical id: 2
          bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,2
          logical name: /dev/sda2
          size: 1098MB
          capacity: 1098MB
          capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
         *-logicalvolume
           description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
           physical id: 5
           logical name: /dev/sda5
           capacity: 1098MB
           capabilities: nofs
      *-cdrom
        description: DVD reader
        physical id: 1
        bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
        logical name: /dev/cdrom
        logical name: /dev/dvd
        logical name: /dev/scd0
        logical name: /dev/sr0
        capabilities: audio cd-r cd-rw dvd
        configuration: status=ready
      *-disk:1
        description: SCSI Disk
        product: ZIP 100
        vendor: IOMEGA
        physical id: 0.1.0
        bus info: scsi@1:0.1.0
        logical name: /dev/sdb
        version: 14.A
        capabilities: removable
        configuration: ansiversion=5
       *-disc
          physical id: 0
          logical name: /dev/sdb
    *-usb
       description: USB Controller
       product: 82801AA USB Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 1f.2
       bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2
       version: 02
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: uhci bus_master
       configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
    *-serial UNCLAIMED
       description: SMBus
       product: 82801AA SMBus Controller
       vendor: Intel Corporation
       physical id: 1f.3
       bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.3
       version: 02
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       configuration: latency=0

[SheeEttin]

Re: How do I improve system performance

Umm... Don't use such resource-intensive programs?
Aside from that and upgrading, there isn't a whole lot you can do...

Though there is Xubuntu, which is optimized for older hardware. Dunno how useful it'd be, though.

[buzzz]

Re: How do I improve system performance

I'm afraid you're trying to plough a field with a bicycle. Can you not find a way of working using less intensive apps or / and not use so many at the same time.

[Robin T Cox]

Re: How do I improve system performance

Your 82810E integrated graphics relies heavily on the CPU. Install a separate graphics card, which need not be expensive, and you should find a real increase in performance.

[eggbanjo]

Re: How do I improve system performance

i'd second going for the Xubuntu option too, its made for that type of older system, you would definately see an increase in performance.

[kayvee]

Re: How do I improve system performance

Thank you for all the replies.

At one point of time I seriously considered installing Xubuntu. However, I realized that it is not the desktop environment that is the issue here; but it is the applications I use. I can stop using Thunderbird and switch to KMail. I cannot get flash work on Konqueror and the fonts on different websites look very tiny so I would like to stick to Firefox. I need an Office Suite that is interoperable in Windows, Linux and Mac OSX environments. So, I chose OpenOffice and the ODF.

Your 82810E integrated graphics relies heavily on the CPU. Install a separate graphics card, which need not be expensive, and you should find a real increase in performance.

If I am correct, this computer does not have AGP card slots. So, how do I install a separate graphics card? Would PCI graphics card be of any use?
[Update] Just checked a few websites for PCI graphics cards and I see that I can get a PCI graphics card (ATI or NVIDIA) with 64MB DDR for about $30. I am sure I might get one for cheaper price on eBay. Does anyone (other than Robin) think it is a good idea? This choice is particularly enticing because every time I do something that needs more graphics juice, I notice that the CPU usage climbs rapidly.

Thank you all for your time and help.

[Robin T Cox]

Re: How do I improve system performance

As a supplement to my previous post:

I'm using a PCI graphics card (nVidia GeForce4 MX4000) which I installed alongside my own 82810E integrated graphics on a PIII Coppermine 1000 MHz. I have used Envy to get graphics acceleration, and I can get a frame rate on glxgears with Gutsy Kubuntu of 1060+ FPS, which is way fast enough for games like Open Arena, Warsow, Sauerbraten, Nexuiz, FlightGear, Neverball and so on.

I have a triple boot system using 3 HDDs in my box, and use Xubuntu on Edgy on one of these. Frankly, although I like Xubuntu I prefer Kubuntu and can see little difference in speed. But, as it's easy to install both, I'd agree that it's a good idea to try it also. Another fast desktop, of course, is Fluxbox and Fluxbuntu is available.

[SheeEttin]

Re: How do I improve system performance

Hmm, Newegg's got some cards for under $50 that'll give you a nice boost... See here. (Dunno how well that link will work, I just copy-pasted from the search page.)

[kayvee]

Re: How do I improve system performance

Is there any specific reason why you searched for NVIDIA cards only? I ask this because some of the ATI cards with similar specs are available for a cheaper price. Considering how old the system, I would like to spend as little as possible...

[dibl]

Re: How do I improve system performance

Firefox is pretty hoggish -- if you could stand to change your browser to something lighter like Iceweasel, that's probably the single best (and cheapest) change you could make.

Here are a couple of tweaks you can make that will make it "seem" a little faster, but of course your CPU won't actually speed up, nor your hard drive or video display either.

[SheeEttin]

Re: How do I improve system performance

Is there any specific reason why you searched for NVIDIA cards only? I ask this because some of the ATI cards with similar specs are available for a cheaper price. Considering how old the system, I would like to spend as little as possible...

nVidia's known to work easier (though ATI's getting better). You are, of course, free to choose your own.

[kayvee]

Re: How do I improve system performance

Firefox is pretty hoggish -- if you could stand to change your browser to something lighter like Iceweasel, that's probably the single best (and cheapest) change you could make.

Here are a couple of tweaks you can make that will make it "seem" a little faster, but of course your CPU won't actually speed up, nor your hard drive or video display either.

That link was very informative. I just made changes to the swappiness. The computer seems to be snappy now but I will use it for a couple of days before I make any permanent changes.

I could not find Iceweasel in Adept Manager. www.geticeweasel.org has some instructions that I followed. But, that did not help.

sudo apt-get install iceweasel
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Package iceweasel is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source
E: Package iceweasel has no installation candidate

How do I install Iceweasel? Do I have to add any additional repositories or something?

nVidia's known to work easier (though ATI's getting better). You are, of course, free to choose your own.

Thank you, I will look into nVidia cards now. I should find one for a reasonable price somewhere...