It seems multiple Linux distributions are considering to update their x86-64 baseline architecture. This could improve performance, at the cost of hardware compatibility.
I cant put my finger on it but linux does not feel as snappy as windows. I use Linux 100% now but when I am fixing something on a windows machine I notice a certain smoothness that I don’t notice on linux.
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For me, it’s mostly the lack of GPU acceleration. I’m using an Nvidia GPU a lot of the time and Nvidia’s proprietary drivers are causing loads of issues. This is especially noticeable playing videos in Firefox. I’ve found a method to force video decoding to be done on the GPU which helps a lot, but on Windows this Just Works.
I also found KDE rather frustrating. It’s fast and snappy, but it’s just not what I’m used to. I switched to Gnome and felt a lot happier about the way the system behaves ever since. If your current desktop isn’t doing the trick for you, you may want to consider another (Gnome/KDE Plasma/Cinnamon/XFCE/LXDE/what have you).
I’d wager that it’s your scheduler. Prior to the latest kernel release (v6.6), Linux used the CFS scheduler which is outdated and not really optimal for desktop usage. As a result, many third-party alternate schedulers were developed to fix this issue, with the most recent popular ones being the System76 scheduler (used in Pop!_OS), and BORE (used in CachyOS). But this issue has been solved officially now, with the EEVDF scheduler (earliest eligible virtual deadline first scheduling), which has finally replaced CFS.
So if you’re not on 6.6, upgrade to it, or use the System76 scheduler. Also switch to Wayland if you haven’t already and you’ll notice your Linux desktop just as smooth, if not smoother, than Windows.
I have an M1 MacBook Air and a Thinkpad Z13 G1 (running Bazzite KDE with kernel 6.6.3 + System76 scheduler), and comparing the touchpad gestures and window animations side-by-side - especially the gestures and animation to switch workspaces - it’s just as smooth as macOS (at least to my eyes), and that’s quite the feat given that macOS has been the king of smooth animations and responsiveness for a long time.
It’s the UI setup. All DE/WM combinations are, and have been, factually inferior to Windows Explorer in terms of optimization, clarity and animation.
Which may or may not be because of their excessively modular structure and fractured development. Each layer has its own opinionated dev team unlike in Microsoft or Apple, where it’s all synchronised and everyone across the board have (at least at the time of development) a clear vision of the product they want to make.
I think windows may win in the little animations but clarity fuck no. Windows is a mess. Opening the start menu on windows feels like a popup ad. Apple though does have good animations and ui clarity so I can’t knock them.
I found a lot of the same. For me I resolved this by changing a few things.
- Abandon KDE plasma and Gnome.
- Avoid Snaps like the plague.
Linux mint Cinnamon draws 5w on idle only laptop. Ubuntu stock draws 8w. Manjaro plasma uses around 7w.
Isn’t vanilla KDE Plasma faster and less resource-intensive than Cinnamon?
The Mint devs present the XFCE option as a “more lightweight” alternative to the Cinnamon option, and Plasma has been more efficient than XFCE for over three years now.
I’m going to reply with an anecdotal no.
On my hardware, cinnamon “feels” faster than plasma.
