How to make KDE4 usable on Intel laptops and netbooks

[Gullible Jones]

I've found that KDE4 is very slow by default on Intel graphics hardware. However, this can be fixed with three lines in xorg.conf:

Code: [Select]

Section "Extensions"
    Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection
Note that this will probably make OpenGL effects not work. That's kind of the point actually... But still.

My understanding (probably somewhat incorrect) of why this is: apparently, KDE4 has some eyecandy or eyecandy-enabling stuff that can't be turned off through the configuration utility. This functionality is very slow on certain hardware. But it uses Composite, and if you disable that, KDE won't try to use it.

Anyway, now that I've done this the difference is very visible; on my Aspire 3680 (1.5 GB RAM, 1.6 GHz single-core Celeron M 520) KDE went from being laggy and unusable to being as fast as Xfce.

I'm somewhat amazed. And a bit ashamed of the jabs I've made at KDE for being sluggish, seeing as it now runs like greased lightning.

[OldGuy]

That might make it better for use too on older machines.

[T6]

i have a atom with intel gma 3150 and don't have problems with it, if i loose opengl that would be a problem

also loose composite on kde4 is equal to not have kde4, better use compiz i think

[Gullible Jones]

Not sure about GMA3150, I'm thinking more GMA945ish chipsets (like the one in my laptop). Some of the slower video hardware really bogs things down.

KDE is fast with composite disabled, but I still wouldn't want to use it on *old* hardware, e.g. anything Pentium II or early Pentium III era. A lot of those machines are limited to 384 MB of RAM, and KDE uses around 200 MB of RAM idling, and also just takes a long time to start.

[kyndscotsman]

My old Compaq v5000 laptop only has 374 mb ob memory and with kde idle I still have 217 mb free so it doesn't tax me to much except when playin Farmville on Facebook