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Linux w/KDE3.2 seems unresponsive
My system using Linux has always felt unresponsive. By this I mean when I open programs (both KDE programs like Konsole or Konqueror and non-KDE apps like Firefox and Thunderbird), it takes a while. There is no hard disk activity, it just takes a few seconds for the window to appear. Also, when the content (both web content like HTML, or non-web content like the file browser) within a window changes, or I maximise a window, it is noticeably constructed in parts. This is more notable in Firefox and Thunderbird, which are designed to be fast!
Now I am not saying that it is painfully slow, its just that I always hear that Linux should be faster and more responsive than Windows on the same machine. I have Windows XP on this machine, and it is noticeably more responsive. I have also used KDE on similar spec'd machines and they feel faster than mine. I have used Mandrake 9.1, 9.2, SUSE 9.0 and Manrake 10.0, all show the same problem, although Mandrake 10 with Linux 2.6 and KDE 3.2 is the fastest so far.
The machine I am running is
AMD Duron 700Mhz overclocked to 1GHz
Via KT133 Based Motherboard
512MB PC-133 SD-RAM
Creative GeForce 256 DDR
Creative Live Value Digital
IBM DeskStar GXP75
LiteOn 48x24x48 CD-Writer
Pioneer DVD-ROM
Firstly, the overclocker is a comfortable one, there is more headroom that I have foresaken in order not to experience any instability. Secondly, I know the GXP75s are prone to faults but there are no problems in mine (yet!), and even if there were, the symptoms would be different.
One thing I have notived on systems I have installed Windows XP on, is that they are also slow and unresponsive UNTIL I install the chipset drivers. Could it be possible my chipset is automatically configured poorly/incorrectly by the Mandrake and SUSE installations?
Any information would be much appreciated! Sorry for the long post.
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