Fastest Operating System For PC: Are you looking for a fast and lightweight operating system for your old computer? You can install a fast OS to revive your old machine into a fully functional one. This article will learn more about the fastest operating systems, which are lightweight boot fast.
You can install it on your computer or laptop using a USB device. These lightweight OS uses fewer resources and boot quickly and should be in your old computer.
Microsoft is trying hard to push Windows 10 update. Some are moving to expensive rigs (I am one of them), and Instagram models are posting selfies in high heels with fancy tags to gain attention. It is your old computer that desperately needs to breathe in the open and fresh air.
Here are some of the fastest operating systems for old PC, you can install to make them young again. In order to make your old PC useful, we put together some of the best operating systems.
If your computer is having problems or lags while using the Windows operating system, discover some fast and lightweight OS in this article. There is another post where we discussed the best alternative operating systems, which are not specifically for old PCs.
Do you know other alternative operating systems that you can install on your computer? Let’s dive into the best lightweight OS. Fastest Operating System For PC
1. ChromeOS Flex (by Google)
The Chrome OS is proprietary software you can find in Chromebooks, and they are based on open-source Chromium OS.
Features:
- Ideal for: Cloud users with the Google ecosystem
- Min. Requirements: 4 GB RAM, 16 GB storage (no HDD install needed)
- Why it works: Designed by Google for older hardware. Fast boot, secure, cloud-native.
- Note: Not all features from ChromeOS (e.g., Android apps) are available.
2. Phoenix OS
The revised Phoenix OS runs on Android 7.1, which is something you won’t get using other Android operating systems for PC. Phoenix OS is an Android operating system that started with x86 machine support, but now it supports 64-bit architecture computers as well.
It works on 32-bit and 64-bit Machines and has a taskbar and start menu like Windows 10. Do you want to install it on the USB drive? No worries, use the new installer to do that. Additionally, install it on your hard drive. Phoenix OS is a fast Android operating system for old PCs and even runs on Intel Dual Core CPUs.
Phoenix OS offers minimal power options and works as an alternative to the Windows operating system. Fastest Operating System For PC
3. Slax
Slax is one of the lightweight operating systems that can boot directly from external media, and there is no requirement to install it on your hard drive.
Based on Linux, which helps to use fewer resources. However, it is a little distribution based on Linux, but you can do anything, like installing chat messaging programs like Pidgin or uGet download manager. Slax is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit processor architectures.
The 32-bit version is designed to perform exceptionally better on older PCs (such as Intel 486, if you go back to 1989). It will run legitimately on fresh out of the plastic new PCs as well. However, it is restricted in the amount of RAM it can see and is constrained to 3GB of RAM at most.
The 64-bit adaptation has no such points of confinement, yet won’t run on PCs for more than a couple of years. On the off chance that you plan to use Slax on an old PC, or you are looking for a framework with the most extreme possible compatibility, then pick 32-bit.
If you aim to use Slax on a fresh-out-of-the-box new machine, you’d better go for 64-bit. The Slax Minimum Requirement is an i486 or more modern CPU, Intel / AMD processors with 256 MB RAM. Other Linux OS based on either Debian or Fedora have a package management system.
4MLinux, unlike other Linux distribution systems, has neither package management system is fast and works on tons of old machines out there. Fastest Operating System For PC
It is the Fastest operating system for a PC you can install to supercharge your computer. it runs on 256 MB RAM.
4. Damn Small Linux
Damn Small Linux is a highly flexible operating system that is around 60MB (installer), which is smaller than most used Linux appropriation. DSL has a complete desktop and a small center of order line devices.
The total number of applications has been decided for the best adjustment to usefulness, size, and rate. It can also help you deal with SSH/FTP servers. You can use DSL right from an installation media like a USB drive and keep running it from it, and there is no need to install it on the hard drive.
It can run entirely in RAM with as little as 128MB and is sufficiently light to power a 486DX with 16MB of RAM.
Minimum Requirement is an i486 or newer CPU, Intel / AMD processors with 64 MB RAM.
5. Puppy Linux (Fossapup64 / Slacko64)
Puppy Linux is another lightweight distribution designed to run on even low-end computers. If you need to make it a bootable USB, it roughly takes around 100MB of space, and also, the installer ISO file size is about 104MB.
All you have to do is install it on a DVD; after that, you can temporarily boot from the DVD. After it’s booted, you can create a bootable USB drive from the menu located under Menu > Create Bootable USB. So Puppy Linux is fundamentally an effort to make your old PC usable again.
The new 6.x version image file is around 200MB and is available in 32 and 64-bit.
Features:
- Ideal for: Extremely old systems
- Min. Requirements: 600 MHz CPU, 256 MB RAM
- Why it works: Loads entirely into RAM. Lightning-fast, even on systems with no hard drive.
- Use case: Run from USB or CD without installation.
6. Tiny Core Linux
Looking for a bare minimum version? Tiny Core Linux comes in 3 versions; the lightest version, Core, consists of just an 11MB ISO image. The other 2 versions, TinyCore and Core Plus, go up to 100MB in installer size. The desktop is simple and has nothing but many icons that allow the opening of some systems and user apps.
Features:
- Ideal for: Advanced users needing extreme performance
- Min. Requirements: 46 MB ISO, 128 MB RAM
- Why it works: One of the smallest Linux distros. You build your environment from scratch.
- Caution: No GUI or preinstalled software out of the box.
7. Nimblex (Fastest Operating System For PC)
NimbleX is a small yet flexible working framework that can boot from a CD, USB, or network environment and even from the hard drive itself. Since it runs altogether from a CD, USB, or system, it doesn’t need to be installed on the computer.
Thus, you don’t need a Hard drive. In NimbleX, you can browse the web with Firefox, chat with your friends using the Kopete multi-protocol IM application, download torrents with Transmission, use DC++, connect remotely to other computers, and much more.
8. GeeXboX (Fastest Operating System For PC)
This is a free, lightweight, and open-source media center purpose-built Linux distribution for embedded devices and desktop computers. GeeXboX is not an application; it’s a full-featured OS that one can boot as a Live CD from a USB key, an SD/MMC card, or install on its regular HDD.
It provides you with a ready-to-be-used, plug-and-play Media Center application that can play any multimedia content. And has been designed to be fully controllable through either a keyboard, mouse, or a remote controller and does not require any particular computer-related skills. It also features the state of the art technologies to provide you with the best multimedia experience to make the most out of your hardware.
9. VectorLinux Light
The ISO file of VectorLinux v7 (600+MB) is not smaller than Puppy Linux, but it runs very well on a computer with just 64MB; the standard version supports Pentium 200 or newer. Despite, there are more ultra-lightweight os such as DSL and Puppy Linux, but in my opinion, you might not feel very comfortable using them for a long time, but you can do all sorts of things with VectorLinux.
10. Linux Lite OS (Fastest Operating System For PC)
As the name suggests, Linus Lite is a streamlined Linux operating system. It’s a nice operating system that comes along with popular apps such as for viewing videos. In addition, there is VLC, Mozilla Firefox for browsing, and LibreOffice for dealing with documents.
You can download it for both 32-bit and 64-bit from the site, and the size of the image file is between 900MB to 1GB, which isn’t smaller when you compare it to other lightweight OS listed on this page.
Requirements: CPU: 700MHz processor, RAM: 512MB RAM, 1024×768 resolution.
11. 4MLinux – Lightweight OS (Fastest Operating System For PC)
4Mlinux recently updated to version 24, and its lightweight Linux distribution can magically turn your old computer into a functional OS. And the best part is you get multimedia support, tools, and those classic games. Recently, we’ve seen major Linux distributions killing the 32-bit architecture support, so it’s a bummer for old computers.
Fortunately, many lightweight Linux distributions support 32-bit architecture, making old computers play old games, watch movies, and surf the web. 4Mlinux, as we told you earlier, is a very lightweight Linux distribution that only requires 128 MB of RAM.
It comes in two editions, the Desktop edition for 32-bit machines and the server edition for 64-bit. You can use the Operating system as a Live rescue CD, a mini server, or a full-fledged system. After digging a little bit 4 M in its name, the name is not very unusual, tell these points.
- Maintenance: You can use it as a live rescue CD.
- Multimedia – Built-in support for major media formats.
- Mini-server – LAMP suite.
- Mystery – classic Linux games.
We’ve reviewed most of the Android OS for PC you can install on any computer; it lets you do sort of everything you could do on an Android mobile.
12. Android-x86 Project
Androidx86 is an open-source project to port Android to X86 Machines. Yes! It runs fast and works on both 32 and 64-bit machines. If you use an Android+ x86 build, you won’t get as many features like the Start menu and taskbar, but a fully functional, typical Android experience. Technically, this is a stock Android forked for computers.
13. Linux Lite (2025.2 Update)
- Ideal for: Beginners switching from Windows
- Min. Requirements: 1 GHz CPU, 768 MB RAM, 8 GB storage
- UI: XFCE (Windows-like)
- Why it works: Based on Ubuntu LTS, it offers security updates and app support with a simple interface.
- Extras: Includes Firefox, LibreOffice, and VLC by default.
13. Zorin OS Lite 17
- Ideal for: Windows users with underpowered laptops
- Min. Requirements: 1 GHz dual-core CPU, 2 GB RAM, 10 GB storage
- UI: Windows-like
- Why it works: Lightweight XFCE desktop version with preinstalled apps and sleek UI.
14. Peppermint OS (2024 Respin)
- Ideal for: Cloud-first workflows
- Min. Requirements: 1 GB RAM, 4 GB storage
- UI: XFCE + Nemo
- Why it works: Uses ICE to turn web apps into desktop apps. Stable and light.
15. antiX Linux (21 or newer)
- Ideal for: Non-PAE CPUs, extremely low-end specs
- Min. Requirements: 256 MB RAM, 2 GB storage
- UI: Fluxbox or IceWM
- Why it works: Debloated Debian base without systemd. Optimized for ancient laptops.
16. Q4OS Gemini or Centaurus
- Ideal for: XP-era systems
- Min. Requirements: Pentium 300 MHz, 128 MB RAM
- UI: Trinity Desktop (like Windows XP)
- Why it works: Lightweight Debian-based distro with long-term support and minimal system load.
Conclusion
These are the lightweight and fastest operating systems able to run on old computers, even with 126 MB* RAM. (Please check the minimum recommendation of any operating system before using.)
The below-listed operating systems are exceptionally fast, and it’s easy to install them temporarily via a USB. Most of these lightweight operating systems are Linux distros.
There is an uncountable number of operating systems, and we have a separate post where we added some other top and reliable operating systems to supercharge your computer.
You might want to buy a new thin and lightweight laptop. Now you know your PC can run other operating systems and work faster than Windows or Mac OSX. Give any of these mentioned OS a try to make use of your old PC. These operating systems can be a cure for your old PC.
The majority of these computer operating systems can be installed on a USB stick and run from it instead of installing it on your hard disk. As well as some of them have options to install on a hard disk.
Would you like to read more Operating Systems-related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
