Due to the end of support for Windows 10 and the strict hardware requirements of Windows 11 (TPM 2.0 and CPU limitations for 8th generation and later), do you have an older generation laptop sitting in the back of your closet that should still be fully functional? Even machines equipped with 4GB to 8GB of memory and 4th to 6th generation Core processors can be transformed into practical sub-machines that run smoothly by installing an appropriate lightweight OS and replacing a few parts. We will report on the actual playback steps.

Step 1: “SATA SSD replacement” that must be done before installing the OS

No matter how lightweight an OS you choose, if the bottleneck is an aging rotating hard disk (HDD), you won’t be able to get the original feeling of lightness. Currently, 2.5-inch SATA SSDs (256GB to 512GB) are available for around 3,000 yen. By simply opening the bottom panel and replacing the HDD with an SSD, the OS startup time will be dramatically shortened from several minutes to several tens of seconds, and the overall response of the PC will be noticeably improved.

Step 2: Select lightweight OS candidates based on machine specifications and usage

Choose the most suitable OS depending on your machine’s memory capacity and the type of work you want to do.

• ChromeOS Flex: A top choice if you mainly do browsing, watching YouTube, and creating Google documents. It’s extremely lightweight, starts up quickly, and has a sophisticated UI. Since security updates are performed automatically, it is also ideal as a machine for family members who are not familiar with PCs.
• Lubuntu / Xubuntu (LTS): A derivative of Ubuntu that uses a lightweight desktop environment (LXQt / XFCE). Memory consumption is kept to around 500MB when idle, and Ubuntu’s rich software assets can be used as is. Recommended for people who want more flexibility in keyboard shortcuts and settings.
• antiX Linux: For extremely low spec machines with only 2GB to 4GB of memory. Since it runs on SysVinit without using systemd, it boasts an amazingly low memory consumption of around 150MB when idle.

Step 3: Check the actual machine after installation and improve comfort

After installation is complete, install a browser extension (such as uBlock Origin) to reduce unnecessary ad loading load, and check if hardware acceleration is working on YouTube (use h264ify, etc.).

Before disposing of it, let’s give it a second life as a submachine in a lightweight Linux environment.