This page collects the software I actually install on refurbished machines before they leave the workbench. It sits in the downloads section as a practical reference - the search intent is selection: you have a low-spec machine and want to know which applications will run well without consuming all available resources.
After more than a decade of setting up older PCs for daily use, I have tested dozens of "lightweight" applications and found that most lists online include software that is light by 2015 standards but heavy by the standards of a machine with 2 GB of RAM and a mechanical drive. Every application below has been tested on hardware with 1-4 GB of RAM running both Windows and Linux. The categories cover browsers, office tools, media players, utilities, and system tools. For guidance on which operating system to pair this software with, see our lightweight Linux guide. For the full collection of download resources, visit the Downloads hub.
Web Browsers
The browser is usually the heaviest application on any machine. Choosing the right one and configuring it properly makes the biggest difference to day-to-day usability.
Firefox (with uBlock Origin)
Firefox remains the best general-purpose browser for low-spec machines when paired with uBlock Origin. The extension blocks ads, trackers, and heavy scripts before they load, reducing page weight and RAM consumption significantly. Disable unnecessary extensions and set dom.ipc.processCount to 2 in about:config to limit multi-process overhead.
Typical RAM usage: 200-400 MB with 2-3 tabs open
Falkon
A Qt-based browser that ships with KDE and is available standalone. Falkon uses significantly less RAM than Firefox or Chrome for basic browsing. It lacks the extension ecosystem of the major browsers but handles standard websites well.
Typical RAM usage: 100-200 MB with 2-3 tabs open
Midori
An extremely lightweight browser built on WebKitGTK. Midori is fast to launch and minimal in memory use, but some complex web applications may not render correctly. Best suited as a secondary browser for simple tasks.
Typical RAM usage: 80-150 MB with 2-3 tabs open
Office and Document Editing
LibreOffice
The full-featured alternative to Microsoft Office. Writer, Calc, and Impress cover word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations with strong compatibility for Microsoft file formats. On machines with 2 GB of RAM, LibreOffice is usable but loads noticeably slower than lighter alternatives.
Typical RAM usage: 150-300 MB per application
AbiWord
A standalone word processor that launches in seconds and uses minimal RAM. It handles basic document editing, formatting, and .doc/.docx file compatibility well. For machines where LibreOffice Writer feels heavy, AbiWord is the practical fallback.
Typical RAM usage: 20-40 MB
Gnumeric
A lightweight spreadsheet application that opens quickly and handles common Excel files without issue. Gnumeric lacks some advanced Excel features like pivot tables, but for budgets, data entry, and basic formulas it is more than sufficient.
Typical RAM usage: 20-50 MB
Media Players
MPV
A minimalist video and audio player that handles virtually every media format. MPV uses hardware decoding when available, which keeps CPU usage low on machines with supported graphics. It has no graphical interface beyond the playback window - controls are keyboard-driven.
Typical RAM usage: 50-80 MB during playback
VLC
The universal media player. VLC handles every format and codec without requiring additional downloads. It uses more RAM than MPV but provides a full graphical interface with playlists, equaliser, and subtitle management. A solid choice on machines with at least 2 GB of RAM.
Typical RAM usage: 80-150 MB during playback
Audacious
A lightweight audio player modelled after the classic Winamp interface. Audacious supports playlists, equaliser settings, and common audio formats with minimal resource use. Ideal for machines used primarily for music playback.
Typical RAM usage: 15-30 MB
Text Editors and Utilities
Mousepad / Notepad++
Mousepad (Linux, ships with Xfce) and Notepad++ (Windows) are fast, lightweight text editors with syntax highlighting and basic search-and-replace. Both open instantly and consume negligible RAM. For quick edits and configuration file changes, these are the right tools.
Typical RAM usage: 5-15 MB
7-Zip / File Roller
7-Zip (Windows) and File Roller (Linux) handle compressed archives in ZIP, 7z, tar, and gzip formats. Both are lightweight, fast, and integrate with the file manager for right-click extraction.
Typical RAM usage: 10-30 MB during extraction
PCManFM / Thunar
Lightweight file managers that replace the heavier defaults in full desktop environments. PCManFM (LXDE/LXQt) and Thunar (Xfce) open instantly, support tabbed browsing, and handle network shares. Both are significantly lighter than Nautilus or Dolphin.
Typical RAM usage: 15-30 MB
System and Diagnostic Tools
CrystalDiskInfo (Windows)
Reads SMART data from hard drives and SSDs to check for early signs of failure. Essential before any upgrade project - there is no point installing a new OS on a drive that is about to fail.
HWiNFO (Windows) / lshw (Linux)
Hardware information tools that identify your exact CPU, RAM configuration, storage interface, and chipset. Useful for confirming which SSD interface to buy and which drivers you need.
GParted (Linux live USB)
A partition editor that runs from a live USB. Use it to resize, move, or create partitions before an OS install. Especially useful for setting up dual-boot configurations where you need to shrink an existing Windows partition safely.