Optimizing an old laptop. Serious stuttering with online streaming.

[Jinru]

I just reformatted my sisters 6~ year old laptop since it was running at a crawl and freezing after just an hour of use. I went from Vista to Win7. Now it's running smooth and fast relative to its hardware age and doesn't freeze up any longer, but I'm having trouble streaming videos online.

Youtube, ABC Go, Hulu, etc.. lags and stutters constantly. I tried playing 480p and 720p videos directly from the hard drive and it played fine. I'm running Firefox 26 with the latest flash player. Windows auto-installed the latest drivers. I remember back before Vista started moving at a crawl that it had no trouble streaming online content. So I'm not sure why it's happening now with a fresh install.

Specs of the laptop
Acer Aspire 4315
Intel Celeron M 530 / 1.73 GHz
1GB DDR2
Intel GMA X3100 Graphics Processor
1280 x 800 default res

Do you guys have any tips that might help?

 

[jolancer]

you talking about like a connection issue.. the progress bar on youtube for ex just not loading fast enough?

or you mean its loading fine, but just having playback issues?

if its the first one id check if your network adapter drivers are compatible or correct version for win7

if its the second prob id roll back/downgrade the version of flash player your using.. That happened to me, but im on winXP so theres a chance it may not be the same issue, however the computer specs your refering to look similar to mine - Netbook Acer 1.66 Ghz

you cant actually roll flash back, but you can uninstall and re-install an older version
follow complete uninstall instructions first...
http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html
then install one of these...
http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/archived-flash-player-versions.html#main_Archived_versions
I'm not sure witch one is best for which systems, but the one shown listed as the last supported version for win2000 works really well for me (Flash Player 11.1.102.55).

EDIT: oh yeah just a note - i found 11.1.x.x is aparently a diff version than 11.2.x.x(etc) and not just a revision.. some are linux an mac only but they specify in the readme of the package.

 

[Jinru]

Thanks a ton for the help, jo. It's definitely a playback issue. I downgraded Flash from the latest 11.9 to 10.3 and it helped tremendously. I was still experiencing hiccups in playback every so often vs it being every few seconds on 11.9. I then tried disabling the plugin-container.exe that works with FF and that stopped the rest of the lag.

11.1 kept telling me the version was a security risk on every flash site.

I think back on Vista my sister was still using FF12 and Flash 9.0 or something since she didn't even know how to update her software. I guess older is better in this case.

 

[meloz]

If this laptop will be used for just web browsing, communication and consuming multimedia content -and you do not need windows exclusive software- install Xubuntu 13.10. It works very well on older hardware. No more worries about winrot or slowness.

You might also want to install flashblock and Adblock Edge, and whitelist only youtube and other such sites in flashblock. This way the amount of flash being processed decreases dramatically, easing the load on hardware.

 

[ch33zw1z]

1GB of RAM is to low for windows 7

2GB recommended, 4GB preferred.

Like meloz said, go with an OS that's not so resource demanding.

 

[denis280]

install Xubuntu 13.10. It works very well on older

Agree

1GB of RAM is to low for windows 7 2GB recommended

and this is for the 32 bit

 

[ch33zw1z]

Agreeand this is for the 32 bit

32 bit or 64 bit has nothing to do with it. 1GB is too low for either version of Windows 7, 2GB will make it work better...but you'll still encounter issues with performance while multitasking

4GB is preferred for any version of Windows 7. Yea, I know, 32bit can only see so much of the 4GB, 3.5GB will still be better than 2GB.

This is my personal experience with Windows 7, both 32 and 64 bit versions.

 

[jolancer]

Jinru - this might not be the same or matter on yours, but what i noticed on mine is, 10.x.x ran fine but had poorer video quality. 11.1.x.x ran just as fast or better for me with better quality output... I know all older software is going to be less secure, doesn't bother me tho cause i have a system backup.. however i've never seen a bothersome warning like that.. maybe because i imediatly disabled flash updates and i also use NoScript ff plugin and a firewall.

if you want, could also try Palemoon.. its a firefox fork that is optimized for speed and can use all of firefox's addons and stuff. you can use any version you prefer for browser and flash. I use palemoon v11 ..cause i don't upgrade that often, but i did upgrade firefox 10 to the latest, and for me i noticed it ran like crap compaired to the old one(that was b4 i new about palemoon). palemoon didnt have a v10 so i just went with 11 no particular reason other than that.

i wouldn't recomend anyone switch completely from windows to linux, without trying it out first and doing some experimention to check compatability with there system and needs... most of the time good linux disto's like that will probably work fine, but you have to test it out first because linux just doesn't have as vast of a compatability range with hardware as windows, theres a high probability it will work fine but thats not true for everyone... of course linux guru's may beable to make any distro work with any machine, but linux is not as easy to modify if such incompatabilitys arrise, its userfriendlyness is good as long as it works, if something system wise needs to be fixed tho its almost impossible for a novice to fix without extensive research... depending on what they use it for also it would take some research to get some of the applications if not included.... I'm not saying any of this to be bias or anything, i have both windows and linux installed, and have learned i think perhaps a little more than most people who use ubuntu would ever want to do, and have noticed some distro's are really well put together, but looking for specific stuff or trying to do specific things with it without being a linux guru is way harder than windows... as there are tones of distro's versions of kernels, apps, etc, but a lot of scattered mixed info out there and redundancy of ways to do things that adds to newbie confusion.

 

[Jinru]

If this laptop will be used for just web browsing, communication and consuming multimedia content -and you do not need windows exclusive software- install Xubuntu 13.10. It works very well on older hardware. No more worries about winrot or slowness.

You might also want to install flashblock and Adblock Edge, and whitelist only youtube and other such sites in flashblock. This way the amount of flash being processed decreases dramatically, easing the load on hardware.

You've piqued my interest in Xubuntu (I've never strayed from Windows). Looks simple and lightweight after watching some youtube vids. I'm just worried I'll be setting myself up for a world of hurt when my sister comes at me with a hundred questions on why it's different/how it works. I'm not sure the hassle is worth it.

Flash was the culprit in the lag. I watched my Task Manager performance jump to 100% cpu usage when playing a video. Downgrading Flash and disabling the plugin-container did the trick, but it's still hovering around 50-80% during playback. Would Xubuntu minimize cpu usage in Flash any better than Windows?

1GB of RAM is to low for windows 7

2GB recommended, 4GB preferred.

Like meloz said, go with an OS that's not so resource demanding.

I already have some new memory on the way. Upgrading to 2GB as that's the max the laptop can do.

 

[Jinru]

Jinru - snip

I'll give Flash 11 and Palemoon a shot and see how it goes.


Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[Matt1970]

I have seen Windows7 on a Celeron M 530 and it is tolerable, but you must upgrade the ram. That laptop will probably never play 720p video without skipping and stuttering.

 

[denis280]

32 bit or 64 bit has nothing to do with it. 1GB is too low for either version of Windows 7

not if you use 32bit basic

 

[ch33zw1z]

not if you use 32bit basic

Go ahead and enjoy the experience running at bare minimum. Sounds like the OP is enjoying it too.

Turn off all the eye candy, and anything else you can. you're gonna need it.

 

[Jinru]

I have seen Windows7 on a Celeron M 530 and it is tolerable, but you must upgrade the ram. That laptop will probably never play 720p video without skipping and stuttering.

More ram is incoming. I tried a 1080p video from the hard drive with VLC and it played fine, but if I tried HD on vimeo or 1080p on youtube the stuttering kicks in overdrive.

Go ahead and enjoy the experience running at bare minimum. Sounds like the OP is enjoying it too.

Turn off all the eye candy, and anything else you can. you're gonna need it.

Yes, it's on home premium 32bit with everything already set to bare minimum. I'm hesitant to hand off this laptop to my sister with an operating system she's unfamiliar with. Especially since Win7 itself is tolerable and her basic needs are just internet browsing and word docs. If I can get some confirmation that Flash on linux is much less of a cpu hog than Windows then I'll consider it, since she'll be heavily streaming media content. Otherwise it's fine the way it is at the moment.

 

[jolancer]

flash is Adobe, sux on both windows and linux.. Iv looked into a few flash player alternatives for online streaming content, and there are just none out there yet compatable with all the sites and playback quality... I wish there was a Adobe alternative to flashplayer that is as efficent and fast as the alternative to Adobe pdf reader known as SumatraPDFopt

Same happens on my low end netbook.. can play 720p and even 1080 if its a ripped encode with not too high a bitrate. But streaming seems to studder. however i noticed if you pause it and let it preload a bit, it won't studder. low end systems not capable of multi-tasking well, seems like it just cant download and read it at the same time.

 

[Fardringle]

Did you try watching streaming video while wired to the router instead of wireless? That will help determine if it is a wireless issue.

Also, when playing the streaming video, check the CPU and RAM usage in the Task Manager.

 

[Jinru]

flash is Adobe, sux on both windows and linux.. Iv looked into a few flash player alternatives for online streaming content, and there are just none out there yet compatable with all the sites and playback quality... I wish there was a Adobe alternative to flashplayer that is as efficent and fast as the alternative to Adobe pdf reader known as SumatraPDFopt

Same happens on my low end netbook.. can play 720p and even 1080 if its a ripped encode with not too high a bitrate. But streaming seems to studder. however i noticed if you pause it and let it preload a bit, it won't studder. low end systems not capable of multi-tasking well, seems like it just cant download and read it at the same time.

I took your suggestion and I'm using the 11.1 version you have. Had to disable a few things to keep the warnings from appearing. Works like a charm now. There actually is a slight difference in video quality between 10 and 11. I didn't have luck with Palemoon. I tried 12 and the latest version and both were more cpu intensive than FF26.

Did you try watching streaming video while wired to the router instead of wireless? That will help determine if it is a wireless issue.

Also, when playing the streaming video, check the CPU and RAM usage in the Task Manager.

Haven't tried by ethernet, but I think it's safe to say it was Flash that was the issue. The 3 other PCs in the house weren't having connection issues while testing. CPU usage while playing a video originally stayed at 100% on the latest Flash. It now hovers around 30-80% depending on the website and playback quality.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Same happens on my low end netbook.. can play 720p and even 1080 if its a ripped encode with not too high a bitrate. But streaming seems to studder. however i noticed if you pause it and let it preload a bit, it won't studder. low end systems not capable of multi-tasking well, seems like it just cant download and read it at the same time.

That may well be down to the RAM and HDD. Have you tried the same rig for streaming with an SSD?

 

[alangrift]

Try using chrome. If you don't want to try that clear your cache and cookies and history in firefox

 

[Matt1970]

More ram is incoming. I tried a 1080p video from the hard drive with VLC and it played fine, but if I tried HD on vimeo or 1080p on youtube the stuttering kicks in overdrive.

Good luck getting consistent 1080p out of YouTube. I have all but given up on anything over 720p on YouTube and I have a 20 megabit internet. Keep in mind you only have a 1280 x 800 native resolution screen so the only way you are going to get anything over 720 is to run an external display.

 

[tamm]

Acer Aspire 4315
Intel Celeron M 530 / 1.73 GHz
1GB DDR2
Intel GMA X3100 Graphics Processor
1280 x 800 default res

I have a old laptop with a similar setup
amd tf-20 (1.9)
ati gpu
2gb of ram
W7 64bit

Playing a video via HDD or DVD is flawless. No lags, stutters or etc.

However, streaming from Youtube at 480p and above is useless. Its lags, stutters etc. I initially thought it was my connection, however took that out by using a LTE hotspot, same issue. Narrowed it down to the CPU/GPU combo. (ram is mostly a non-issue based off usage during streaming).

My CPU hits near 100% when using Youtube. GPU can`t really be measured, but I assume as much. For a laptop with our specs, trying for 480P and above is laughable. My gaming experience has been the same. B4PF i have to run on minimal settings to achieve a playable FPS. If the smoke effect comes on during gameplay, I started lagging lol.

When did you use Vista and have decent experience with youtube. Was it recent?

 

[Matt1970]

Acer Aspire 4315
Intel Celeron M 530 / 1.73 GHz
1GB DDR2
Intel GMA X3100 Graphics Processor
1280 x 800 default res

I have a old laptop with a similar setup
amd tf-20 (1.9)
ati gpu
2gb of ram
W7 64bit

Playing a video via HDD or DVD is flawless. No lags, stutters or etc.

However, streaming from Youtube at 480p and above is useless. Its lags, stutters etc. I initially thought it was my connection, however took that out by using a LTE hotspot, same issue. Narrowed it down to the CPU/GPU combo. (ram is mostly a non-issue based off usage during streaming).

My CPU hits near 100% when using Youtube. GPU can`t really be measured, but I assume as much. For a laptop with our specs, trying for 480P and above is laughable. My gaming experience has been the same. B4PF i have to run on minimal settings to achieve a playable FPS. If the smoke effect comes on during gameplay, I started lagging lol.

When did you use Vista and have decent experience with youtube. Was it recent?

You should be able to play 480 with no problems. YouTube uses Adobe Flash Player so maybe clear out Flash player cache/local storage. Right click a YouTube video and select global settings. Under the advanced tab select Delete All. You could also try uninstalling and re-installing it.

 

[tamm]

Did a couple re installs, no dice....

 

[Jinru]

Try using chrome. If you don't want to try that clear your cache and cookies and history in firefox

I tried Chrome as well and it was just as bad.

When did you use Vista and have decent experience with youtube. Was it recent?

The laptop came installed with Vista. It played fine in the earlier years of use when it was still new, but afterwards it became bogged down with bloatware from my sister using it. I had the exact same problems as you with lag and cpu usage. Take jolancer's advice on here and downgrade your Flash player. Try Flash 10.3.x or 11.1.x. Only thing that worked for me.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

Good luck getting consistent 1080p out of YouTube. I have all but given up on anything over 720p on YouTube and I have a 20 megabit internet. Keep in mind you only have a 1280 x 800 native resolution screen so the only way you are going to get anything over 720 is to run an external display.

Works for me. 1080p is butter.

If I can get some confirmation that Flash on linux is much less of a cpu hog than Windows then I'll consider it, since she'll be heavily streaming media content. Otherwise it's fine the way it is at the moment.

Linux has much less CPU overhead, so it will work better anyway. Find a light weight Linux distro and try it.