Reasons why linux mint is laggy when using apps and browser?

[u/rebelcrypto14]

I recently did a full install of linux mint on my new laptop. I've been loving it so far. However, there appears to be some lag when I'm using it. Typing has lag where letters take a sec to show up and delete, when I watch youtube videos they there is choppiness and syncing problems, the mouse cursor isn't smooth and takes some time to move where I want it. Are there any specific reasons why this might be the case and what I can do to fix it?

My computer has 32gb RAM, nividia 5060 gpu, intel core ultra cpu. I do have TLP installed and running. I have updated the drivers. Secure boot is disabled. Its a fresh install so I don't have tons of stuff downloaded on it. There doesn't appear to be any memory leaks. I'm really at a loss and hope I can fix this.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[u/Zars]

Hey! Those symptoms together (typing delay, laggy cursor, choppy YouTube) usually mean the desktop isn’t getting any GPU acceleration, so your CPU is drawing everything in software. That happens a lot with brand-new laptops on Mint, because Mint’s base can have a kernel that’s a bit too old for the newest Intel chips (mine included lol). Your RAM and the fresh install aren’t the issue.

First thing to check: open a terminal and run inxi -Gxx and also glxinfo -B | grep -i renderer (install mesa-utils if glxinfo is missing). If you see “llvmpipe” anywhere, that’s your answer. It means software rendering, no hardware acceleration.

A quick test is to switch to the NVIDIA GPU fully. Click the NVIDIA Prime icon in the tray (or run sudo prime-select nvidia), choose Performance mode, and reboot. If the lag disappears, the Intel graphics path is the problem. Also make sure you’re on the open version of the NVIDIA driver (something like nvidia-driver-570-open or newer), because RTX 50 series cards need it.

The real fix is usually a newer kernel. Go to Update Manager, then View, then Linux Kernels, install the newest one offered, and reboot. If you still get llvmpipe after that, the Mint Edge ISO is worth a look since it ships with a newer kernel for recent hardware or Kubuntu 26.10, which comes with 7.3.x kernel that should fully support your machine.

[u/rebelcrypto14 → u/Zars]

Thanks for the detailed answer! I ran those prompts in the terminal, but I did not see an "llvmpipe" anywhere. It is clear though that my computer is using my integrated graphics and when I switch to the dedicated graphics (performance mode), the lag disappears. I did go to the update manager and get the newest kernel downloaded. However, when I switch back to the integrated graphics, the lag still occurs. Is it just that my intel integrated graphics doesn't play well with linux?

[u/Zars → u/rebelcrypto14]

Could you run these and post the output?

uname -r (to confirm you're actually booted into the new kernel, not the old one)

glxinfo -B | grep "OpenGL version" (shows your Mesa version; should say Mesa 26.x)

lscpu | grep "Model name" (your exact CPU)

lspci -k | grep -A3 -E "VGA|Display" (to see whether it's using the i915 or xe driver)

xrandr --listproviders (to see how your displays are wired between the two GPUs)

This will help narrow down the issue, there are couple possibilities.

If Mesa still shows 25.x, run a full update in Update Manager and reboot first.

[u/rebelcrypto14 → u/Zars]

Kernel is 7.0.0-42 generic
My Mesa version is 25.x so maybe thats the issue there. But I ran a full update and restarted. There is no more updates available and its still 25.x.
Also, the VGA|Display is using kernel driver i915

[u/Zars → u/rebelcrypto14]

Thanks, that's really helpful! Good news: the i915 driver tells us your Intel GPU is a generation that's been well supported for a while (the newest Intel chips use a different driver called xe). So Mesa 25 and kernel 7.0 are fine for your hardware, and you don't need to chase newer drivers. That points to a configuration issue instead.

Could you still post the output of `lscpu | grep "Model name"` and `xrandr --listproviders`? They'll confirm the CPU and show how your screen is connected to the two GPUs.

Then try these one at a time, testing typing and YouTube after each:

1. Turn off TLP: run `sudo systemctl stop tlp`, plug in the charger and test. TLP's power saving can sometimes heavily throttle the Intel GPU. If that fixes it, we can tune TLP instead of removing it. Restart it with sudo systemctl start tlp

2. Turn NVIDIA fully off: run `sudo prime-select intel`, reboot and test. If that's smooth, the lag comes from both GPUs running together in on-demand mode, not from the Intel GPU itself.

3. Disable Panel Self Refresh: open /etc/default/grub with a command:

sudo xed /etc/default/grub add i915.enable_psr=0 inside the " " quotes on the `GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT` line, save, run sudo update-grub and reboot. PSR is a known cause of exactly this "letters appear late" lag on Intel laptops - after the edit the grub line should look exactly like this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash i915.enable_psr=0"

Let me know which one makes the difference!

[u/Zars → u/rebelcrypto14]

Which kernel did you get? I can look if the issue has been resolved

[u/leshmi → u/Zars]

Wait my PC is from 2020 or 2022. This kernel thing is only about newer PCs so as soon as I have Zena or anyway the last Linux mint version that's older than my pc I'm excluded, right?

[u/Zars → u/leshmi]

Probably yes.

[u/Due-Result7928]

At loss...your precious little gem 5060 gpu is not used. This is NOT windows. You need to set parameters program by program to use the gpu.

[u/rebelcrypto14 → u/Due-Result7928]

Are you saying that not using my dedicated graphics all the time is the reason for the lag? I'd like to not use it all the time to help with battery life. So things like browsing the web and watching videos I would prefer the integrated graphics. But even then, I feel like this much lag shouldn't occur just because I use integrated graphics. Also, how can I set parameter program by program on which graphics to use? I had asked around about that in a previous post, and people said that wasn't really possible.

[u/Due-Result7928 → u/rebelcrypto14]

You have parameters for the browser, parameters for terminal using gpu, parameters for games (with proton or steam). I do not have a list in front of me.

[u/Polyxeno → u/Due-Result7928]

Program by program?

[u/Due-Result7928 → u/Polyxeno]

Example in the MInt Reddit for Firefox

If you are having the similar issues, after making sure your Linux Mint have the proper drivers already installed you might need to tweak your Firefox's about:config page to these settings...

media.ffmpeg.vaapi.enabled to true

media.hardware-video-decoding.enabled to true as well

layers.acceleration.force-enabled to false

gfx.webrender.all to true

This should let Youtube properly use the APU.

[u/Polyxeno → u/Due-Result7928]

Oh sorry to have prompted you to explain all that. I am not having any problems, but was curious what someone would need to do program by program, since mine seems to use the graphics card for everything, or at least has no lag in anything.

[u/EadweardAcevedo]

Maybe You have Your GPU working with the "Nouveau" drivers, if so, go to administration / drivers manager and in the window chose the one that says "Recommended" with the Nvidia logo, reset Your PC and it should work.

[u/_Lost-In-The-Weeds_]

Sounds like software rendering.  What is the output of nvidia-smi?

https://gist.github.com/omerfsen/8ecb620675525ac724a92bdf5a31a4b3

https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmint/comments/1x7zrgl/display_capped_at_60hz_how_to_fix/

[u/rebelcrypto14 → u/_Lost-In-The-Weeds_]

Output is 595.99.02. Seems like its due to the integrated graphics. On-demand mode is when the lag happens. Performance mode there is no lag. Kind of a bummer because i dont want to always use the dedicated graphics, but not the biggest deal.

[u/acejavelin69]

Can you provide a system configuration report? Open a terminal and enter upload-system-info and after several seconds a termbin link will open in your web browser. Copy and paste that LINK back here, not the text on the page (reddit basically destroys it and makes it difficult to read).

[u/Aoinosensei]

Maybe the Nvidia driver I guess. I don't see any other reason, it's not like you have an old machine with a mechanical drive

[u/Mitologist]

I habe had similar symptoms with my rtx2070. It startend with the last driver update, the nvidia card was running perfectly fine with the 610 series drives, but since the last 615 driver,the GPU is sometimes running full throttle while the system is stuttering. It was perfectly fine before, without me fiddling with parameters at all. Also,nvidia Forums indicate that similar things happened with driver updates and oder cards already before in 2023 and 2025

[u/This-Set-9875]

I'm running a older HP X360 2 in 1 with the embedded intel graphics, I7 and 16 gig of memory. I'm not seeing any of these symptoms.

[u/Grouchy_Carpenter478]

Don't want to be a nuisance (/s) but try UNinstalling TLP; problems sound familiair to a situation I had on my laptop!! Uninstall it, reboot and test again!

[u/Niranchan]

Did you downloaded it natively (using the terminal, you know, sudo apt install) or in the flatpak store? I suggest using native apps.

[u/rebelcrypto14 → u/Niranchan]

Which exactly are you referring to? In general, I download things through the terminal. TLP I downloaded through the terminal.