Switching to Opera GX

Before the Opera

I've been using Google Chrome almost religiously for years due to it being significantly faster and easier to use than other browsers. Until recently I would have never considered switching but Chrome on my laptop began slowing down. Then through the various annoying YouTube ads, one came up for Opera GX.

I watch a lot of YouTube and it has become an ad hub with videos in between them, which is why I'll never buy a product advertised on YouTube (looking at you Grammarly). However several of the content creators I watch had their video sponsored by Opera GX and explained how it was faster to use and specifically designed for gamers. Curiosity got the better of me and I installed it and it was one of the best decisions I've made this year.

70% Faster

Opera GX boasts that it is 70% faster than other browsers, and in my experience, that's true. The difference in performance was very noticeable with search results and web pages loading significantly quicker. The question is why?

1. Ad Blocker: Probably the biggest advantage is Opera's built in ad blocker. Advertisements can impact website performance due to the additional resources they require to load, such as images, scripts, and tracking codes. These extra elements can increase the overall page size, slow down load times, and potentially disrupt the user experience. A simple extension that comes with Opera GX you can enable, it blocks all ads and surf the web up to three times faster.

2. Lightweight Design: Another advantage is its lightweight design. This makes it efficient, consuming fewer system resources compared to other browsers. This allows it to allocate more processing power to browsing, resulting in faster page loading and smoother navigation.

3. Built-in optimizations: There are several features built into the browser specifically for optimizations. Building upon the powerful Chromium engine, it incorporates various technologies, such as network optimizations, resource management, and efficient rendering, to ensure swift performance.

4. Gaming-inspired features: As a browser targeted at gamers, Opera GX incorporates features like GX Control and RAM Limiter, which enable users to allocate system resources effectively. By managing resource usage intelligently, the browser ensures that critical processes, including browsing, remain fast and responsive. Similar controls are available for gamers to customise how their system runs while gaming to ensure maximum efficiency

Pick your search engine

Whilst Opera GX can be your browser, the actual search engine can be changed to your preference. I still use Google and I'm still able to utilize the Google DevTools which was probably the main reason I was still using Chrome.

Overall, the combination of optimizations enables Opera GX to deliver impressive speed and responsiveness for users. Opera GX is continuously updated and refined to keep pace with the latest web technologies and standards. These updates often include performance optimizations and bug fixes, ensuring a consistently fast browsing experience that will last.

More than just a web browser

Several web browsers have added built in features to make things easier and more convenient for their users, but I've seen nothing like Opera GX. I don't even think I could list them all here so I'm just going to highlight some of my favorites.

Customisable Themes: There are several themes that come with the browser and more that can be downloaded for free that charge. There was one already available that I liked called Lambda which has a similar color scheme to Gouldsonium.

Mods: There are several mods you can add to browser that can add some cool effects. Like keyboard and browsers sounds, shaders (I don't use but kinda cool), even background music. I went for a mix of Lofi Chill and Cyberdeck with a computer terminal background.

Speed Dial: Upon opening a new tab, the speed dial is what is shown. Like Chrome, you can create shortcuts but these are a little more customisable allowing to set a custom image instead of just the favicon making it more clear what the link is for. Here is what my speed dial looks like when this post was published.

Sidebar Setup: The highly customisable sidebar is probably my favorite feature that came with Opera GX. Being able to quickly access your browsing history, tabs and extensions is handy, along with the other unique features I call the 3 Cs: Corner, Control and Cleaner. The best part for me is the other links which are customisable. There are links for AI Services, messengers and other special features. See setup below

To Conclude...

I'm much prefer this browser now for everything I've mentioned in this post. The faster performance, customization and all the extra features. The only disadvantages I've encountered was the small learning curve to become familiar with all the features and how they work. Also there is no support for progressive web apps (PWAs) which is annoying since I like to both build and use PWAs. These however are insignificant in comparison to the advantages Opera GX offers. Find out more at https://www.opera.com/gx