I have been using Linux (Ubuntu is my favourite distribution) for a few years now. I really like it, actually I love it. ;-) Sometimes though I notice that some software is not as fast as its Windows equivalent.
A common culprit was the kernel scheduler. The Linux kernel offers several I/O and CPU schedulers, each tuned for different workloads. The default in many distributions was the Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS) for CPU and CFQ for I/O — both excellent for servers but not always ideal for desktop interactivity.
The Con Kolivas “BFS” scheduler (Brain Fuck Scheduler) was a popular alternative for desktops. It was designed with a simpler algorithm that prioritised interactive responsiveness over throughput scaling. Many users reported a noticeably snappier desktop after switching.
You could test it without recompiling the kernel by passing boot parameters in GRUB. For the I/O scheduler, adding elevator=deadline or elevator=noop to the kernel command line could improve desktop responsiveness on certain hardware. The deadline scheduler, for example, tries to minimise latency for individual requests rather than maximising total throughput.
Your mileage will vary depending on your hardware and workload, but it was worth experimenting if you felt your desktop could be snappier.
Full article: Linux patch able to boost desktop performance.
Give it a try and see if it works for you! :-)