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Pick the right PHP version and turn on OPcache

If you run WordPress, Laravel, or any PHP site, two settings do most of the heavy lifting for speed: the PHP version and OPcache.

Choose a modern PHP version

Newer PHP is dramatically faster than old PHP — PHP 8.x can be two to three times quicker than PHP 7.x on the same code. In OrbixPanel you set the version per website, so you can upgrade one site at a time.

  1. Open the website in the panel.
  2. Find PHP and pick the version (use the newest your app supports).
  3. Save — the change applies to that site’s php-fpm pool.

Test a staging copy first if your app is old. Most modern frameworks run fine on PHP 8.x; some legacy plugins/extensions may not.

Turn on OPcache

OPcache keeps compiled PHP in memory so it isn’t recompiled on every request — a large, free speed boost. Tune it in the site’s PHP settings (php.ini):

opcache.enable=1
opcache.memory_consumption=128      ; MB for cached scripts
opcache.max_accelerated_files=10000 ; raise for big apps (WP/Laravel)
opcache.validate_timestamps=1       ; 0 in production for max speed (clear cache on deploy)

While you’re there, a couple of limits worth matching to your app:

memory_limit=256M
upload_max_filesize=64M
post_max_size=64M
max_execution_time=60

Save, and the pool reloads with the new settings.

Verify it worked

In the web terminal:

Terminal window
php -v                      # confirms the active version
php -i | grep opcache.enable

Next: Make WordPress fast →

Running OrbixPanel? Per-site PHP versions and php.ini editing are built in. OrbixPanel.com → — the free, self-hosted, AI-powered hosting control panel.