Let's be clear: lots of icons on the desktop have no impact on your system speed, period. It has a small impact on how long it takes to redraw the desktop, but that's very minor. What's more interesting is what a cluttered desktop often represents.

Does stuff on desktop slow down computer?

A cluttered desktop makes things disorganized and hard to find, but it can also slow computers down. ... If you have a large number of files on your desktop, it is slowing down your computer. Those files need to be reorganized in your other folders.

Is it good to have shortcuts on desktop?

Though traditionally the desktop has held shortcuts, you can actually store files directly on it too. This can be really useful for files you want to temporarily store and just need a quick place to pop them. You could also use it for files that you need to access all the time.