Looking to switch to linux need help.

[Ezzo]

I need help finding a distro good for gaming and preferably user friendly as im new to linux. GPU RTX2080, CPU Ryzen 5 3600x, RAM 32 GB ddr4 3600 MT/s, MB Asus prime 570p. I wanna completely replace windows Cause its been running like garbage causing games to crash and crashing itself. Any recommendations?

[Lurking]

Welcome to the forum!

 

I don't have much to recommend, but:

- verify on the proton and other sites your games will work and are not anti-cheat

- any other applications? 

- What is your prior knowledge and willingness to learn (like CLI etc.). That may exclude some distros. 

- Most major distros will allow all Desktop Environments (DE). But look up KDE Plasma, Gnome etc. to decide which one may work better. You often can install multiple DE to test, though. Since that is the part you interact with, it is important you "like" it. 

- stay with large distros/communities for sure support, good documentation, and support in forums. Avoid the latest hype distro made by cousin Eddy. 

- Something from Ubuntu-LTS based (like Kubuntu) to Fedora-based probably works for most people based on those release cycles. There is a million nuances, but Arch/Debian may be less good for beginners (not impossible)

- Your windows problems are not typical and may be related to something specific. So, fresh install of Windows also is an option, unless you have other reasons to leave Windows

 

someone smarter than me can point you more to something due to the Nvidia. 

[Ezzo]

I am willing to learn the harder stuff i am pretty tech savy as for windows i did a fresh install of it and it fixed it for a bit but started again ive down graded gpu drivers tried defragging my c drive ive put my hardware in another pc to test and it all worked fine so i have no idea what could be the problem and i also just kinda wanna change things up too. i am coming from the most recent ltt video on linux and am thinking of going with one of those in the video

[Donut417]

23 minutes ago, Ezzo said:

I need help finding a distro good for gaming and preferably user friendly as im new to linux. GPU RTX2080, CPU Ryzen 5 3600x, RAM 32 GB ddr4 3600 MT/s, MB Asus prime 570p. I wanna completely replace windows Cause its been running like garbage causing games to crash and crashing itself. Any recommendations?

Im currently on Mint. It works well enough. That being said Its not "Gaming" focused. Games do work on it well like I said, but I do get occasional crashes, though that could have been a crappy Nvidia driver. The Desktop environment that ships with Mint is called Cinnamon, compared to GNOME which Ubuntu uses, its a bit lighter weight. Which is why Im using this distro. 

 

The one thing I will say, be comfortable with having to use the Linux Terminal. There WILL BE a time when you need to do stuff in the Terminal. 

 

Also would like to mention that software downloaded via the package manager tends to run sandboxed. A great example is Steam. I have my games on separate disks. So downloading Steam via the Software Manager I cant access the games on the separate SSD. While you can change permissions I found it just easier to download steam directly from the website. I mention this because you might get in to a situation where this type of thing matters. 

 

Some games might need to have special settings applied to get working. Or have other things done. For example I had to download a DLL file to get sound working in Metal Gear Solid 2. 

 

I would like to also mention this. There seems to be an issue with some Nvidia cards and Wayland. Wayland is a component of the DE. Cinnamon uses Xserver still, but that could be changing. I ran Ubuntu for a few weeks and my 2070 super was having issues. Mainly the machine would lock up and require restart. This was mainly linked to Nvidia and Wayland conflict. Thats another reason I moved to Mint. I also think the latest Nvidia driver (590) had some issues. I rolled back to 580 to see if that fixes the issues I was having with Cyberpunk. 

[Lurking]

11 minutes ago, Ezzo said:

I am willing to learn the harder stuff i am pretty tech savy as for windows i did a fresh install of it and it fixed it for a bit but started again ive down graded gpu drivers tried defragging my c drive ive put my hardware in another pc to test and it all worked fine so i have no idea what could be the problem and i also just kinda wanna change things up too. i am coming from the most recent ltt video on linux and am thinking of going with one of those in the video

Use ventoy and put on a few iso and try what you like and see if it works with your hardware. Do NOT nuke your Windows before you know you found a distro that plays all your games to your satisfaction and works for you. Even if you install a distro, save your windows SSD if possible or dual-boot for the time being. 

 

My recommendation for beginners is MX Linux KDE since it has the MX tools that avoid a lot of CLI. 

 

And one trap is, if you google or LLM for help, don't just enter CLI commands without understanding them. A lot of old threads (and LLM learn from that) are obsolete or about different distros. 

[Ezzo]

If the linux terminal is anything like windows cmd or powershell then i should learn fairly quickly. another thing i assumed worked but figured id still ask is does spotify and other apps work on mint? I have no idea where to check compat for that stuff. and as for the gpu drivers ive had issues on 590 for windows too lol

[Ha-Satan]

2 minutes ago, Ezzo said:

If the linux terminal is anything like windows cmd or powershell then i should learn fairly quickly. another thing i assumed worked but figured id still ask is does spotify and other apps work on mint? I have no idea where to check compat for that stuff. and as for the gpu drivers ive had issues on 590 for windows too lol

Yep, Spotify is available in the Mint software center.

 

Keep in mind that there are quite a few different ways to install software on Linux. Before you switch, I'd strongly suggest making yourself a list of essential software and then do a bit of research into each one to see if it runs on Mint, and if not, if there is a Linux alternative available that would work for you.

 

Keep in mind that Mint is derived from Ubuntu, which is derived from Debian, so if a program says that it'll work on Debian and/or Ubuntu, then it'll almost certainly work on Mint.

[Lurking]

43 minutes ago, Ezzo said:

If the linux terminal is anything like windows cmd or powershell then i should learn fairly quickly. another thing i assumed worked but figured id still ask is does spotify and other apps work on mint? I have no idea where to check compat for that stuff. and as for the gpu drivers ive had issues on 590 for windows too lol

Some distros are better, but in Linux, a lot has to be set up by yourself. Like mounting drives or network folders. I found, many people say you have to use CLI, even if there are GUI tools. 

 

Mint does NOT have fractional scaling and has pretty old packages. Try it out and see if it has the apps you want? If their repository doesn't  have it, check out flatpack. 

This is from a German Linux support company that recommends Mint a lot. They point out some flaws. But since they actively promote it, this is not just bashing Mint, but valid criticism:

Really, unlike Windows, in Linux some hardware will work fine, some may not. Most distros have some differences in Kernel, packages. Impossible to say without trying. 

 

And watch out for fake apps. Whattsapp does NOT have Linux versions. But you will find a lot that will work and be called WhatsApp. In Linux, ANYONE could package ANYTHING and call it whatever they want. It is up to the repo-maintainers to prevent mischief. Same for flatpack. IMHO this is a bit better in windows, there you would go to the Spotify website and download their installer, and you know 100% this is from Spotify. Spotify may have the .deb and .rpm ON THEIR OFFICIAL WEBSITE and I would use that if available. 

 

Everybody and their neighbor will show up here and tell you to use the distro they use. You will have to try a few (and pay attention to what DE you like). I currently use Fedora KDE and it has newer packages that make some things easier. But for a beginner (or myself again) I would recommend MX Linux KDE (has fractional scaling, unlike other "beginner distros". YMMV. 

 

Edit: Mint also won't allow many DE, that is very limiting. You can use their Cinnamon DE on most major distros. This is very personal, but KDE plasma may be a good start as it is customizable and looks like W10 and in 5 minutes can look like W11. 

[Ezzo]

Thanks for all the feedback i will test out multiple distros tomorrow as its late for me but i do have one last question for tonight. Am i able to have multiple distros on one usb? Or do i need to do it one at a time?

[Lurking]

32 minutes ago, Ezzo said:

Thanks for all the feedback i will test out multiple distros tomorrow as its late for me but i do have one last question for tonight. Am i able to have multiple distros on one usb? Or do i need to do it one at a time?

The Ventoy software i linked above will allow many iso files. Select that USB as boot-drive, and Ventoy will present a menu with all the isos and you can select which to start. Only one iso at a time, of course. 

 

Good luck and please come back if you have problems. if one distro doesn't work, try the next one. I personally had issues with Mint on at least one of my PCs, while other more modern distros worked flawlessly. YMMV. 

 

Edit: And try to think of other use cases you have and see if they work in the distros. I use Windows shared folders in my home. This now works easily in modern KDE (Fedora 43). BUT it was a PITA to set up because it was a broken feature in older KDE. That is why I'm a bit biased towards more modern distros. Another possible problem are DRM content in browsers (i.e. Netflix, Peacock), if you use that - I have some solutions. YMMV

 

Unfortunately not an .rpm or .deb

https://www.spotify.com/de-en/download/linux/

 

FWIW, i found Spotify in Fedora 43 Discover as flatpack. I think Spotify is so big, any major distro will have an option

[Dutch_Master]

I'd recommend to use Ventoy and have LiveCD iso's from various Linux distro's to see which ones you like best, plays nice with your hardware and only for the top 3 you will use the installer to try out for real. As stated, preferably use a separate drive for Linux, so you can keep your Win-OS install safe for the time being (physically remove/disconnect it from the system!).

 

Options include, in no particular order: Linux Mint, Bazzite, POP_OS (), CachyOS, Manjaro, Debian+variants like Ubuntu and others. A LiveCD image DOES NOT touch your Win-OS install, unless you click the installer button, so be careful about that!

[Lurking]

18 minutes ago, Dutch_Master said:

Options include, in no particular order: Linux Mint, Bazzite, POP_OS (), CachyOS, Manjaro, Debian+variants like Ubuntu and others. 

You basically list the full spectrum From Debian to Arch. And you throw in a few problematic ones like Manjaro or Pop-OS (buggy DE... or OP gets roasted like they roasted Linus about his choice  )

 

Based on release schedule, there are 4 main groups:

- LTS (do not change Kernel during life and keep all packages the same except bug/security patches): Debian with 3+2 years support

- LTS that do upgrade Kernel and other packages, BUT do not upgrade DE: Ubuntu LTS with 5-12 yeas support and their derivatives (i.e. Kubuntu LTS) 

- 6 month releases with updates to packages AND DE: Fedora with 13 month support for each version

- Rolling release with instant updates: Arch or Suse Tumbleweed 

 

All of them offer all major DE. So I would first find out what release model is more appropriate for the user's use case. Realistically for most desktop users who don't develop or run a server, the Ubuntu-LTS or Fedora are a good base. Of course, no one stops anyone from using Arch or Debian as first distro. It is just weird to recommend a user both extremes like they will be very similar - they are not. 

[Dutch_Master]

I see your point, but this list was for testing purposes, not as install base by default. 

[spacepickle]

There's nothing wrong with wanting to switch to Linux, but I would recommend not pinning the blame for all your issues on Windows. If your game hasn't been running well, I would make sure you've ruled out hardware issues and stuff like that.  Make sure your temps are good, nothing needs to be repasted, stuff like that. 

 

On the Linux side I don't have much experience outside SteamOS, but from what I've heard Bazzite and CachyOS are great as well. Just note it will require tinkering and if you don't enjoy messing with this stuff you may struggle.

[spelican]

I can recommend Fedora as a good starting point. You can pick between GNOME, KDE Plasma, and others depending on your preferences, and it has very strong support as well. As a recent Linux convert, I started out with Fedora and had a great experience. If your hardware supports it well, Linux Mint is also a go-to recommendation. 

 

A great thing about Linux is that you can boot into a live environment to test it out with just a USB, so you can test whether WiFi, Bluetooth, inputs, audio, that sort is working. I really encourage you, as somebody has already mentioned, use VenToy to try out multiple different distros to have a feel for different desktop environments (DEs).

 

In a nutshell, GNOME is the super minimalistic and clean DE, but it is a matter of taste, as some people hate it! It is a bit like MacOS where it is OOTB not very customisabke relative to other DEs (still plenty more than Mac though), but you can install extensions to add additional features, like "Dash To Dock" which adds a fixed taskbar. KDE Plasma is uber-customisable and can be molded to whatever you like (see the endless number of KDE "rices"), to the point where it can be a bit too much for some people. It's really polished and feature rich too, and the default Breeze theme is more contrasty and boxy compared to GNOME's libadwaita theme. Cinnamon is Mint's DE and is most like Win10 OOTB, and it's in the middle in terms of customisability. After those "big three", you have so many others, like XFCE, MATE, etc.

 

One thing to note though, you need to enable proprietary/third-party repos when it prompts you to decide after installing Fedora, as otherwise installing Steam and Nvidia drivers becomes a pain in the butt! Don't make the same mistake as me when I first started out...

 

For more information, you of course have the documentation (always very helpful) and ArchWiki (which has lots of information that applies to non-Arch distros), but also look at various forums and discussions for help too! If you have joined the Fediverse, I can vouch for the Linux(at)programming(dot)dev Lemmy community as being extremeky helpful whenever I had a question, big or small! Another thing, the channel "LearnLinuxTV" is also excellent, and if you're interested in neat command line utilities and programs, "Bread on Penguins" is great.

 

edit: If you experiment with gaming-specific distros that are based on Fedora, like Nobara or Bazzite (the latter being atomic, which has both upsides and downsides!) then go for it. I haven't used those personally, but being based on Fedora, they should work fine and any supoort for Fedora should translate well to those options.

 

If you want to try a rolling-release distro, make sure you know what you are doing, as those tend to be a bit more unstable. This is speaking from someone currently running EndeavourOS, which is based on Arch Linux. I do think that EndeavourOS and CachyOS make Arch easier to install, but they are a bit more involved and more tinkering is required compared to Fedora or Mint, and things can break as you are on the "bleeding edge"

Edited March 8 by spelican
adding detaik about gaming-specific distros

[Norton0108]

I'm obviously biased, but check out the guide I wrote on this. Answers a ton of the questions you've had. 

 

 

[Lurking]

1 hour ago, Norton0108 said:

I'm obviously biased, but check out the guide I wrote on this. Answers a ton of the questions you've had. 

TLDR

 

The most important part seems missing: find out what the user needs and wants. What hardware (inc. monitors, and peripherals, applications, willingness to learn and tinker. Knowing that will exclude many distros right away. And don't dismiss the possibility that for the user Windows or Mac CAN be the better option. this is about finding a solution for the USER, not what we prefer.  

 

Above I listed the 4 main release cycles and a user needs to know which fits best (likely Ubuntu-LTS or Fedora fit most users). 

 

Just start out with MX Linux KDE. Very user friendly, great hardware compatibility, has fractional scaling (unlike most "beginner" distros). If that doesn't work out, the user will have more knowledge to find out which distro to try next if needed. Or try Fedora (or a Fedora based gaming distro). If none of those two work for a user at all, I don't see how another "magic distro of the week" will help. From there on, it is more personal preference than actual function/compatibility. 

 

And the most important thing, have a new user test if the Linux software are valid alternatives BEFORE they even install Linux. Many Linux software also have Windows versions (Gimp, Libre). If actual applications aren't good enough - that should be known before committing to Linux. If the application situation is resolved BEFORE starting with Linux, there is only half the workload to deal with the Linux quirks. Doing both at the same time (new OS AND dealing with applications) can be too hard. And if the user has deal-breaker Windows applications - that saves a lot of time if that is known beforehand. Try out Gimp for a week before thinking it is the same as Photoshop. 

[Psittac]

I probably have nothing to add, but here is my $.02 anyways.

 

I find that a willingness to nuke an install and start over is crucial to using Linux and not being afraid to change distro's.  That's probably a big reason I don't have Linux on my main system because I'm still learning Linux and regularly starting over isn't as conducive for a daily driver.  Rather I use it for VM's and servers.  I would highly recommend having two OS drives or two partitions, keep windows on one in case you get stuck on your Linux install and don't really feel like fixing something you did wrong and just want to game or zone out on the internet.  Having the freedom to go back and forth while you learn the ropes is important.

[Ezzo]

Yes Psittac thats the plan to keep windows while i learn linux, thinking about doing a dual boot setup but thats for later lol

 

[Lurking]

2 hours ago, Psittac said:

I would highly recommend having two OS drives or two partitions, keep windows on one in case you get stuck on your Linux install and don't really feel like fixing something you did wrong and just want to game or zone out on the internet.  Having the freedom to go back and forth while you learn the ropes is important.

Windows will find a way to nuke Linux, no matter what. Best to remove the SSD of the OS you don't use at a time. Dual boot is more for testing. it isn't practical on the long run. YMMV. if you still use W11, use W11 and use WSL2 if you need Linux. Use Linux if you don't need W11 (or have a different W11 PC)

 

Well, try this:

https://fullscale4me.com/Dual-Boot-MX-Linux-and-Windows-Installation-Guide.pdf

 

I had dual boot with two SSD, and also had removed all other SSD when I installed each OS. Worked for a while. Until one day W11 put TWO W11 bootloader partitions on my Linux SSD, i cannot explain how... But i saw YT videos where people dual booting also remove SSD. Or for SATA SSD, they had a switch to physically power off the SSD they didn't use. So, this happen even to experts. If you use m.2, this is very impractical to do. 

 

https://www.newegg.com/p/1B3-003B-00008?item=9SIAR08JCC7668&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic+shopping&utm_campaign=knc-googleadwords-_-add-on cards-_-kingwin inc.-_-9SIAR08JCC7668&source=region

 

[Ezzo]

 

Okay lurking with this in mind I only have the m.2 and a 4tb hard drive where most of my games are. would it be better to maybe just drop windows or the other way around? Or just wait to get another drive cause im really leaning towards linux now just from testing different distros As well as i love tinkering and getting nitty gritty with stuff inside and outside of software, Thoughts?

[Donut417]

6 minutes ago, Ezzo said:

4tb hard drive where most of my games are

While Linux works with NTFS. I have heard of issues with getting games running in Linux from an NTFS drive. While you probably could get it working, it might take some work. I just decided to say fuck it and formatted all my drives with EXT4, just so I didn't run in to any issues. Not sure what your intentions were but I wanted to add this, because another member of the forum had an issue with Linux and NTFS in regards to running games. 

[Lurking]

14 minutes ago, Ezzo said:

 

Okay lurking with this in mind I only have the m.2 and a 4tb hard drive where most of my games are. would it be better to maybe just drop windows or the other way around? Or just wait to get another drive cause im really leaning towards linux now just from testing different distros As well as i love tinkering and getting nitty gritty with stuff inside and outside of software, Thoughts?

Maybe try distros first in live session? 

 

it is up to you, and I don't know how important this PC is for your livelihood or your household. But if this is the only PC you need for work or school or something important, do NOT nuke Windows before you know Linux works for you. 

 

Do you have another PC to try this on? 

 

HDD will be horribly slow. And if you only have one SSD, when installing side-by-side you accidentally can format the entire SSD. the installers should avoid that, but don't count on it working. 

 

Have you tried or researched if all your software works in the Linux version (i.e. researched games, and fond out if Libre office can replace your MS word etc.). 

[Ezzo]

I test mint, Bazzite, Ubuntu and fedora on live iso and they worked perfectly. I use this pc mostly for gaming and some other stuff Rarely So it doesnt have that important of stuff just would rather not re download the 3tb of games i have installed lmao 

[Lurking]

1 hour ago, Ezzo said:

I test mint, Bazzite, Ubuntu and fedora on live iso and they worked perfectly. I use this pc mostly for gaming and some other stuff Rarely So it doesnt have that important of stuff just would rather not re download the 3tb of games i have installed lmao 

If gaming is all you lose, you can risk nuking W11  

 

Did drivers and all games work in all three? 

 

Did you test Ubuntu LTS, or the interim release? Are you aware Bazzite is immutable and are  OK with the limitations? What DE did you test for Fedora/Bazzite? Did you try install anything in Ubuntu and were Ok with their snap settings? 

 

If Ubuntu is your preferred one, just FYI, end of  April there will be 26.04 LTS with Gnome 50 (fractional scaling!!!). I think you can upgrade to that if you install 24.04 LTS today. (Kubuntu 26.04 LTS will be my next test distro.... since I have no Ubuntu experience due to their lack of fractional scaling so far - that is why I'm so excited about them moving forward to Wayland)

 

I guess it really is up to you which one to move forward with to bare-metal. All we really can do is tell what WE would choose, but that doesn't help you