Hey everyone! I'm moving my old PC from Windows 10 over to Linux. I've been using Linux Mint on my laptop for five years, and I'm really excited to set it up on my PC too. I haven't picked a distro yet—maybe I'll stick with Mint or explore something more gaming-optimized.
My main worries are about my Nvidia GTX 1060. I've heard that Nvidia GPUs can have compatibility issues with Linux. Could you recommend any Linux distros that work well with older Nvidia cards like the GTX 1060? Also, are there any tips for making the Nvidia experience smoother on Linux?
Additionally, I've learned that Nvidia has stopped support for their 10th-gen GPUs, including the GTX 1060. How do you think this will affect compatibility with mainstream distros down the line? Should I be thinking about upgrading my graphics card soon?
4 Answers
If you're already comfortable with Linux Mint, I'd say back up your data and just go for it! Mint should support your GTX 1060 fairly well based on your past experience with it on your laptop.
Honestly, the GTX 1060 doesn't perform as well on Linux compared to newer cards. Now that Nvidia has moved to legacy support for it, using your 1060 with newer distros might get trickier. I switched to an AMD card, and I'm happy to report that many games I struggled with on the 1060 now work perfectly!
I found some info that suggests the open-source drivers won't support the GTX 1060 with that newer version you're referring to. If that's true, you might be limited to using the old proprietary drivers for your GPU, making things more complicated as time goes on.
Look for distros that come with solid Nvidia support tools. A few popular ones are Pika OS, Nobara, and Pop OS! These should give you a better experience overall.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload