I'm looking for a user-friendly Linux distribution for my Lenovo T470 ThinkPad. I previously tried Debian with XFCE but found it too complicated and not enjoyable. Here are the specs: it has an Intel Core i5, no dedicated GPU, 16GB of RAM, and I upgraded to an SSD. I need an OS that allows me to do basic tasks like web browsing and document writing, and ideally, I'd like to do a bit of gaming as well. What do you recommend?
5 Answers
I run Fedora on my ThinkPad E595, and it's been smooth sailing! I use GNOME as my window manager, and it works great. You might want to give that a try.
Honestly, with your specs, you could run just about any distro you like! Just make sure to keep your laptop clean and manage heat well—then you'll have better performance, especially for light gaming from platforms like GOG and Steam.
If you're looking for something simple, Xubuntu is a good choice. It’s based on Ubuntu and is pretty user-friendly while being lightweight enough for your machine.
Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop is another solid option. It’s known for its ease of use and has a great community for support. Plus, it should run perfectly on your specs!
You can definitely run any modern distro on that ThinkPad! It’s not that old. I'd recommend trying KDE/Plasma for a nice interface. XFCE is also good, but if that didn’t work out for you, give KDE a shot. You can even try something like Fedora with GNOME.

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