I'm trying to get my hands on a Linux distribution that runs smoothly on an older laptop. I've got a Dell Inspiron with an i3-5005U, 6GB of RAM, and a GeForce 920M graphics card. It was previously running Arch Linux, but I switched back to Windows 10 just to burn a CD for an anniversary gift (which turned out to be pointless, lol). Now, Windows 10 is a bit too much for it, so I'm looking for something lighter that still allows for customization and has a good UI. I've read about CachyOS but I'm unsure if there are faster options or if it's possible to get my old Nvidia drivers working on it. Also, I once tried Ubuntu, but the installer just gave me a white screen. I mainly use the laptop for general tasks and programs like VS Code and Figma.
4 Answers
For your specs, I think a lot of Linux distros would do just fine! I'd recommend Linux Mint as a solid choice—it's user-friendly yet flexible enough for more advanced users. They have three different desktop environments: Xfce, MATE, and Cinnamon, so you can pick one based on how light you want it to be. I’ve had good experiences with Mint on older hardware, and you can customize it to look nice, especially with themes like Chicago95 if you want a nostalgic feel!
Surprised no one’s suggested Arch yet! It is a great option if you want something really customizable. Given your experience, just make sure you follow a guide closely for installing drivers and other packages since it can be a little tricky.
You should definitely check out the NVIDIA drivers! A specific package mentioned in a post was `nvidia-525xx-dkms` from the AUR, which could help you get your 920M working properly. When you were using Arch, did you try installing that? It might be worth revisiting those drivers since you mentioned you weren’t able to get them working.
Kubuntu might also be a good fit if you need something lightweight but with a nice graphical interface. It’s based on Ubuntu but has KDE Plasma, which can look pretty sleek!
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