I'm considering installing Linux on my Lenovo ThinkCentre, which has an Intel Pentium x86 processor and 4GB of RAM. Initially, I thought about going with Linux Mint, but I'm now leaning towards MX Linux. I want something light and easy to use, capable of running Steam and handling basic tasks. I have some experience, having only installed Tails once, so I'm not very skilled with operating systems. Any suggestions on which system I should choose?
4 Answers
Given your older hardware, I'd recommend looking into lightweight Linux distributions. Lubuntu, AntiX, and MX Linux are great options. Anything running XFCE should also work well for you. Keep in mind that the choice of programs may impact performance more than the operating system itself.
Make sure to check if your Lenovo supports 64-bit operating systems; it could just run 32-bit. For very lightweight options, Tiny Core OS and Mini OS are also worth considering. However, running Steam games might be challenging on your Intel Pentium x86 with just 4GB RAM.
Considering it's an x86 processor, it seems likely that I'm limited to 32-bit systems.
Both Mint and MX with XFCE are solid choices. XFCE tends to be a bit more technical but offers solid performance. Since you have 4GB of RAM, be mindful of how many tabs you keep open in browsers, and consider increasing your swap space. Are you aiming to play old games, or can you run some less demanding ones?
I was trying to find a 32-bit version of MX but couldn't locate it. Even in the internet archive, the 32-bit section lists it as 64-bit. Do you have any tips on where I might find it?