I'm making the switch from Windows to Linux and I'm trying to decide between two distros: Linux Mint and Pop!_OS. I have an AMD setup and my primary activities are gaming, watching YouTube, and browsing the internet. I'm aware some games won't work on Linux, but I don't play those titles. Which of these two options is better for a newcomer to Linux? Would you recommend another distro instead? Also, I want to have the option to tinker with my system, especially my iOS.
4 Answers
I was considering both Mint and Pop!_OS but ended up choosing CachyOS. With my gaming setup, it runs extremely well and allows for lots of customization. Plus, I’ve been able to use it for development without any issues.
I switched to Linux Mint with my family and we've had zero issues. We have PCs with AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards and it's been solid for gaming. Mint's user-friendly interface makes it a great choice for newcomers!
But isn't Mint a bit behind on updates compared to others?
Definitely give Mint a shot! It's really stable, has a user-friendly interface similar to Windows, and features a great software store. Everything is free, and it just works for most games.
I've heard that it lags behind when it comes to gaming performance, though?
Mint really shines for beginners! Steam’s Proton feature works great on it for gaming, and tools like Lutris make managing games effortless. Once you’re comfortable, check out gamemode and GloriousEggroll for even better performance — you might find it runs some games more smoothly than Windows!
If you haven't seen ProtonDB, check it out. It’s super useful for figuring out game compatibility!
What about game modding, like with New Vegas? How does that hold up compared to Windows?
What's CachyOS all about?