I'm in the market for a new laptop to run Linux full time. Currently, I'm dual booting KDE neon and Windows 11, but I'm having issues with sleep and hibernate functionality due to hardware limitations. I believe that installing KDE directly on the hardware will solve that problem, but I still need to use Windows occasionally. I'm considering running a lightweight version of Windows using Wine or a similar program. Would 16 GB of RAM be sufficient to run Windows if I allocate around 8 GB for each OS? I'd prefer to get a laptop with more RAM, like 32 GB, but finding the right model at a reasonable price is proving difficult. The specs I'm looking at are a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1360P Processor with 16 GB of RAM. I plan to minimize the load on the Linux base OS when running Windows to optimize performance. Any advice would be appreciated!
2 Answers
Just a heads up, be cautious with using Windows 11 tiny as it lacks Windows Defender. If you go for that option, you could run it in VirtualBox and allocate about 10 to 12 GB of RAM for the VM. This setup would still leave enough RAM for Linux, especially if you aren't pushing the Linux side too hard while using Windows.
If you're looking to run Windows through virtualization, you'll definitely need enough RAM for both your Linux host and Windows guest. While 16 GB can work, more is generally better, especially if you want smooth performance. I'd recommend aiming for at least 32 GB if you can swing it, as it'll give you more room to breathe with both systems. If running Windows applications is your main goal, tools like Winapps or Bottles can help you run certain Windows apps directly in Linux without needing a full install.
Exactly! Both options would be ideal, and using Bottles or similar would definitely lighten the load. Just keep in mind that if you do need to fully emulate Windows for some programs, it's always good to have a fallback plan.
Good point! I wasn't aware they'd stripped that out. Maybe there's a lightweight version of Windows 11 that still includes it, or I could just do a standard install and remove the bloat myself.