I have a Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming laptop from around 2018 with a 7th-generation Intel Core i5. It still handles my usual tasks well, including emulators, less demanding games, work, and streaming to my TV with Steam Link. However, it was rejected for the Windows 11 upgrade because it does not meet the required security features, and my remaining Windows 10 support period is nearly over. I'm considering using this as an opportunity to try Linux. As a complete beginner, which distribution would be easiest to set up and most suitable for gaming on this hardware?
4 Answers
Bazzite is probably worth trying. It comes with many gaming tools already configured and is designed to be difficult to break because of its immutable setup. Just be aware that some games, particularly those using certain anti-cheat systems, may not work on Linux.
If you want something familiar and low-maintenance, Zorin OS is a comfortable choice for someone coming from Windows. Linux Mint, Fedora, and Ubuntu are also beginner-friendly options and have plenty of documentation. You generally shouldn’t need the terminal for everyday use.
Solus can be a nice, streamlined desktop with fairly current software, but its software repositories are smaller than those of Mint, Ubuntu, or Fedora. Check that the applications you need are available natively or through Flatpak before choosing it.
For a laptop where keeping resource usage low matters, Lubuntu is another option. It uses a lightweight desktop, though you may want to compare hardware support and gaming performance with a more mainstream choice such as Mint or Bazzite.
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