I have an older PC built around an AMD FX-8350 processor and an ASUS M5A78L-M PLUS/USB3 motherboard. The system still works fine for what I use it for, but its hardware is not officially compatible with Windows 11. Since Windows 10 is no longer fully supported, should I replace the parts, install Linux, or keep using Windows 10 anyway?
1 Answer
That hardware is much older than it may seem—the FX-8350 platform is roughly 14 years old now. It can still be useful for basic tasks, but it is well beyond the point where a modern operating system upgrade is likely to be worthwhile. Linux is the most practical way to keep using it safely, especially with a lightweight desktop environment. If you need Windows-specific software, though, upgrading to a newer platform would be the better long-term choice. I would avoid continuing to use unsupported Windows 10 online.
Fair point—I didn’t realize the processor was already about 14 years old. I’ll look into Linux and compare that with the cost of replacing the system.