Hey everyone! My mom has this old laptop that runs on an i3 7020 with 2 cores, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD, Intel graphics 620, and it's on Windows 10. The laptop is pretty slow, which is no surprise. She mainly uses it for browsing and editing/viewing PDFs. I'm thinking about installing Linux Mint, but I'm torn between the Cinnamon and XFCE versions. I also need to know if there's a way to install it and still keep the option to revert back to Windows if needed. I have zero experience with Linux, so I'm really looking for advice or links to beginner-friendly YouTube tutorials. Thanks a bunch!
3 Answers
Installing Linux will definitely help speed things up. If you're unsure about switching back to Windows, just make a backup of your data or create a fresh Windows installation on a USB stick. Avoid dual-boot for now since it might complicate things for you as a beginner. Just focus on getting Mint installed, and you’ll be fine. It’s easier than you think! Also, be sure to check out YouTube for tutorials!
I’d recommend going for Linux Mint with XFCE. It’s lightweight and perfect for older hardware, whereas Cinnamon is a bit more resource-hungry. If you want even faster performance, consider adding an SSD and upgrading the RAM. You can often find a decent 120GB SSD for around £10 and another 4GB of RAM for a similar price. Keep your HDD for storing old games or media files!
Absolutely, Linux is great for older systems! I personally use MX Linux with XFCE on a decade-old laptop with 4GB RAM and SSD, and it runs like a charm. Mint can also be a good option, but XFCE will provide better performance. Just a heads up: Microsoft will stop offering free Windows 10 updates in October 2025, so if you decide to stick with Windows, keep that in mind!
Got it! I didn't realize the update situation was that close. Thanks for the heads up!