I used Windows for most of my computing, but recently moved to Linux and installed CachyOS after having some experience with Debian-based systems. During installation, I selected multiple desktop environments and ended up with several duplicate applications—multiple terminals, calculators, image viewers, and so on. Removing the extra desktop environments did not remove all of those programs, so I'm unsure whether this is specific to CachyOS, Arch-based systems, or Linux distributions in general.
I'm also having microphone problems: it only records static. Browsers and games, including Rocket League, have crashed as well. Since the installation is still fresh, I'm considering switching to Fedora and will test it from a live USB first. I'm mainly interested in stability, gaming support, Intel Arc compatibility, and reasonable privacy. I'd also like to know whether Fedora provides an easy way to install gaming packages or whether everything has to be configured separately. Bazzite is another possibility, although I'm concerned it may include gaming-focused software I won't use.
I'm currently using KDE Plasma. I'm also curious about trying a tiling compositor or window manager such as i3 or niri, and would appreciate advice on which is easier to learn.
3 Answers
Don’t choose a distribution solely because it is marketed as a gaming distro. Bazzite and similar projects can be convenient, but a standard Fedora KDE installation can provide the same general gaming foundation with fewer opinionated extras. The performance difference between comparable distributions is usually small—often only a few frames per second—so stability, hardware compatibility, and how comfortable you are maintaining the system matter more. Trying Fedora, CachyOS with a minimal install, and perhaps one other option from live USBs is a sensible way to decide.
Fedora is a reasonable choice if you want a more predictable release cycle and newer hardware support without maintaining an Arch-based rolling system. Gaming can work well, including on Intel Arc, though performance and compatibility ultimately depend heavily on the kernel, Mesa, Proton, and the specific game. You can install Steam, Proton tools, codecs, and other gaming software through Fedora’s repositories and third-party sources; it isn’t necessary to manually hunt down every package. Fedora itself is not magically more private than other mainstream distributions, so review the defaults and install only the services you actually want.
Choosing several desktop environments at once is usually asking for duplicate applications and conflicting defaults. Pick one—KDE Plasma is perfectly reasonable—and add software as needed. Before changing distributions, it’s worth checking the audio profile and input source in a PipeWire mixer, since static is often caused by the wrong device or profile rather than the distribution itself. i3 and niri are both usable, but niri’s scrolling layout is often easier to understand if you like a modern, streamlined workflow. Read their documentation and try them in a live environment first.
I hadn’t tried a PipeWire mixer before, but changing settings made the audio situation worse. I’m not opposed to learning, though the system felt fragile enough that I’d rather start over with another distribution.