I'm currently using Windows 10 on a desktop with a Ryzen 9 5900X, an EVGA RTX 3070, and 32 GB of RAM. I have about 230 GB available on an SSD for installing Linux. I tried a recent Linux release, but I frequently experienced freezes followed by being returned to the login screen. While attempting to update the NVIDIA driver, I also reached a point where I could no longer open the terminal. My main reasons for switching are programming, experimenting with open-source projects, and using Docker. Which distribution and setup would be stable and beginner-friendly, especially with this NVIDIA GPU?
3 Answers
You could also look at CachyOS if you specifically want a newer Arch-based system. It provides recent compilers, build tools, and development packages, has graphical package management, supports system snapshots, and makes proprietary NVIDIA drivers relatively straightforward to install. The tradeoff is that it requires more maintenance and may be less forgiving for someone completely new to Linux.
Debian is another dependable option if your priority is stability. Its packages may not be as current as those in Arch-based distributions, but it is well tested and works well for programming and Docker. For the GPU issue, use the recommended proprietary NVIDIA driver rather than relying on the open-source driver, and create a fresh installation if the previous system is already unstable.
Linux Mint would be a good starting point. It’s Ubuntu-based but generally keeps the desktop experience simpler, and it uses Flatpak rather than making Snap central to the system. Mint should work with an RTX 3070, but make sure the proprietary NVIDIA driver is installed through the driver manager and consider using a stable desktop environment such as Cinnamon.
I’m still fairly new to Linux, so stability and an easy recovery process are more important to me than having the newest packages.