I'm looking for some recommendations on which Linux distribution might be the best fit for my older PC. It has 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a Pentium 2.60 GHz processor, and an Nvidia GT 520 graphics card. I'm leaning towards Linux Mint since I'm a beginner, but I'm unsure if that's the right choice. What do you think?
4 Answers
Lightweight options like Lubuntu or even Arch could be a good bet for your setup. The LXQt environment is perfect for older machines.
You could also check out some other options like Lubuntu LTS or even consider switching to lightweight Linux distributions like void or antiX. They could really help out with performance on your older hardware!
Honestly, since you're on vintage hardware, using a web browser might be a bit frustrating. If you want to stick with a distribution that's more current like Mint, be prepared for some hiccups due to your Nvidia card relying on slower unofficial drivers. A more lightweight environment, like Lubuntu with LXQt, could offer a smoother experience. If you want to stick with the Nvidia 390 drivers, consider using an older LTS distribution like Ubuntu 22.04 or Debian 12, but you might need to hunt for special packages. The choice is yours, but lighter distros are generally the way to go!
Skip Mint! Your hardware is too old for that unless you’re running really old versions, and even then it's not ideal. You'll just end up getting whatever distros people are enthused about. I definitely recommend going for something lightweight. Also, web browsing will be a serious resource hog for you, so keep that in mind!
Yeah, finding a distribution that conserves RAM is key with only 2GB available. I'd suggest looking at options like Lubuntu or antiX instead. And if you're browsing, Chromium might perform better than Firefox in your situation. You could even think about disabling swap to enhance responsiveness.
Mx Linux sounds like a great alternative, especially since their Nvidia installer works seamlessly. For your specs, their fluxbox edition could be exactly what you need—lightweight but customizable. I've had success using Debian Lxqt with the MX repo to install the Nvidia driver as well. It's a viable path if you're comfortable with it!