Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on which Linux distribution would work best for my old PC. It has 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 2.60 GHz Pentium processor, and an NVIDIA GT 520 graphics card. I'm a beginner, and I was thinking about trying Linux Mint, but I'm open to suggestions!
5 Answers
I'd suggest going with LXQt for your desktop environment, it would definitely help with performance. Just steer clear of heavier options like Mint.
I would skip Mint entirely for your setup. You need a distribution that uses fewer resources since 2GB of RAM can be a limitation. Try Lubuntu or even antiX; they’re way more frugal with memory. Also, consider using Chromium for web browsing, as it tends to perform better in low RAM situations. And definitely disable swap if you're that low on memory—it can help your system feel more responsive.
Absolutely, lighter distros will help a ton with usability!!!
If you're feeling adventurous, you could consider trying Arch or Debian with LXQt too! They're pretty flexible and can be tailored for light performance.
You're definitely in vintage computing territory with that setup! If you're considering a modern distro like Mint, keep in mind you'll likely be using the unofficial 'nouveau' drivers, which aren't the best for a graphics card like the GT 520. Instead, opt for something lighter like Lubuntu or Fedora with LXQt; they're much better suited for older hardware. You could also try sticking to an LTS version of Ubuntu or Debian if you want to use the official NVIDIA drivers, but that might involve some extra tweaks.
Yeah, definitely avoid Mint unless you're running a really old version, it’s just not optimized for your specs.
MX Linux could be a great option too! Their NVIDIA installer works well, especially with older systems. Plus, their fluxbox edition is super lightweight and can be customized to look modern if you want.
Lubuntu is a solid pick! It runs smoothly on older hardware and is user-friendly for beginners like you. Just make sure you’re going for the LTS version.
Yeah, and you might find that browsing gets really sluggish on Mint, especially with newer versions. Lightweight is the way to go!