Can I move my Linux SSD from my laptop to my desktop?

Linux is generally portable enough for this to work. Most core hardware support comes from the kernel, so changing from the laptop’s Intel hardware to the desktop’s Intel and NVIDIA hardware usually won’t prevent it from booting. The main thing you’ll need to handle is installing or configuring the proprietary NVIDIA driver after the move.

A direct Linux transplant often works, especially when both systems use the same boot mode. Check that both machines are using UEFI, and make sure your fstab entries refer to stable UUIDs rather than device names such as /dev/sda. After booting on the desktop, update the system and install the appropriate RTX 3060 driver. You may initially get basic display output through the open-source driver or a fallback graphics mode; you generally don’t need to use integrated graphics just to install the driver.

This is different from moving a Windows installation between unrelated machines. Linux usually isn’t tightly tied to the original hardware, and several commenters have successfully moved installations between laptops and desktops. Still, backing up your data and having installation media ready is important because the result can depend on the bootloader, kernel parameters, disk encryption, and any custom hardware configuration.

The safest approach is to install the SSD in the desktop first and then install CachyOS there. That lets the installer create the correct boot setup and avoids carrying over hardware-specific driver configuration. If you do transplant the existing installation, keep a bootable USB available in case you need to repair the bootloader or regenerate the initramfs.