Hey all! I'm a software engineer and a bit of a gamer. For the past few years, I've been working with Linux servers, and most of my development runs on Linux. However, I've been sticking to Windows for my local development, but I'm really fed up with how slow it's become. The constant resource drain from things like AIs and Windows Defender is frustrating, plus I can't stand dealing with PowerShell anymore. I'm considering making the full switch to Linux and possibly upgrading my graphics card. Here's my current setup: a 12th Gen Intel i7 with 32GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. I'm also thinking of getting a new PSU and an AMD 9070xt for the future. Since I don't know much about Linux distributions and their support for gaming drivers, I'm wondering a couple of things: 1) Which Linux distribution would be best for minimizing issues with graphics drivers and games, while allowing me to work effectively? 2) Is switching to AMD a good idea, given I'd lose CUDA support for my local AI work? Any advice would be welcome!
6 Answers
Awesome to hear you’re jumping into Linux! For your needs, I’d suggest checking out Pop_OS or Fedora. Pop_OS has great support for NVIDIA GPUs out of the box, so you shouldn't hit any snags there. Fedora is more bleeding-edge and would be best if you eventually decide to switch to AMD, as it updates its kernel frequently.
I'd go with Ubuntu if I were you. It’s widely used in corporate settings, making it super reliable. Most things just work, especially with NVIDIA drivers after a few clicks. You don't need to stress too much about continuously sticking to LTS; it can be good, but for cutting-edge hardware, recent releases might suit you better. Plus, if you like getting hands-on, exploring distros like Slackware or Arch can be a fun project!
Definitely don’t feel like you have to ditch NVIDIA! If you choose a distro that supports the proprietary drivers well, like Mint, you should be fine. It might require a bit more work with Fedora or Debian, but I think you’re capable of managing that. Plus, in the future, NVIDIA has plans for a free driver that might change the game for RTX cards!
Debian is often seen as stable, but it can be a bit behind on the latest hardware support. I personally think CachyOS is a solid choice. You also don't have to kick NVIDIA to the curb; just test out different distros and see how they run. As for AI, AMD has its advantages on Linux, but it depends on your specific needs.
If gaming is a priority, I'd suggest trying Nobara. It's built on Fedora and comes with NVIDIA drivers pre-installed, which makes it super easy. For coding, you can use pretty much any modern distro, but know that you might have to install Python and other tools yourself, unlike in Windows. Keep an eye on Desktop environments as you can customize that down the line! Also, CachyOS is another option, but it can be trickier since it's based on Arch.
I’m using Fedora 43 KDE with an NVIDIA 4070, and I can game and program without any hassle. The screen scaling is something Fedora handles better too! If you're curious about what works best, definitely give it a go!
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