I'm considering making the switch to Linux on my old MSI GS65 8RF with a GTX 1070 Max-Q, and I'm particularly interested in Fedora with KDE. Do you think that's a good choice, or are there other distros you would recommend? Also, after installing, will everything work right out of the box, or will I need to install extra drivers or software? If so, what do I need to install and how? Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
You might want to check out Linux Mint or Ubuntu as other options. Also, look into Desktop Environments and pick one that you like. Just make sure to backup your data before you install anything! Good luck with your switch!
Any Linux distribution should work fine with your hardware. I've had great success installing Linux Mint on my ASUS gaming laptop with a similar setup. It ran smoothly!
Fedora KDE should be a decent match for your hardware! Just a heads-up, the NVIDIA drivers might not come pre-installed, so you'll need to set up RPM Fusion first. Install the proprietary NVIDIA driver for better performance, especially if you plan to do gaming. After installation, you can check if everything is working properly with the command 'nvidia-smi'. If you're looking for something easier, Mint or Ubuntu LTS usually provide a simpler experience with NVIDIA drivers.
Yeah, I've heard Mint has a really straightforward way of handling NVIDIA driver installations. It's worth considering if you want less hassle!