I've been using Windows 10 for a while, but I don't want to upgrade to Windows 11 now that support is over. I have an i7-7700 processor, an MSI GTX 1060 graphics card, and an ASUS H270-F motherboard, with about a 100GB boot partition. I mainly play single-player games on Steam, and after trying a dual-boot setup with Windows 10 and Cinnamon Mint, I'm not too impressed with Mint. I really want to play my Steam games that are supposed to run 'natively' on Linux without issues, but I've been struggling to get them working, even with Proton. I'm mainly into roguelikes and incremental games like Binding of Isaac, Risk of Rain Returns, and others, but they don't run well at all. Can someone give me clear advice on what I should do next without assuming I have much technical knowledge? Thanks in advance!
2 Answers
Starting with Linux can definitely be challenging! If you're using Mint with the Cinnamon desktop, that's an okay choice for beginners, but you might want to try different distributions if you're not satisfied. There are three main types: Debian-based distros like Mint and Ubuntu (stable and reliable), Fedora (more up-to-date), and Arch-based ones (latest updates but can be tricky to maintain). Since you're new, sticking to Debian-based ones like Mint is probably the best call for now. That way, you'll get a lot of stuff working right out of the box and it's well-documented, which can help you avoid headaches!
Have you checked the game compatibility? Sometimes it helps to look at resources on migration from Windows to Linux. There are migration pages and tips available that could clarify a few things for you. Also, make sure you've installed the correct drivers for your GTX 1060, and ensure that the partition for your games is formatted in a way that Linux supports, like ext4. If you're running into specific issues, providing those details can help people give you more precise advice!
Definitely ensure you've got the proper drivers installed for your GPU! It makes a huge difference in game performance. If you're unsure, a simple search on how to install the NVIDIA drivers on your distro might do the trick.