I've recently decided to move away from Windows 11 and switch to Linux. I successfully installed Zorin OS on an old MacBook Pro, and everything runs smoothly there. However, I'm facing significant performance issues with Linux Mint on both my brother's and my desktop computers. Games like Skyrim and even native Linux games are running at single-digit FPS, which is frustrating. I've tried updating the drivers on both systems and confirmed that the hardware components are functioning well. I've also experimented with other Linux distros, but the performance issues persist. It's interesting because my laptop works perfectly fine with Linux. Here's my PC setup:
- Processor: Ryzen 7
- GPU: NVIDIA 3070
- RAM: 16GB
- OS: Linux Mint 22
Any advice would be a huge help!
2 Answers
You might want to look at what Nvidia is doing because they can sometimes throw a wrench in the works. Distro hopping could be your best bet until you find one that plays nice with your setup. I’d recommend trying Pop!_OS, Manjaro, Fedora, or OpenSUSE. Just steer clear of Wayland for now since you’ve got Nvidia hardware. Each distro can behave quite differently, even if they’re based on the same system!
Have you checked the age of your old MacBook Pro? While it manages pretty well, it might not be great for graphics-intensive games, especially the more modern ones. Try running a speed test using your browser in Zorin and comparing it to a live session of another distro—like EndeavourOS. This could help you figure out if your drivers are affecting performance.
I’ve given Pop!_OS a shot, but I’ll take another look at some Arch-based distros. I’d never have guessed that installing Linux on a Mac would be this straightforward compared to a regular PC!