I'm looking for some advice on choosing a Linux distribution for my desktop. Gaming is my top priority, but I also need it to function well as a daily driver, so a wide range of software packages would be a bonus. I want something that's easy to set up, and I'm currently considering Nobara, Ubuntu LTS, and Mint. My hardware includes a Ryzen 9 5950X and an Nvidia 3080Ti. What do you all think? Which distro would you recommend and why?
4 Answers
Honestly, if you want simplicity and a great gaming experience, Nobara is hard to beat. It's Fedora-based, which means it gets a lot of the latest software without the instability of Arch. Plus, it just seems to work really well for gaming setups!
If you're looking for a solid choice, I'd recommend Nobara. It's developed by GloriousEggroll, who is well-known for great Linux gaming projects. If you're after something more flexible with a rolling release, CachyOS might also be a good fit, but just know it’s Arch-based and can have occasional hiccups. Check your GPU with the link I shared if you decide on Nobara!
I’ve had a great experience with CachyOS for gaming. It's user-friendly and has good performance, so definitely consider that if you don’t mind a bit of the Arch base behind it!
For stability and ease of use, Mint or Ubuntu might be your best bets. They’re reliable and just work, but if you want something a bit more cutting-edge for gaming, Nobara could be the way to go. It’s Fedora-based, so it has a decent amount of up-to-date packages without being too unstable like Arch.
I agree! Mint has been very stable for me, but I’m intrigued by Nobara's gaming potential.

Thanks for the tip about GPU support, that’s super helpful!