I'm thinking about dual booting Linux alongside Windows 11 to give it a shot, but I'm stuck deciding on a distro. My hardware includes an AMD 9800X3D CPU and a 9070XT GPU. My main focus is gaming, and while I'm not sure about using Steam's game mode, I prefer a distro that'll work relatively well straight out of the box without too much tweaking. I'm leaning towards GNOME as my desktop environment. Any recommendations?
5 Answers
You might want to take a look at the distro selection page in the Linux4Noobs wiki. It has a lot of great info! Also, bear in mind the importance of regular backups and testing in a VM before going all in on anything. Just a tip from my experience!
Why not try both Bazzite and Nobara for a week? They give you a similar experience, and you can see which one you prefer.
With an AMD GPU, you won’t have to deal with the hassle of installing proprietary drivers. Just go with either Fedora Workstation or openSUSE Tumbleweed with GNOME. Tumbleweed is a rolling release but includes automatic snapshots, making it easier to roll back if anything goes wrong. Just ensure the distro has the latest packages for optimal gaming performance!
I was worried about using Fedora Workstation for gaming since it’s labeled as a workstation, but if it’s the base for Bazzite and Nobara, it sounds solid!
Check out CachyOS! It’s worth considering for an easy setup and good performance.
I'd recommend Bazzite for its ease of use. It worked perfectly for me right away, whereas Nobara had some hiccups. Still, everyone has their preference, so trying both might help you find your fit!
Definitely keep backups! Testing in a VM is a smart move before messing with your main setup.