I'm looking for recommendations on a Linux distribution for my T14 Gen 1 laptop with an Intel i5 processor. I'm an IT professional with basic Linux knowledge, and my main uses will be cloud gaming via the web and occasional office tasks. I'm considering either Linux Mint or Ubuntu. Any thoughts or other suggestions? Also, I'm particularly interested in how these options perform in terms of battery life and stability as I need something that won't drain the battery too quickly.
5 Answers
Battery consumption between different distros is generally similar since they use the same drivers and software. For stability, I’d recommend sticking with long-term support versions like Ubuntu, Mint, or even ZorinOS. Fedora is great for the latest updates but might not be necessary for your needs since you’re looking for something reliable that just works.
For optimal battery life, I've found that using Fedora with the intel-undervolt tool significantly extends usage time once set up. That said, the battery life might not differ drastically across all distros.
In my experience, Fedora is great because it has some nice hardware setups by default, plus it performs well with gaming after some simple configurations. I especially like how the fingerprint setup works out of the box compared to Ubuntu, though both are solid options.
If you're looking primarily for stable options, either Ubuntu or Mint are excellent starting points since they’re based on Debian and are very similar under the hood. Both won't disappoint for general use.
I use Mint Cinnamon for my browser-based tasks and virtual machines, and it handles them well. If you're familiar with its interface, it should serve you nicely for your requirements.

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