I've decided it's time to move from Windows to Linux since my old PC just can't handle it anymore. I'm looking for suggestions on Linux distributions that would work well with my setup. My PC has 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD (I think it's dual), and an i7 processor, so it's not the best. I use my machine heavily and multitask a lot—running Claude code, Cursor IDE, local host servers, Spotify, web browsing, and other applications simultaneously. While I know many say that picking a distro doesn't matter much, I want one that maximizes performance. I've been eyeing Pop!_OS and Linux Mint, but I'm hoping to find something that works out of the box yet is also customizable so I can learn Linux along the way. I'd appreciate any recommendations!
4 Answers
If you're willing to experiment, try out different distros using a Live USB stick first! You can test things like Debian with LXQt or MX Linux. Both are lightweight and should run well on your hardware.
Linux Mint is a solid choice for your specs! It should run smoothly, and it has a familiar feel if you're coming from Windows. Plus, you can easily multitask with it without worrying too much about performance.
I agree! Mint has been stable for me on low-end hardware, and everything just works out of the box.
For a beginner distro that won't overwhelm your old machine, Mint is probably your best bet. It's user-friendly and stable. If you want to really delve into Linux, perhaps look at Manjaro or even Arch, but those have a steeper learning curve.
Exactly! Arch is great for performance but requires some setup. Mint makes it easy for users switching over.
Zorin OS is another good option. It’s designed to make the switch from Windows pretty easy and looks more modern. Just keep in mind that it might need a bit more resources than Mint.
Zorin can be a bit demanding, though. Mint generally has better performance on older systems.
Yeah, testing with a USB stick is a great idea! You can find out which one feels right without committing right away.