I have an older laptop with an Intel Core i7-2670QM, 8 GB of RAM, a 114 GB SSD, and an NVIDIA GT 635M. I mainly want to use it for light web browsing and college work involving AI tools, not gaming or other graphics-heavy tasks. I would also like to keep using its built-in Blu-ray drive with my existing discs. Which Linux distributions and desktop environments would be a good fit, and do I need to worry about the NVIDIA graphics card or Blu-ray support?
4 Answers
A lightweight desktop such as Xfce would be a sensible choice. Linux Mint Xfce, MX Linux Xfce, or a similar Debian-based option should run comfortably with 8 GB of RAM. The easiest approach is probably to use the Intel integrated graphics and leave the old NVIDIA chip disabled or unused. The GT 635M is from the Fermi generation, so current proprietary NVIDIA drivers are not a good option on modern distributions.
Avoid choosing a setup that depends on the old proprietary NVIDIA driver unless you are comfortable maintaining an older kernel and troubleshooting graphics problems. Nouveau may work for basic display output, but it can use more CPU and provide poor performance for video or 3D workloads. A Mint Xfce or MX Linux installation using the Intel GPU is likely the least frustrating option for keeping this laptop useful.
Since you only need browsing and college applications, you likely do not need the dedicated NVIDIA GPU at all. Letting the Intel graphics handle the desktop should make installation and updates much less troublesome, and most mainstream distributions should work. Try the distribution from a live USB first to check Wi-Fi, sound, suspend, and the Blu-ray drive before installing it.
Blu-ray data discs should generally be readable if the drive is detected, but commercial movie discs are more complicated because of encryption and licensing. You may need packages such as libbluray and compatible playback software, and some discs may still not play without additional keys or workarounds. Test one of your discs before relying on the laptop as a movie player.
I mainly want the drive because I have a few Blu-ray discs and it is unusual to find a laptop that still has one. I do not need the NVIDIA card for gaming, so using the Intel graphics sounds fine.