For years, Windows has been the king of the PC space. However, other operating systems have also been evolving alongside it, macOS and Linux. macOS has become quite stable. Some people use Macs as their. But some people don’t want to switch to Macs; they just don’t want to let go of their current computer or laptop.
I had an old SONY VAIO laptop (Intel Core i3 3rd Gen and 5600 rpm HDD; for those who don’t know, it’s pretty slow) lying around, which I wanted to keep using for some more time, as I knew it had a lot of juice left in it, just not enough for the latest Windows 11 to run. Just when I was about to give it away to someone, I remembered that I could install a Linux distro on it and squeeze another couple of years out of it. Linux is known to be smooth and lightweight, and it does not discriminate against processors older than 2018 (cough, Windows, *cough).
The question was, which one? There are so many that it makes my head ache just because I cannot decide which one to install. So, I installed a lot of them, tried them one by one, and finally made this list of the best ones, according to the use cases one might have for their old PC or laptop.
1. Zorin OS
One of the best Linux distros. It has a very familiar UI for Windows and Mac users, is smooth, looks like one of the best, and has tons of features for anyone looking for a fair balance between usability and featherlightness. You can download the build from https://zorin.com.
2. Ubuntu
A famous distro among beginners and general desktop users, also famous for developers who just want a stable platform to work on. This distro has developers and users across the globe who help you solve issues that arise, if any. The distro is very stable because of the wide driver availability and regular updates.
Some users might need some time to switch to the new interface, but once you get the hang of it, there’s nothing quite like it. You can download it from https://ubuntu.com.
3. Linux Mint
Another great option for people who do not want to go through the huge learning curve. This UI feels familiar to Windows and has insanely vast customization possibilities to make it look just the way you want (even like ChromeOS). You can download it from https://linuxmint.com.
4. Fedora
If you’re on fairly new hardware, like processors closer to the year 2018, chances are that it may be able to run Fedora smoothly. Also, you need to be ready to go through a learning curve if you want to use Fedora. It is the best for developers, open-source enthusiasts, and users wanting cutting-edge features. You might need to install media codecs separately for media to be able to run on your PC.
You can download it from https://fedoraproject.org.
5. Debian
Everyone who knows about Linux knows about Debian. It’s one of the most mature distros, offers proven performance, and is a great choice for experienced users, system admins, and people who value rock-solid stability. If you want to utilize your old PC or laptop’s hardware as a server, then this might be the best option for you. You can find tutorials on YouTube for this task. There is one con, though. It’s relatively harder to install than other Linux distros. You can download it from https://www.debian.org.
6. Manjaro
Don’t worry, gamers, we’ve got you covered too. This Linux distro is very stable and offers tons of customization.
Good enough hardware can use this distro without hiccups, and what it is capable of will surprise you. It comes in multiple desktop versions, like Xfce and GNOME. You can download it from https://manjaro.org.
So, when are you installing Linux on your PC?
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