Best version for low end pc

[KGIII]

While your computer is fairly low-spec, it looks like you've got 2.5 GHz on a couple of cores, and 4 GB of RAM. That means, and not all performance is equal, you can probably run any distro and desktop you want - with some compromises.

So, in these situations, I like to toss this link into the mixing bowl:

Finally, an Answer to What is The Best Linux Distro? • Linux Tips

Finally, an attempt to answer to the age old question: Which Linux distro is the best? Read on to find out which distro is the best Linux distro.

linux-tips.us

Now, if asked what distro I'd run on that hardware, I'd suggest Lubuntu - but I'm pretty heavily biased. But, I'd say try a variety of 'em. They'll cost you nothing but time. Then, you can decide what's right for you, what fills your needs best.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Red Hat isn't a Linux distribution but a company that make a Linux distribution, Red Hat Enterprise Linux(RHEL). Go with Linux Mint or Ubuntu since you are a beginner, more people that will be able to help you if you run into something.

 

[bob466]

I'm running Linux Mint Cinnamon 20.1 on my Laptop that has 4GB of RAM and 2.5Ghz CPU with no problems...Linux Lite runs great too.

 

[Ziggi]

Would you like to have LO Writer loaded + Ffox with four tabs open - three of them running web page videos - simultaneously on a 2008 laptop with 3GiB RAM - so easy?

 

[Brickwizard]

on a 2008 laptop with 3GiB RAM - so easy?

Basically the same spec as my old dell Lappy, except I have 4gb ram, and often have 6 or 7 windows open when online [also FF user] the only difference is I disable the onboard 11g wireless and use either a N300 0r N600 USB Wi-Fi adaptor to speed up internet working

 

[Ziggi]

Hey Wiz - I got an old Dell Latitude E6420 i7 8GiB RAM about 2008? It is running ZorinOS Gnome - does everything pretty quickly but has become a little boring. It used to run Trisquel-mini loaded with every heavy app I could use just to see if I could break it - no chance - so fast I christened it miniMAX; mini footprint MAX performance. I am now running my miniMAX on the old HP Lappy using a lightweight Debian distro with LXDE.
Got an old XP-Pro 3D-CAD-CAM workstation from same era looking for something to break land speed record - Haha

 

[Brickwizard]

I got an old Dell Latitude E6420 i7

That's not old, it's only just middle-aged,
I will post the inxi on my spare lappy later [its not kept in the workshop]

 

[Ziggi]

That's not old, it's only just middle-aged,

Quite Right I'm the old git here....
The old XP-Pro CAD-CAM box ....

 

[Brickwizard]

this is the inxi on my OLD acer she will be 23 in January, and retireing in about 3 yrs when linux 32 bit support ends.


System: Host: peppermint Kernel: 5.0.0-37-generic i686 bits: 32 gcc: 7.4.0
Desktop: N/A Distro: Peppermint Ten
Machine: Device: laptop System: Acer product: TravelMate 2410 v: 0100 serial: N/A
Mobo: Acer model: Morar v: Rev serial: N/A
BIOS: Phoenix v: V1.07 date: 09/26/2005
Battery BAT0: charge: 0.0 Wh 0.0% condition: 11.3/77.0 Wh (15%)
model: Acer Bat 8Cell status: Charging
CPU: Single core Intel Celeron M (-UP-) arch: Dothan rev.8 cache: 1024 KB
flags: (nx pae sse sse2) bmips: 2992 speed: 1496 MHz (max)
Graphics: Card: Intel Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller
bus-ID: 00:02.0
Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.20.4 )
drivers: intel (unloaded: modesetting,fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: [email protected]
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 915GM x86/MMX/SSE2
version: 1.4 Mesa 19.0.8 Direct Render: Yes
Audio: Card Intel 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller
driver: snd_intel8x0 ports: 1c00 18c0 bus-ID: 00:1e.2
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k5.0.0-37-generic
Network: Card-1: Realtek RTL-8100/8101L/8139 PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter
driver: 8139too v: 0.9.28 port: 3000 bus-ID: 06:07.0
IF: enp6s7 state: down mac: <filter>
Card-2: Realtek RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN Adapter usb-ID: 001-002
IF: N/A state: N/A mac: N/A
Drives: HDD Total Size: 40.0GB (7.7% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST9402113A size: 40.0GB temp: 28C
Partition: ID-1: / size: 965M used: 35M (4%) fs: overlay dev: N/A
ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.20GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda1
ID-3: swap-2 size: 1.01GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/zram0
RAID: No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors: None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Info: Processes: 143 Uptime: 8 min Memory: 212.7/1928.9MB
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.4.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.4.201) inxi: 2.3.56

 

[Ziggi]

Great to see that like me you are doing something to help reduce the eWaste mountain that's killing our planet and having a load of fun in the meantime - Greta loves you

 

[ML_113]

Talking about eWaste, last week I revive an old friend HP AIO, 3G RAM, 1920x1080 monitor.
The hard drive is apparently shot, so I threw in a 65G USB, put Bionicpup on it, now it run like new.
The guy wanted to throw it away. Now he is convinced of the superiority of Linux !

 

[Deleted member 137406]

Quite Right I'm the old git here....
The old XP-Pro CAD-CAM box ....
View attachment 14194View attachment 14195

I'm right there with ya. (2010)
Notice the massive amount of memory.
Notice the massive size of the hard drive.

Spoiler

sparkylinux@sparkylinux:~$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Kernel: 5.10.0-19-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 10.2.1 Desktop: LXQt 0.16.1
           Distro: SparkyLinux 6.5 (Po-Tolo) base: Debian bullseye/sid
Machine:   Type: Desktop System: Dell product: OptiPlex 380 v: N/A serial: <filter>
           Mobo: Dell model: 0HN7XN v: A01 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A02 date: 08/27/2010
CPU:       Info: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 Duo E7500 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Penryn rev: A
           L2 cache: 3 MiB
           flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 11705
           Speed: 1596 MHz min/max: 1600/2933 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1596 2: 1596
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
           bus ID: 00:02.0
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
           resolution: 1024x768~75Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel G41 (ELK) v: 2.1 Mesa 20.3.5 direct render: Yes
Audio:     Device-1: Intel NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio vendor: Dell
           driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.10.0-19-amd64
Network:   Device-1: Broadcom NetLink BCM57780 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe vendor: Dell driver: tg3
           v: kernel port: ece0 bus ID: 02:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>                        
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 37.25 GiB used: 7.63 GiB (20.5%)                                
           ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD400BD-75JMA0 size: 37.25 GiB          
Partition: ID-1: / size: 36.37 GiB used: 7.63 GiB (21.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1                
Swap:      ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 512 MiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) file: /swapfile              
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 35.0 C mobo: N/A                                            
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A                                                                 
Info:      Processes: 148 Uptime: 3h 03m Memory: 3.74 GiB used: 1.14 GiB (30.4%) Init: systemd   
           runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 10.2.1 Packages: 1798 Shell: Bash v: 5.1.4 inxi: 3.3.01   
sparkylinux@sparkylinux:~$

 

[Ziggi]

Yo Bart – It's WinXP-Pro so dropped MX DVD into tray so I could extract info for you.

SolidWorks 3D CAD files can get fairly large. They need to be kept offline even if deleted just in case I get hacked – there is always a trace…

Even the power supply is Corsair and at 400W is way OTT

Thinking about replacing 3.5” HDD with a 2.5” SSD out of my HP Laptop to see how fast and efficient..? Then use Wi-Fi and internet for first time.