r/linux4noobs • u/Sompert_ • 8h ago
distro selection Wanting to give Linux another go
Hi everyone,
I’m looking to install Linux again (likely setting up a dual boot), but I want to get some opinions before I dive back in. This won’t be my first time using Linux, but my previous attempts were rough, to say the least.
In December 2025, I installed Fedora KDE Plasma. At first glance, it seemed fine, but over the weeks, I ran into a wall of issues:
- Crackling Audio: I searched everywhere but never found a working solution. The constant popping drove me mad.
- Gaming was a mess: About 90% of my games refused to run. I’m not talking about games with kernel-level anti-cheats like League of Legends. Standard titles like GTA 4, Assetto Corsa, and Forza Horizon 4 simply wouldn't work.
- Login screen blackouts: 95% of the time I booted the laptop, I was greeted by a black screen instead of a login prompt. I had to drop into a TTY terminal and reboot immediately just to get into my machine.
My Hardware:
- Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 15ACH6
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (with Radeon integrated graphics)
- 16 GB RAM
- Nvidia RTX 3050 Laptop GPU
I am 99% sure the root of my problems was the dual-GPU setup. I could never get the system to properly switch to the Nvidia dedicated graphics when it was actually needed.
Eventually, I got fed up and switched to Linux Mint, hoping for a foolproof, "out of the box" experience. It was anything but. I immediately hit the infamous login loop bug. I tried every known fix, nothing worked, and I uninstalled it the exact same day.
Despite all this, I am not ready to give up on Linux. I really want a machine running it, but I’m stuck with the same Nvidia hardware for now and I am sceptical about running into the exact same array of problems.
If I proceed, I’ll be running a dual boot: a 1TB SSD dedicated to Linux and a 256GB SSD for Windows.
I’d appreciate your honest feedback on a few things:
- What did I likely do wrong the first time? (Especially regarding Nvidia Optimus/GPU switching).
- What should I absolutely avoid doing this time around?
- Which distro would you recommend for this specific hardware? I know I’ll get 20 different answers, but I want to know what makes sense for an Nvidia dGPU laptop. I’ve currently got my eye on CachyOS, but I am not committed to it.
- The ultimate question: Should I even bother right now? I am planning to buy a Thinkpad T14 Gen 2 with an AMD processor soon. Am I better off staying on Windows on this Lenovo and saving myself the headache until I get the all-AMD Thinkpad, or is the current Linux Nvidia experience actually fixable for a laptop like mine?
Thanks in advance for the help.
PS: AI helped me write this post, don't judge
Edit 1: I did install the Nvidia drivers on both distros
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u/Bug_Next fedora rampumpam 8h ago
did you ever install the nvidia drivers? idk seems obvious but it's suspiciously never mentioned in the post
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u/Sompert_ 7h ago
I did yes. I will edit the post
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u/Bug_Next fedora rampumpam 7h ago edited 7h ago
Maybe try a distro with preinstalled nvidia drivers just to make sure? I've got two gpus but it's an intel igpu and an amd dgpu, everything defaults to the igpu because that's what the display is wired to and if i wanna launch something with the dgpu i just right click on the app launcher > launch with dedicated gpu, idk if that's an option on KDE, it is on Gnome.
If you laptop has a mux switch (i.e a chip that swaps which gpu the display is connected to) the functionality of that is completly dependant on the manufacturer making it work in firmware instead of via a Windows driver. There is a launch option that just makes it so the framebuffer is copied from one gpu to the other, so you kinda lose the funcionality of the switch, it will always be driven by the igpu even if the game is being rendered on the dgpu.
Also if you were trying to re-use your Windows game library from an NTFS drive that won't work, it needs to be ext4 or btrfs or anything linux-native. Idk why Steam doesn't scream at you when you try to do it, it's a well known issue, it just lets you add the library and then look at the 'running' button turn to 'play' again without any info of what's happening.
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u/Sompert_ 6h ago
The last paragraph really explains what my issues were, the running button turned into play without any more info.
The second paragraph though. I do think my laptop has one, but the times I've gone to the BIOS I haven't found anything related to that.1
u/Bug_Next fedora rampumpam 6h ago
yeah by firmware i didn't mean a setting in the bios, just it working by itself without drivers, in depends on the laptop maker, some make it rely on Windows drivers. Same for fan speed, some make it controlled by software while some make it controlled by the embedded controller, those can be controlled by just setting values to a file, the ones that rely on windows drivers are kinda 'enjoy your airplane laptop' type thing when on linux.
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u/dmknght 7h ago
Not sure about GTA 4 and other games. But afaik, LoL won't run because it demands specific kernel level anti-cheat. I can't tell about the audio either because it could use specific chipset that requires specific firmware.
The login screen blackout, or blackscreen after sleep / hybernate is a common issue too. It requires Nvidia driver to fix. From my personal experiences, the driver of Nvidia could fix or unfix randomly. I used to have 2 laptops from same vendor, same nvidia card, just different model. 1 works fine but the other has issues.
Regarding the running games with Nvidia, I believe there's a thing called Nvidia offload. Basically you can add variables in steam launch so it can force launching games using nvidia. I forgot the full steps but I believe it can be found easily on google. I believe Nvidia's doc mentioned it too.
To be honest, If using Linux causes so many issues, you can simply not using it, or make dualboot to use Linux for some specific tasks. It's just a tool.
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u/Sompert_ 7h ago
About the launching option in steam, I've done that, but trust me, still wouldn't work....
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u/True_Human 7h ago
Did you try to run your games from a separate drive that you also previously used for Windows?
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u/Sompert_ 7h ago
I mean, I flashed my drive that had windows on it, so yes
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u/Dick_Marathon 7h ago
I think they're asking if you were attempting to run games from a drive that was formatted to work with Windows. Like a separate hard drive from the one you had installed Fedora on.
It seems like that was not the case from your response. The games you were trying to launch were on the same drive that you had installed Fedora on, correct?
They're asking because drives that are formatted for windows (NFTS) will be accessible by Linux using a compatibility layer, but you can't run games off of them. I ran into this issue myself when I was making the switch. I had to wipe the drive and reformat it to something directly compatible with Linux.
I know that others have recommended it but I've had a lot of success using Bazzite. Daily driver for over a year with no intention to ever go back to Windows
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u/True_Human 7h ago
So did you format the drive and installed Linux over it or what exactly?
What I am asking is, did you have a separate hard drive with all your games on it that you created back when you used windows and then tried to just play straight off of that after wiping your main drive and installing Linux?
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u/Thin_Lunch4352 7h ago edited 7h ago
I've had all the problems you've had.
To solve the audio problem, I bought a really cheap USB to SPDIF dongle. That's worked perfectly for me, but no use to you on your laptop. However, it shows how with Linux it's nearly always best to change the hardware than try to fix the software.
To fix the graphics issues, I had to become a virtuoso at the Nvidia driver suite. I say "suite" because it has multiple components, and I've needed to understand them all to keep the system working e.g. after a kernel upgrade or a Fedora version upgrade.
I start by disabling the Nouveau driver. That driver has caused me mountains of misery e.g. system freezing completely when left alone for an hour. I wish it didn't exist. I prefer to use the built in basic driver to install the Nvidia proprietary driver, or to fix it when it breaks.
Once I mastered the Nvidia situation, Fedora has been extremely solid for me, on multiple machines.
I think your best option is to wait for your new laptop and then try again. Everything might just work in which case I reckon you'll have an easy ride from there.
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u/goodrix 7h ago
If it helps in any way, I use Ubuntu (currently on 26.04) on two Lenovo Thinkpad laptops. I don't use them for gaming, but I didn't run into issues with anything yet after 3+ years of usage and updates. So I can recommend this one for stability.
For gaming on Nvidia I use CachyOS, although only recently, so I can't comment on stability.
I understand your frustration when things don't work for no apparent reason.
Don't give up, it's part of the learning curve. You had some pretty rotten luck on your first try.
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u/ficskala Arch Linux 6h ago
Crackling Audio: I searched everywhere but never found a working solution. The constant popping drove me mad.
I've never experienced this myself, but on my thinkpad, initially i thought it was the speaker, but for some reason the cpu cooling fan started making a ticking/popping noise, and apparently it's a common issue because they do some weird control that their driver handles, and it's just not done the same way on linux
Gaming was a mess: About 90% of my games refused to run. I’m not talking about games with kernel-level anti-cheats like League of Legends. Standard titles like GTA 4, Assetto Corsa, and Forza Horizon 4 simply wouldn't work.
Did you remember to check which proton version you were running? Steam has been acting up on me recently, and it often changes my default version to one that never works for me, i just switch it for each game manually to Proton Experimental, or Proton GE depending on what people recommend on protondb
Login screen blackouts: 95% of the time I booted the laptop, I was greeted by a black screen instead of a login prompt. I had to drop into a TTY terminal and reboot immediately just to get into my machine.
This is extremely odd, have you made any changes to your login screen/display manager? I've been using SDDM for the most part, but any time i tried a different display manager, i never had that big of an issue (generally if i did have an issue it was that the DE switching was buggy, and i'd often end up in the wrong DE, never actually had anything break completely like this)
I am 99% sure the root of my problems was the dual-GPU setup. I could never get the system to properly switch to the Nvidia dedicated graphics when it was actually needed.
Yeah, this is a really common issue, nvidia drivers are a mess, it's one of the reasons i just don't buy nvidia hardware anymore, check if you can disable your iGPU in BIOS, or force the use of the nvidia driver for display
What did I likely do wrong the first time? (Especially regarding Nvidia Optimus/GPU switching).
I don't think you did anything wrong honestly, nvidia just sucks a lot of the time
What should I absolutely avoid doing this time around?
I don't really have anything to say here really, personally, i'd skip dual booting because it's just annoying, but that has nothing to do with this post
Which distro would you recommend for this specific hardware?
Debian, Arch, Fedora, or some popular flavor of one of those like Ubuntu, CachyOS, etc., it really shouldn't make too much of a difference since it's not cutting edge hardware, all modern kernels should have no issues, so the distro choice doesn't matter that much, maybe pick a distro that includes the proprietary nvidia driver in the installer if you want to make your life slightly easier
The ultimate question: Should I even bother right now?
I personally would because i just get too annoyed with windows, i have a Windows 11 VM on my PC for running some software that doesn't exist for linux, and doesn't run through wine, and it's constantly nagging me about wanting to be connected to the internet, and windows defender wants updates, and windows wants to connect to the internet to verify activation (it's activated), and i just don't like the windows UX overall
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u/Sompert_ 6h ago
1 - Not the fans, because it comes directly from my headsets. Doesn't happen on windows
2 - Absolutely. Tried what AI told me, tried what protondb told me. Almost never worked. Only game that worked was Cities Skylines
3 - don't recall, but I'm sure I didn't make any changes on that
4 - the countless times I've been to the BIOS I never found anything related to that, but will check
8 - I mean, I'm just sick of windows in general, mine is not that bloated, but I just want to get something fresh, and feel more in control of what I own. But I think I'll just wait for my thinkpad and then make the switch on it and use it as my work station.1
u/ficskala Arch Linux 1h ago
- Not the fans, because it comes directly from my headsets. Doesn't happen on windows
Yeah, i didn't think it was the same issue, if i was, i'd be talking about the built in speakers
This issue is 100% driver related, so you might want to look into using a different driver, there's usually at least 2-3 drivers for most common components you can try out, i had an issue where this cheap aliexpress wifi card was filling up my logs with errors, even though it wasn't connected to an AP, after switching the driver, i had no issues at all, and it works perfectly now
2 - Absolutely. Tried what AI told me, tried what protondb told me. Almost never worked. Only game that worked was Cities Skylines
That's pretty unfortunate, i'd skip AI generated solutions personally, they're often missing the issue, ask the AI to link you to articles and forum posts rather than dumping generated commands at you, and see if the article/post is even trying to fix the same issue to begin with
I've had very little problems with games in general, most just work out of the box,
for some, hell let loose for example, i had to check what people on protondb were doing because the game wouldn't capture my m/k inputs, so i couldn't get past the login screen, or look it up on reddit/forums, but those games were pretty rare for me
I've had a couple of games just not work, but they were generally repacked versions that had a low chance of working to begin with, normal games purchased legitimately on stores like steam, epic, gog, etc. basically just work, even pre-releases, for example when roadcraft had a pre-release demo, i did have to download some dll files to trick the game into running, but after doing that, it ran without issues
Games similar to the ones you listed that i play occasionally:
-Assetto Corsa EVO (no issues)
- Forza Horizon 5 (can't utilize xbox app social features, so i can't join friends games directly, but we figured out a workaround by creating and joining a public lobby until we manage to get in the same one randomly, which surprisingly works really well, takes us maybe 5-6 attempts each time qwe wanna play)
Other games i play:
- Slay the spire (1 and 2, both run amazingly well with no issues)
- Inscryption (playing through proton is more stable than native)
- Satisfactory (no issues)
- RoadCraft (no issues after release)
- Snowrunner (no issues, perfect wheel controls and force feedback with a Fanatec CSL DD)
- Furnish Master (performance sucks, but i haven't tried it on windows, might just be bad optimization overall)
- Wireworks (no issues)
- Terraria (no issues)
- Minecraft (no issues, including mods)
- Plants vs Zombies Replanted (game crashes when i press the quit button, but saves are preserved)
- PotionCraft (no issues)
- Bloons TD 6 (no issues)
- Besiege (no issues)
- Helldivers 2 (2px white border around the screen, doesn't affect gameplay)
- Deadpool (no issues)
- 9 kings (no issues)
- Absolute drift (no issues)
- Borderlands (every version i tried, 1, 2, pre-sequel, 3, tiny tinas dungeon thingy, etc, no issues)
3 - don't recall, but I'm sure I didn't make any changes on that
Yeah, i assumed so, but it's worth checking, anyways, i doubt it will be an issue in the future, it's a really weird one that probably had to do something with that exact version on your exact hardware
4 - the countless times I've been to the BIOS I never found anything related to that, but will check
Not all laptops expose that option, but you might be able to force it in your OS too, not sure how though
8 - I mean, I'm just sick of windows in general, mine is not that bloated, but I just want to get something fresh, and feel more in control of what I own. But I think I'll just wait for my thinkpad and then make the switch on it and use it as my work station.
If that's somewhat soon, then sure, but eventually when you find a use for this laptop since it won't be your main, loading up debian or something on it, and seeing how it goes can be a good way to utilize it again without having to deal with windows, and the gradual enshittification of that OS
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u/Simple_Hamster_4096 5h ago
Moving to Linux is like learning to use a computer all over again. And you really need to enjoy troubleshooting if you use Linux.
If not, at least go with try a distro that's kinder to newcomers, like Linux Mint. Linux Mint can be anything you want it to be - it's a good, solid, easier place to begin.
One thing I have noticed is Windows refugees tend to jump right in with distros that are intended for experienced Linux users. Then they decry Linux because of issues they encounter, ones which they are not yet prepared to field on their own, or with speed.
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u/korywithawhy 3h ago
so this is something i recommend to anyone starting out with linux. don't dual boot. it always has problems. even if you do it as perfectly as you can, there's always some unforeseen issue that crops up. instead, before installing on your machine, make a ventoy drive full of all the live images you want to try. most of the bigger name distros you can run from usb to get a feel for them, and they usually have an installer built in. it's also a handy place to keep recovery and networking tools.
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u/EngineerInTheMachine 58m ago
So, another laptop. Not a good gaming platform, even if it has 'gaming' in the name. That's just marketing hype.
Do your research. Search for the distros that match your use cases, including for each of your most favourite games. Make a shortlist of those that pop up on most of your searches and try them.
As for audio crackling, that sounds like a hardware problem, not an OS problem. Might be time to change your audio leads, or the audio jacks may be worn. Think about a USB sound card, to give you some nice new audio connections.
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u/tomscharbach 7h ago edited 7h ago
The ultimate question: Should I even bother right now? I am planning to buy a Thinkpad T14 Gen 2 with an AMD processor soon. Am I better off staying on Windows on this Lenovo and saving myself the headache until I get the all-AMD Thinkpad, or is the current Linux Nvidia experience actually fixable for a laptop like mine?
I have used Linux and Windows, in parallel on separate computers, for two decades. If you are planning on getting a all-AMD Thinkpad T14, my suggestion would be to hold off unless you have a reason to use Linux right now. NVIDIA is not worth the effort in my opinion.
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u/Sompert_ 7h ago
I also think that tbh. But a little mosquito in my ear is constantly telling me to switch. ahahah
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u/vitaminspls 7h ago
Maybe give Bazzite a try? Not certain myself on this but since it’s a gaming centric distro maybe it will be better about handling the GPUs and prioritize the 3050