u/InternCandid1831

Hey everyone,

I have an old SSD lying around at home and I'm planning to set up a dedicated gaming PC on it using Linux. My main goal is to play "cracked" games (Steam, Epic, GOG, etc., often requiring manual launchers like Proton-GE or Lutris).

I've done some reading but want to hear from the community before committing. Here's what I'm looking for:

1. Distro Stability vs. Bleeding Edge: Do you recommend a stable base (like Ubuntu/Pop!_OS) or something more flexible (Arch/Fedora) that handles Proton-GE and DXVK better out of the box?
2. Cracked Game Compatibility: Which distros have the smoothest experience for non-Steam launchers, Wine dependencies, and manual file installations without too much dependency hell?
3. SSD Optimization: Since I'm using an SSD, are there specific kernel or filesystem tweaks (like BTRFS vs. EXT4) that help with game loading times on Linux?

My Hardware Specs (if relevant):

• GPU: [Insert GPU Model, e.g., RTX 3060 / RX 7800XT]
• RAM: [Insert RAM Amount]
• CPU: [Insert CPU Model]
• OS Experience: [e.g., New to Linux or have used Arch/Ubuntu before]

I'm not looking for a Steam Deck clone, but rather a desktop experience that handles cracked titles well. Any recommendations on distros specifically known for gaming performance with manual installations would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!