RunsOnLinux

Best Linux for an old computer

A PC that struggles with Windows 10 is usually short of memory, and a lighter system gives back a surprising amount of it. The versions below use simpler desktops that need less of everything.

They are ranked on how well they run on modest hardware, with the published memory and disk figures shown for each. Where a project publishes no figures of its own, the page for that version says so.

  1. MX Linux

    Good on an old PC 5 out of 5. Needs 1 GB of memory and 10 GB of disk.

    MX Linux is the practical rescue option for an older machine. The current release is MX 25.2 from August 2026, and the Xfce edition is the one most people should take. It is quick on hardware that struggles with anything heavier, and the desktop layout is close enough to Windows that you will not get lost.

    Full verdict on MX Linux

  2. Lubuntu

    Good on an old PC 5 out of 5. Needs 2 GB of memory and 25 GB of disk.

    Lubuntu is the lightest of the official Ubuntu family. Version 26.04 LTS uses the LXQt desktop, supported until April 2029, and its whole reason to exist is using as little memory and processor time as possible so a tired laptop feels usable again.

    Full verdict on Lubuntu

  3. Linux Mint

    Good on an old PC 4 out of 5. Needs 2 GB of memory and 20 GB of disk.

    If you want one recommendation and no reading, this is it. Linux Mint 22.3 keeps the familiar shape of a Windows desktop: a menu button bottom left, a taskbar along the bottom, a clock and icons bottom right. Almost nothing about moving around the screen needs relearning.

    Full verdict on Linux Mint

  4. Linux Lite

    Good on an old PC 4 out of 5. Needs 4 GB of memory and 40 GB of disk.

    Linux Lite 8.0 exists for one reader: someone with a five to ten year old Windows machine who wants it usable again. It uses the Xfce desktop, which draws a menu button, a taskbar and a tray in the places a Windows user reaches for, and it does not ask the graphics card for anything fancy.

    Full verdict on Linux Lite

  5. Debian

    Good on an old PC 4 out of 5. Needs 1 GB of memory and 10 GB of disk.

    Debian is the base that Ubuntu, Linux Mint and MX Linux are all built from, and using it directly is a different experience from using them. Debian 13, codenamed trixie, arrived in August 2025 with three years of full support to August 2028 and two further years of long term maintenance to June 2030.

    Full verdict on Debian

Want the reasoning in full? Read Can my PC run Linux?

Rankings come from the scores on each version's page. Oldest check in this list: 19 September 2026. Nobody pays to appear on it. How we choose.