Installing Linux is a fantastic way to get more life out of your old laptop, saving you some money and sparing your laptop from the landfill for a little longer. Linux is almost always lighter and faster than Windows, so any distribution can offer a big performance boost for aging hardware.

However, if you're new to Linux, choosing between all the different versions (or "distributions") can be overwhelming. I used Linux to bring my old HP laptop back from the dead, but it took a little trial and error before finding the right distribution for me.

Along the way, I came across a handful of distributions that really stand out as good picks for older hardware, as well as some tips to keep in mind when choosing a distro for your laptop.

Best Linux distros for reviving your aging laptop

Fedora

You can't go wrong with this all-purpose distro

Fedora is a fantastic, all-around Linux distribution, and it's my distro of choice for everything from ancient laptops to my custom gaming PC. It strikes a good balance between ease of use and freedom for customization. There are several "spins" of it with different desktop environments, which makes it easy to configure for older laptops.

The XFCE Fedora 42 spin is a particularly good fit for aging hardware since XFCE is one of the most lightweight desktop environments. It doesn't look as "modern" out of the box as some other desktop environments, but it gets the job done and runs well on Fedora. I use this version of Fedora on my 2017 HP EliteBook. Since installing it, I've noticed not only better battery life than on Windows, but also better battery life than on versions of Fedora with more demanding desktop environments, such as GNOME or KDE.

Ubuntu

A distro that will feel familiar to macOS fans

Ubuntu is often recommended as a beginner-friendly Linux distribution, and for good reasons. It was the distro I started with and makes a great introduction to Linux thanks to its simplified, user-friendly design. It utilizes the GNOME desktop environment, which features a macOS-like look and feel. Customization on Ubuntu can be somewhat limited, but that also means it's harder to accidentally brick your laptop.

If the Mac look of GNOME doesn't appeal to you, there are also several official "flavors" of Ubuntu with different desktop environments, including a few that may run better on older laptops. Ubuntu Mate, Xubuntu, and Lubuntu are all good Ubuntu flavors for aging hardware.

Mint

The perfect distro for former Windows 10 users

Like Ubuntu, Linux Mint is a popular choice for beginners thanks to its stability and user-friendly design. It actually shares Ubuntu's Debian-based roots, but it's intended to be even more beginner-friendly than Ubuntu.

Mint comes with the Cinnamon desktop environment, which will be strikingly familiar to Windows 10 users. It's one of my personal favorite desktop environments because it offers plenty of freedom for customization without being overly complicated or resource-intensive. If you like the look of Windows 10 but wish you could personalize it more, you'll love Cinnamon.

If you want a Linux distribution that "just works" with little configuration necessary, Mint is probably the way to go. There are also versions of it with the XFCE and MATE desktop environments, which are even lighter than Cinnamon and may make Mint run smoother on old laptops with less than 8GB of RAM.

Linux Lite

A distro that keeps it simple for new users

If you are completely new to Linux and used to Windows, Linux Lite could be a good fit for your old laptop. It's designed with former Windows users in mind, especially people with no prior Linux experience. You can run app updates through a tool in the "Favorites" tab on your toolbar, rather than having to do that manually through the command line. Additionally, all the basic apps most people will need are pre-installed, such as VLC Media Player, Chrome, and the Libre Office suite.

Linux Lite is also packaged with a customized version of the XFCE desktop environment, which is one of the best for older or low-spec hardware. It's easy to navigate without taking up too much RAM in the background, and it has a Windows look and feel.

Alpine

As minimal as Linux gets

Alpine Linux isn't ideal for beginners, but it can make a great choice for experienced Linux users looking for an ultra-lightweight distro for old hardware. Alpine is designed to be a minimalist distro, so it has a small footprint in terms of both storage and resource usage.

It prioritizes security and simplicity, which is great for aging hardware, but it's so slimmed down that it doesn't come with a pre-packaged desktop environment. You can install one on your own, but the lack of a desktop environment will probably make Alpine difficult to navigate for those who are new to Linux.

Linux desktop environments for old laptops

If you want to get the best Linux experience possible on older hardware, you should also think about what desktop environment you want to use. Each of the Linux distros on this list has a standard desktop environment packaged with it, but most have different versions (i.e., "spins" for Fedora or "flavors" for Ubuntu) that are paired with alternative desktop environments.

If your Linux distribution is the engine of your operating system, everything running "under the hood," your desktop environment is the steering wheel and user interface. It determines the look and feel of your laptop. Some are a bit more resource-hungry than others, meaning you can reduce RAM usage and squeeze out more performance by opting for a lightweight desktop environment.

For older laptops with 8GB of RAM or less, I suggest XFCE, LXDE, LXQt, or MATE. GNOME, Budgie, Cinnamon, and Cosmic are "mid-range" desktop environments that aren't super-lightweight but aren't especially resource-intensive, either. They can run fine on 8GB of RAM, but it depends on the rest of your hardware. KDE Plasma should generally be avoided on older laptops unless you have more memory to work with, ideally 16GB or more.

Give your outdated laptop a second life with Linux

With Windows 10 reaching end-of-life, an increasing number of people are giving Linux a try, particularly those with laptops that are no longer supported by Windows 11. It's a great idea if you aren't tied down to any Windows-only apps and want to save money you might otherwise have to spend on a new laptop (particularly if your current one still works fine).

If you're not sure which Linux distro is the right fit for you, I suggest downloading copies of a handful you're interested in and using a tool like BalenaEtcher to flash them one at a time to a USB thumb drive. You can boot into that drive to check out a live ISO of the distro without actually installing it on your laptop. That will give you a chance to basically sample the distro and see if you like how it looks and runs.

Remember, if you install Linux on your laptop and the first distro you try doesn't work out, you can always start fresh with a different one. The important thing is finding a distribution that's easy and intuitive for you to navigate, while also maximizing the capabilities of your older laptop hardware. Many distributions and desktop environments can accomplish that, so don't be afraid to keep trying new ones until you find the perfect fit.