this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2025
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Linux Gaming

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I should have switched years ago! - Linux gaming update (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by CatZoomies@lemmy.world to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world
84 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

What's up, guys, gals, and non-binary pals? I switched from Windows 10 to Linux Mint back in December 2024, and I catalogued my experiences in these posts:

Just wanted to let you nerds know that everything has been running flawlessly. I can play any game I have, and none of my productivity is blocked. Doesn't matter whether it's all my ROMs I archived, my Steam games, GOG games, whatever. Linux plays them, and performance is fantastic. I don't play any anti-cheat games as the only one I do play periodically is Overwatch, and it runs perfect.

I can without a doubt now say that I will never go back to Windows. Should have switched years ago!

Build specs (the full list is in my first post linked above):

  • CPU 9800x3d
  • GPU RX 7900 XTX

Here are some issues I still can't solve on Linux Mint:

  • Can't control my GPU fans
  • Can't control my case fans
  • Can't bind my case fans to ramp up with GPU load

I've tried CoreCTRL and so many other solutions I read online, and none of them work. Problem for another day! So all I've done for now is increase the count of intake fans I have and set it to a good speed to move plenty of air (but also set my exhaust fans higher to help counter and ensure proper positive pressure airflow. I have too many fans to get the ideal balance of neutral air flow). GPU runs with OEM fan speeds.

Edit: There's a bug in pasting instance agnostic links, so I just added direct URLs to my instance posts.

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[–] Prove_your_argument@piefed.social 107 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Sir you need to activate your linux XP system.

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 31 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Yeah it's so weird. I tried using that Mass Grave thing I heard about but it won't work. Tried running it in Proton-GE, too, and nothing. I guess I'll live with it, since it doesn't interrupt my workflow too much. The watermark on my desktop doesn't bother too much and eventually I lose sight of it anyway.

[–] meekah@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Is that actually an overlay like unlicensed windows or is that just part of the wallpaper? I kinda want that as an actual overlay lol

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 35 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

This is the extension I installed for LM, which lets you put a custom overlay/watermark on your desktop - https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/extensions/view/82

I created the activation notice watermark in Krita, and styled it after what it looks like on Windows 10.

Edit: I really love this a lot and have kept it on my computer for months now. It's just silly and makes me giggle when I get a dark wallpaper that makes the watermark really stand out.

[–] Prove_your_argument@piefed.social 8 points 1 week ago

I figured it was just the wallpaper. I'm impressed and giggling giddily.

[–] Bosht@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

This is so high effort it makes it that much more hilarious. Bravo sir. Gave me a good chuckle.

[–] cyborganism@piefed.ca 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Remember Lindows OS?

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[–] ms_lane@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Can't use PyKMS to active Linux, so VBSKeyDaemon.vb?

[–] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 54 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Exciting stuff.

This triggered me though, lol:

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

One day I'll pay to activate Linux Mint.

[–] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Omg this is so troll-y, what in the every ungodly hell does that do if you run it?? What is this? How have I missed this for years? lol.

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

When I click that button, that purple monkey swings into my view on a vine and says hi. He then asks me for my credit card, so I put in my info to get the Linux license. Then nothing happens. I click it again, and he asks once more for card, and then nothing happens. So far I’ve filled out the form about five times, so whatever issues may be happening, I hope they can fix it so I can get my PC activated. I’ve dropped about $500 so far so hopefully I’ll get my Linux activated.

[–] cronenthal@discuss.tchncs.de 39 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I can only second that, I made the switch early this year and it's made me love my PC again.

I don't think I could've done it "years ago" though, Proton in its current form with a user friendly distro like bazzite haven't been around for too long.

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"made me love my PC again."

I know, right?! That was the best part. It felt so liberating, as if I was transported back to the early 2000s when the OS was a tool, not an ad-infused spyware machine. The best thing is that I have control and - surprisingly - confidence. I was worried I'd only have control and over time I'd get confidence. But essentially, I had confidence day one.

I'm still a nascent Linux user, but using this OS is so refreshing. I love my PC so much.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is exactly how I felt when I made the switch a couple of years back. Like this is what using a personal computer was always meant to feel like, and this is what Microsoft has taken from us.

[–] Tuuktuuk@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago

I started using Linux most of the time in 1998 because my parents had installed RedHat 5.2 to dual boot with Windows and I didn't like what Microsoft was doing back then, so I decided to use Linux whenever I'm not playing games. (And then moved on to SuSe 7 in 2001, then to Debian, and later, when Ubuntu was invented, moved to Ubuntu, and when Linux Mint came around, started using that one. (wait, no, actually I moved only when I got pissed off by Unity, which was horrible in its first forms!) Starting from Debian, things were already quite easy, although configuring the graphical environment, X, was super tedious...)

It's a bit weird feeling reading about how people write about how bad Windows has gone, and not really having experience of it since Windows 7, that I did have for a while in between. That was probably in 2011 or so. Then I soon got a new computer and kind of forgot to install Windows on it, because things worked well enough anyway.

In any case, already when Ubuntu came out, I already felt that every time I had to resolve my friends' issues on their Windows computers that it was a very good thing that I was running Linux at home, because it meant there was so much less hassle! It felt like "damn, if people only knew how well this works these days, they'd never want to use Windows. And then there would be more software as well!"

[–] addie@feddit.uk 12 points 1 week ago

I've used "Linux for work" and "Windows for gaming" for a long time, about twenty years now. Got fed up with Windows shitting itself on a regular basis, and made myself a new year's resolution to try Linux-only gaming for a bit, see if it would work for me, and I never went back. That was in 2021, and it's just been getting better and better.

Linux Mint has always been an easy install, and putting Steam on top to get Proton is pretty trivial. A few things have made an amazing difference:

  • installing the official NVidia drivers used to be a pain in the arse. Download them, stop your display manager, blacklist Nouveau, install them from the command line, restart and hope for the best. Awful. I've gone fully AMD, but I understand they're pretty much a non-issue now.

  • Proton keeps getting better and better. Seriously, they fix compatibility with about 99% of the games that were broken every year, basically everything runs now. Maybe leave off buying anything with a tech-demo engine for a week, and accept that you won't be playing stuff with certain anti-cheat, and it's all good.

  • DXVK gets overlooked, but it's amazing. Basically frame-for-frame with Windows on every game, and on some it's better as it fixes intrusive stutter by precompiling. Can't argue with that.

[–] Hubi@feddit.org 23 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (7 children)

Have you tried CoolerControl? It's the only one that really worked with my system. It doesn't detect my CPU fan for some reason but it works well with the GPU. I assume it has something to do with my hardware.

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Ha! You activated my trap card, nerd! Now I'm getting lots of advice from these Lemming nerdy losers on how to solve my problems!

I tried CoolerControl back in Dec/Jan but couldn't get it to work. If I recall correctly, I think only CPU fan was detected but it didn't see case fans or GPU fans. I see some other comments from others so I'll check those out.

(More seriously though - thank you for the help!)

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago

I mentioned it in a top-level comment, but if your GPU is AMD (didn't see if you said either way), LACT might be able to help you do what you need.

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[–] Mobile@leminal.space 5 points 1 week ago

I second CoolerControl. It is able to control fan speed depending on the temperature of your CPU!

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[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Side note, but I really like when nerds call other people nerds as a term of endearment. It has the same energy as reclaiming a slur, albeit to a much smaller degree because "nerd" isn't a slur

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What is up, me nerd? Did you see the ludicrous 1440p display last night? What were they thinking turning on ray tracing that early?

[–] eldebryn@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

IT crowd heh. What a nerdy show.

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[–] jodanlime@midwest.social 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Try LACT for GPU control

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[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I’m fairly ignorant about Linux and what goes on under the hood, so the majority of the text doesn’t mean anything to me.

As someone planning to install Linux Mint who also doesn’t want to accidentally dox myself with a screenshot, could I get an explanation from someone on what is censored out and why?

[–] OboTheHobo@ttrpg.network 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Looks to me like they are just censoring any instance of their username, possibly because it contains their real name.

Edit: also device name

[–] fuckgod@feddit.online 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Haven't really touched Mint myself, other than moving my dad's computer to it. I don't think it shows the user or device name over by the clock. Unless that XP skin adds it, I don't think that's it.

Given the "Overcast" bit, maybe it shows a zip code for the weather or something?

Again, I'm not settled on a particular distro yet for sure, but most of my experience is with PopOS so far, and there's nothing identifying there, so I'm not positive.

I've installed Mint on 2 family member PCs, but I haven't used it myself other than in passing.

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[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Correct, I’m just redacting anything personal from the images that could pinpoint me. And also of course removed EXIF data from the images before uploading to my Lemmy instance (Lemmy does remove it, but I like to be extra sure).

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[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

so... starting hrt when?

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

As soon as I unzip my tar balls.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I've been using Linux for 20 years. It's cool that some games are working on it. Again. It wasn't a problem for me in the Quake 3 days.

[–] ms_lane@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

I had a package bug with Mesa on Sid today, which got me reading the changelogs.

libd3dadapter9 / GalliumNine was removed. It's been long coming, since Gallium3D is deprecated, but it did get me a little nostalgic.

GalliumNine is almost the progenitor of the current linux gaming movment, wined3d had been uh... terrible for quite some time and then out of almost nowhere - 'native' D3D9 on Linux. Right on the coattails of the Radeon driver starting to seriously not suck (well before amdgpu) - everything sort of came together for real linux gaming experience.

Ave GalliumNine.

[–] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Can’t control my case fans

https://github.com/lm-sensors/lm-sensors

Can’t bind my case fans to ramp up with GPU load

https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/hwmon/sysfs-interface

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[–] defaultusername@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 week ago

https://github.com/rozniak/xfce-winxp-tc

BTW, this exists.

[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The bliss theme, complete with activation notice, is very nifty, LOL.

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

I love sneaking memes into serious posts. :)

[–] ninth_plane@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

I've been gaming on Linux for years, but this post gave me the urge to install Windows XP for games.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@piefed.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is encouraging.

[–] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Glad to hear it! Not creeping on your posts, but the other day I was browsing Lemmy and saw you're on Linux too. How's Pop_OS! working for you? Linux Mint has been almost 100% flawless for me.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@piefed.world 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

It's been great! Way easier than I expected it to be. I know both of our distros are supposed to be good entry points for Linux. I spent some time last night figuring out how to add GNOME extensions for customization, which was fun.

I haven't had time to attempt any gaming on it yet since installing last weekend, but I'm looking forward to trying tonight.

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[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you have an AMD GPU, look into LACT

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[–] ShyFae@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Very nice

I have a very similar setup.

Though I was naive enough to get a new fancy x870. It's good when it works, but I was having a shorting problem for a few months before a bios update. And the kernel on the mint install wasn't recent enough for the internet drivers, wired wouldn't even work. I didn't consider myself skilled enough to update the kernel from a usb, so I begrudgingly installed 24.10 Ubuntu

That was a whole other adventure that ended with installing the cinnamon edition later.
But now with the 22.2 beta I'm finally back on mint.😃
Edit: grammar and spelling

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