What OS is running on your old PC?
What OS is running on your old PC?
You're planning to retrieve this old machine soon. It seems like it's from about ten years ago and was running Windows XP, which was slow back then. It likely had basic specs, possibly an AMD Sempron processor and modest RAM. The graphics were probably Nvidia, though the exact model is unclear. I don't know the HDD size or whether it had any special software installed. If it has at least 1GB of memory, you might be able to run games like League of Legends. You're thinking about turning it into a Linux system—KDE is a good choice, and Ubuntu MATE could work well. Arch Linux is also an option if you want something very lightweight.
You may need an upgraded graphics card and additional RAM to run League of Legends smoothly
Most Linux distributions should work well on systems with around 2 gigabytes of RAM. For an even lighter option, consider Lubuntu.
You might want to consider Lubuntu instead. Gaming probably won't run smoothly.
Also note that the device could be outdated and unable to start from a USB drive. You might need to install it on a different machine and transfer the hard drive there. Alternatively, you could create a bootable disk or use another method to get it running.
You might also consider using GRUB. It’s likely it will be DDR2 RAM, offering affordable capacity, though most options are limited online. Check the motherboard and CPU specifications to find a better CPU or more RAM support, then you could attempt Windows 7 or 10 with sufficient memory.
For a minimal Desktop setup, consider XFCE (simple), LXDE (slightly lighter) or LXQt (similar to KDE but newer). MATE is less resource-heavy than XFCE/LXDE/LXQt but heavier than KDE Plasma 5, Gnome 3 or Unity 7 in terms of memory needs. Aim for at least 4GB RAM if using KDE, Gnome, or Unity.
It mainly concerns the desktop environment rather than the file distribution. Still, it’s clearer to set up a ready-made distribution that includes a minimal operating system. This avoids cluttering your hard drive and keeps the download size down. Some distros already offer services that consume memory unnecessarily. While the RAM usage isn’t huge, on a machine already tight on memory, picking a lightweight OS can make a big difference. Options like Arch Linux or certain Manjaro variants with lighter desktops exist, though they may be harder to manage. I’ve seen many distros summarized already; I won’t go into details unless you ask.
For practical use, aim for at least 2GB of RAM. Even Firefox can use hundreds of megabytes, or Chrome is less demanding. For KDE, Gnome, or any modern desktop, 4GB is a safe bet. You might manage with just 1GB if you stick to a minimal setup and run only one or two apps at once—like an X.org environment for specific tasks.
500MB is insufficient for meaningful work. If you go for a very stripped-down OS and open only essential programs, you could get by.
Keep in mind that even simple games now require more memory than older systems could handle. Modern software tends to add unnecessary bloat, so choosing wisely is key.