should i use linux on a new build
 

Ok so i am trying to make a gaming pc and i would like to run windows but its is far out of my budget and i here that people are gaming on linux, i have never seen or used linux in my life but apparently it is the best way to go. i was wondering if i can still do games that were made for windows because i have seen some windows emulators but i don't know if they actually work... please help!

Hello iTzBOB3RT, welcome to LQ,

we have several threads about Games on Linux, for example here http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...re-4175436118/

In general Windows-executables don't run on Windows. There are emulators, but it is not easy to configure this and the performance of such an emulator is less than the performance of the PC. This means if you can't effort a powerful Windows-PC, you will not have more performance with Linux. Anyway, there are many games for Linux, just try it out.

Could you please tell us more about your PC, which hardware (processor and how much RAM).

Markus

-Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory
-SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100358VXL Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 video card
-RAIDMAX RX-600AF 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Power Supply
-MSI B75A-G43 LGA 1155 Intel B75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
-Intel Core i5-3570 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
-Seagate Momentus XT ST95005620AS 500GB 7200 RPM 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s with NCQ Solid State Hybrid Drive

I don't understand why you say that Windows is far out of your budget. The computer seems to be very powerful. Which games do you want to play?

Markus

well its not exactly "out of my budget" but its $100 compared to redhat linux at $49, or maybe its free.. i don't know and i plan on playing games that run at a basic fps like bf3, call of duty, and thos types of games and i play minecraft too

A copy of Windows 7 professional 64bit at Ebay is far less expensive than $100 (at least here in Germany, less than 50€).

As of Linux, I would recommend Linux only for those people who are interested in learning and getting a deeper understanding of their computer. Only because it is free I would not recommend Linux. You pay for it with much more effort that it needs to get everything working (as a beginner!).

Markus

Caution! redhat is $49 per year and that is for a desktop license with self support. One with more support is over $200! Redhat is not a good distribution for you to use if you are looking to make a gaming PC; it is not tailored to that. To be totally honest, if you mostly want to run windows software, stick with windows. Some games will just not work on Linux through emulators

so your saying i should just run windows?

My experience is: I use Unix since about 25 years, Linux since 18 years and in my job I'm a sysadmin for Windows-networks. If you are not really interested in Linux but only want a computer for gaming, stick with Windows.

If you want to take a look at Linux out of interest, you can install dualboot (both Windows and Linux on one computer) or install Linux in a virtual machine (which is also free).

Markus

alright thanks all, i guess ill just stick to windows... but another thing is that windows operating sys will slow down/stop working after some years, i know this isnt a windows forum but is there anything i can do to prevent this?

Microsofts NTFS filesystem isn't that bad nowadays. Fragmentation isn't really a problem.

What I would do with Windows, when I have a new computer is the following, if you've everything running (latest updates of Windows and all programs are installed) get a tool for making a clone of the disk, for example Acronis (I use Clonezilla). Then make a backup of the whole system and store it on an external disk. Once when you get the feeling that the computer slows down or you have too much garbage on the system, simply install the backups. This saves a lot of time compared with a complete new installation.

And be sure to install a good antivirus program!

Markus

ok sounds good, i use avg and malwarebytes right now but ive had my computer for about 3 years but it is a crappy computer anyways so i wouldn't be surprised if its the hardware

Yes.

If you want a free version of Windows; Linux is not it. Linux is Free, but it's not Windows. Wine, (a program often called an emulator, but it's actually more like a translation layer), can allow a user to play many Windows games, and perfectly sometimes. Some games have actually been reported to play better on Wine, then natively on Windows i believe. But here's the thing with wine. It's a great program, but it's a bit hit and miss. The results you have will change depending on what version of wine you have. Just because you have the newest version, don't think it'll play everything better then the previous version because Wine is not like that. Sometimes an older version will play your game better than the new version. Also, you're always guessing how well your game will play. There's an online review database which even i've contributed to, that lists how well specific games play if at all on wine. The database is quite fragmented though because of the way Linux simply is.
So many different games, so many different distros, so many different versions of Wine.
Wine is a program for people whom like using Linux and feel left in the dark a little with some windows programs. If You've no interest in Linux, and only want to play games, then you will be disappointed. Just purchase a copy of Windows.

but thats the thing, i do have an interest in linux, i love speed and from what i here, linux has it. The guy earlier said that not all windows games can be run, is this true?

I will just add my experience as a gamer and (I hope) experienced Linux user here. I run Linux exclusively on all my computers. With one exception: my gaming machine. This machine dual-boots Vista and Linux, Linux for my everyday work and Windows (almost) exclusively for gaming. I have some time ago tried to go the "Linux only" route on that machine, but it didn't work out the way I wanted. Many of my games worked, some simply didn't. Also, when I buy a new game and come home with it (yes, I still buy my games at physical stores sometimes) I want to play that game and not spent some hours (or even minutes) with trying to get it working on Linux.

So I just concluded what other people have already posted here and re-installed my old Vista for gaming.

valve ported steam to linux but only a few games work so far.

@tobi yeah i think that is my best option

If you do actually have an interest in Linux, then defiantly dual boot. Many Linux uses dual boot, including my self because there may be a Windows program they need for work, or simply be gamers like you. I want to make something clear too. Windows isn't better for games, it's just that Windows being the most abundant operating system, the developers wishing to make money have more luck making there games for it.

On Wine, yes, some games/programs will not run at all. I haven't ever had the need to run many Windows programs, and luckily, of the few i have ran under Wine, none have not ran at all. My most desired Windows program is called 'rpg maker xp' It has two parts. One part for building a game, and the second part is for testing your game, or playing games that've been made. The part that builds works close to perfect, but the part that plays, i've had work, but poorly on Opensuse, and currently I'm running Debian Wheezy, and the playing part doesn't work at all. When i want to test my game i'm building, i have to forget wine, and test it in a virtual machine or boot up my Windows partition.

That should give you an idea.