choosing a distro for desktop
 

i've been trying to use linux as much as possible, however using it on a laptop(arch) and an older desktop(centos server), I just don't use these devices enough to get the hands on everyday because my desktop is my go to.

its an i7 with nvidia gtx 770, msi gaming 7 mobo, 16gb ram.

anyone have any suggestions for a good desktop distro?

arch is cool, but given the specs i'm not really concerned with bloat from another distro.

I really like debian, but if i remember correctly the repo's don't have alot of newer versions of software, and i remember that had a version of grub that was a pain in the ass to edit while dual booting.

i know this is a tough question to ask, but maybe, what you guys are using and why you like it is a better question...

You should start with a major distro like Ubuntu or similar.
And buy a handbook for your distro.

You might like to look at http://www.howtogeek.com/191207/10-o...ions-compared/ for a comparison of 10 popular distributions. Then download the .iso file for the most promising choices and test them out for yourself.

For what its worth, I am using Linux Mint. I wanted a distro with libreoffice and the GIMP in the standard list of applications so I did not have to spend time downloading them. The user manual in the Welcome Screen was helpful for installation. And I like the desktop better than Ubuntu's Unity. YMMV.

Should change your reason a bit if the only reason not to choose Arch is because you don't mind other distros bloat. Arch has the beauty of being able to be precisely what you want, with the latest and greatest available without issue. And in my short experience with it surprisingly stable compared to other bleeding edge distros I've tried. Nothing else I've tried compares really. And you can keep the bloat down (even though it isn't a concern). You can have your cake and eat it to...

Thanks for the perspective, seems arch would be the best choice in that regard, thanks.