Which processors needed to run Mint 20 Cinnamon well?

What type of memory? (Not how much)

gpu requirements?

Mint states minimum requirements, but that's not enough info:

System requirements:

1GB RAM (2GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
15GB of disk space (20GB recommended).
1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions

How specific of an answer do you want (I'm not trying to be snarky - I'm honestly asking)?

Probably any modern (or relatively modern) x86-64 (aka AMD64 aka EM64T aka x64) processor from Intel/AMD should be appropriate, you'll need a more powerful (faster) model depending on what you intend the machine to do (in other words, if you're just wanting to run a headless ftp server your requirements will be way lower than running a DAW or NLE in X with compositing and other eyecandy), and the same for memory. Memory 'type' will be dictated by the processor/memory controller (on newer machines this is one-and-same), and I would probably go for 4-8GB unless you know your application requirements more specifically. Graphics is even more application-bound - if you have a relatively modern Intel IGP or nVidia/AMD add-in card ('what about AMD IGPs?' -> they exist, they're just less common on the desktop; on laptops they're pretty common and work just as well as the add-in cards), say in the last 5-6 years, it should be no problem for at least single monitor workspace, and perhaps more (depending on what outputs it offers).

Do you already have a machine on-hand that you're trying to verify against system requirements, or are you looking for a new machine altogether? If the later, probably anything 'brand new' these days will be just fine - I think 8GB+ is pretty common for RAM, along with up-to-date graphics and 4-6 core processors being pretty ubiquitous. If you've got something already on-hand or are eyeing a used machine provide some details and we can get a better idea of how it will line up with modern *nix. Also it would be helpful to know more about your application/usage requirements above/beyond the base OS.

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Why isn't it enough info?? If your hardware is better than what's listed, it's obviously going to run. And obviously the faster the CPU/disk and the more memory you have means it will run even faster. Not sure what you're after. Pretty much any standard system these days is going to run pretty quick with Mint.

That's a question for the Linux kernel, not the distro.

And I still don't see the point...

Mint maintains that my laptop does not perform good enough to Run Mint 20 Cinnamon. Mint 18.0 is already showing signs of not running a browser - FF in this case. It irks me that most distros state an unrealistic minimum that will run their OS well.

I am looking for something used that will run 20 and several versions into the future. The 1520 is about 12 years old and does everything OK except a browser. I want to get something used that will not be out of date too soon.

How far back do you consider "these days" - 2 years 4 years 6 years?

Here are the minimum requirements per Mint (emphasis on the word "minimum"): https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3930

The minimum recommendations in the above article are really modest. There's a big difference between being able to boot & install, and being able to comfortably use it, and i suspect they represent the former.

Strange statement. If your install is "showing signs of not running a browser", that is realistic, as in being reality, and not an unrealistic minimum as stated by the distro maintainers???
Oh, I get it now.
You are having performance problems now and want to buy new hardware and before doing that you want Mint to realistically tell you how powerful it needs to be.
Why didn't you just say so in your OP?

No Linux distro can or will give you that guarantee, not even as a recommendation.
If you want hardware that will still be able to browse the web in 2030, with all javascript shenanigans (and whatever else they come up with), you simply have to buy very, very powerful hardware.
Until then, tell your browser to curb its appetite and continue uing "The 1520" (whatever that is).

It could also be that the desktop environment is too heavy for your hardware, not the distro itself. I believe Mint has an XFCE edition, try that?

borgward,

If you are looking for a used laptop for Linux, I would recommend something like a Lenovo T460 or an HP 250 G5 (or G6/G7) with 8GB RAM and an Intel i5-6200 CPU or similar.

There are plenty available on the used market.

Deleted

Hi,
not used to your "1520" but ever using old stuff I'm pretty sure you're hardware is still in the race for more years.

Maybe it is possible to increase RAM to 4Go or more ; maybe your HDD is getting weared and it's time to replace it with an SSD ?

With only that upgrade (if keyboard, screen, ... are still in a pretty good state) should be nice.

Maybe you can try Mint based on Debian or even better (for me) Debian itself with XFCE.

If you don't need latest FF version, maybe you can try Firefox-esr with only few addons but NoScript to prevent Net's suckers ;-))

It does run everything I usually use quite well, except a Browser.

;

I am running 4 GB of 667 MHz SoDIMM DDR2. Unless I leave FF on it usually uses less than half of available RAM. How would 8 GB of RAM increase the performance? I tested the RAM at one point - did not show any problems.

Disks utility shows no problems. (750 GB Western Digital Black HDD) of course a SSD would boot faster. Other ways to test the HDD? I like using Cinnamon, so that's why I will probably need a newer computer.

I have been running NoScript for years - that helps. I looked into Firefox-esr. I do not see the advantage of it for me. Maybe I am overlooking something. My experience is that things begin to not work well if FF is not kept close to current.

Beginning to think internet use requires better graphics than what my laptop provides and no, the graphics is not update-able on this laptop. Been down that road.

Will keep this laptop as a spare and to run things that might not be available for the newer OS. I still have a ASUS A7N8-X box with AMD Athlon CPU that runs Window 98SE so I can run AutoCad and a few other obsolete but useful things. Way too old to handle the Internet.

Last year I have encounter the same kind of troubles with FF so I went to others browsers less RAM hungry.

I've tried Midori, QtBrowser, NetSurf and Surf.

Only for surfing, Surf (https://suckless.org/) is very neat and super fast.

As none of them is able to compete with FF for extra features,
I was still using FF when no other way to avoid it.

But when ESR went to new 60+ version (now 68.11.0esr - 64 bits under Debian "testing")
it became very better with the RAM consumption,
making it absurd to continue the "browsers waltz".

Otherwise, if you permit me such a remark,
it seems a bit funny when one encounters difficulties with a specific application to look for the cause first in the hardware rather than in that application itself.
... probably you've tried first to fix FF, sorry.

Just one more testimonial info,

I'm now messing with a live session of SystemRescueCD (ArchLinux based) on a VBox (RAM 2Go DDR3 ; 1 CPU core 1.5MHz) hardware behind is Intel NUC6 with SOC Celeron J3455 (less than 150$ barebone but pretty recent)

Firefox 68.7.0esr is running perfectly (but slow) even with other heavy task (copying partition) running at the same time.

Do you think you can run Linux Mint Cinnamon 20 on it? How about 19.3 Cinnamon?

On what ?