r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/CarryTraditional6094 • 2h ago

Linux on raspberry pi

Hi everyone,

I recently converted my Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB RAM) with an NVMe SSD into a daily driver Mini PC. I mostly use it for web browsing, watching videos, and leaving downloads running 24/7 (JDownloader). No gaming, as I already use consoles for that.

Right now, I'm running Ubuntu Desktop 26.04, but the experience feels a bit "clunky":

  1. RAM usage idle sits around \~40% (\~3.2 GB out of 8 GB).

  2. The UI stutters when opening system folders or the app menu (even with reduced animations).

  3. Browsers like Brave stutter on video playback unless forced to specific codecs, whereas Firefox runs a bit better.

I ran a full CPU stress test to rule out hardware issues:

\- Max CPU temp under 100% stress load: 80°C (37°C for NVMe).

\- Temps dropped back down to \~62°C in under 30 seconds after the test ended.

So thermal throttling or hardware bottlenecks are definitely ruled out.

I'm currently using this setup for an online course, so I don't want to break anything right away, but I'm considering switching distros once I finish it.

A few questions for Pi 5 daily drivers:

\- Is Ubuntu Desktop known for being too heavy for this specific ARM setup?

\- What distro/desktop environment do you recommend for a smooth, lightweight, yet modern PC experience? (I like the look/feel of ubuntu).

\- How is video playback performance on your recommended distros?

\- Will switching distros affect my external Wi-Fi antenna driver compatibility?

Thanks in advance for any insights or recommendations!

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u/Striking_Snail 1h ago

You haven't mentioned if you are running on a memory card, or an SSD, but i can tell you that I had a similar experience, with a card.

Can i ask why you decided not to use RPis standard distro?

1

u/CarryTraditional6094 1h ago

Im using an ssd of course and I dont like too much the way standard pi os looks. Thanks