I left window, Now what do I do...

[gobydon]

I have been daily driving Microsoft Windows for 30 year. About every other year or so I would try a Linux distro or two, say "ok, that"s cool" but then just go right back to windows.

Well, Linux finally got good enough (and windows finally got bad enough) for me to say goodbye to Windows.

Now, besides an AMD K5 and K6 processor that was my first PC build in the 90s, I have only ever used intel and Nvidia. SO... I have no experience with AMD but I hear that it is the way to go on Linux.

I would like to get some opinions from you Linux gamers on what my next PC build should be.
Currently I am running a 9700k and a 3080ti with 32gb ram on Fedora. It works pretty good but would like it to be better.

[Zef]

Everything depends on the budget.

If you want to go crazy you can use a 9800X3D with 64GB RAM (EXPO) and a 7900XTX or 9070XT.

[gobydon]

For budget I like to go high end without crossing the line of diminishing returns. I find that to be one tier below the top-top. But you tell me. I haven't built anything in quite a long time. When was the 9700k new? That's how long I been out of touch.

[Zef]

Originally posted by gobydon:

For budget I like to go high end without crossing the line of diminishing returns. I find that to be one tier below the top-top. But you tell me. I haven't built anything in quite a long time. When was the 9700k new? That's how long I been out of touch.

Use these as a baseline, you can swap parts depending on availability and regional prices:

Build 1 — “Sweet-Spot 4K/1440p”

Balanced, fast, and quiet.

CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D (best-in-class gaming, effortless on Linux). 
AMD

Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 (or Thermalright Phantom/Peerless Spirit 120 SE if you prefer cheaper air).

Motherboard: AM5 B850 or X870 ATX board with Intel 2.5GbE and Intel Wi-Fi (or add an Intel AX210 card). X870 adds native USB4 + more PCIe 5.0. 

RAM: 32 GB (2×16) DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO (64 GB if you stream/mod heavily).

GPU: Radeon RX 9070 XT (16 GB) — strong 1440p/4K, mature open drivers on Fedora; or step to RX 7900 XTX (24 GB) if you want more raw raster oomph. 

Storage: 2 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe (OS + most games) + optional 4 TB SATA/PCIe4 for bulk.

PSU: 850 W 80+ Gold (Seasonic Focus, Corsair RMx, be quiet! Straight Power).

Case: Airy mid-tower (Fractal North/Pop XL, Lian Li Lancool 216) with 3–4 quality 120/140 mm fans.

Why this works on Fedora: RDNA4 (RX 9070 series) launched with stable upstream driver support and has been improving in Mesa; 7900-series is long-proven on Linux. 


Build 2 — “4K Everything w/ Headroom”

If you want max settings + big texture packs without chasing halo parts.

CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D. 
AMD

Board: X870 (USB4 standard, PCIe 5.0 NVMe). 
AMD

RAM: 64 GB (2×32) DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO.

GPU: Radeon RX 7900 XTX (24 GB) — still a monster in many raster titles; RT & AI features are catching up but raster FPS is excellent under Linux. 

Storage: 2 TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe (OS/primary) + 4 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe (games).

PSU: Quality 1000 W 80+ Gold/Platinum (extra headroom for future GPUs).

Case/Cooling: Big, quiet airflow case + 360 mm AIO or top-tier air (simpler on Linux).


Build 3 — “Compact & Quiet (SFF)”

Minimal desk footprint without neutering performance.

CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D (great gaming/watts). 
AMD

Board: B850/X870 mATX/ITX (watch USB4 placement and cooler clearance). 

RAM: 32 GB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO.

GPU: Radeon RX 9060 XT (16 GB) for a cooler, smaller card; or a short-PCB RX 9070 if your case allows. Linux driver support is solid. 


PSU: SFX 850 W (Corsair SF, Cooler Master V850 SFX).

Case: Cooler Master NR200/NR200P, Fractal Terra, or similar (verify GPU length/height).

Cooling: High-end 120/140 mm tower or 240 mm AIO that fits your case.

Fedora + Linux tips (quick hits)

Drivers: AMD GPUs use the upstream amdgpu driver—no proprietary blob required. RDNA4/9070 launched with stable support; performance keeps improving with newer Mesa (worth staying on current Fedora). 


Game stack: Enable RPM Fusion, install Steam (Flatpak or RPM), Gamemode, MangoHud, and optionally Proton-GE for edge cases. (Fedora community docs & rpmfusion make this easy.) 
Reddit

Scheduling & CPUs: Single-CCD X3D chips (like 7800X3D/9800X3D) avoid the multi-CCD scheduling quirks seen on 7950X3D/9950X3D under Linux; they’re fantastic gaming choices. 


Motherboards: X870 adds USB4 and broad PCIe 5.0. Some onboard Wi-Fi 7/BT chipsets can be flaky early on—Intel NICs/Wi-Fi cards remain the safest bet on Linux. 

Docks/USB4 MST: Multi-display over some USB4 docks on AMD Linux can be hit-or-miss (DisplayPort MST). Use native GPU outputs where possible. 


Part-picking notes

RAM speed: DDR5-6000 EXPO is a reliable AM5 “easy button” for gaming; higher speeds bring diminishing returns.

PSU sizing: 850 W is plenty for 9800X3D + RX 9070 XT; step to 1000 W if you plan future GPU upgrades or heavy USB4 peripherals.

Cooling: Air coolers are dead-simple on Linux (no USB daemons), quiet, and plenty for X3D parts.

Storage: PCIe 4.0 NVMe already loads games blazingly fast; Gen5 is nice but not essential. 

[gobydon]

Thanks for Chat GPTing that for me. I have so much contempt for AI that I would not have done it myself.

[Zef]

Originally posted by gobydon:

Thanks for Chat GPTing that for me. I have so much contempt for AI that I would not have done it myself.

It's just a tool, and a way better search engine then Google these days, do with it what you want, there's plenty of research material online.

[C1REX]

Originally posted by gobydon:

Now, besides an AMD K5 and K6 processor that was my first PC build in the 90s, I have only ever used intel and Nvidia. SO... I have no experience with AMD but I hear that it is the way to go on Linux.

You don’t need to go AMD with Linux. I hear about that „amd has better linux drivers” since forever but I use nvidia on Linux since almost the very beginning - Geforce 2. AMD drivers are usually installed automatically when nvidia drivers usually (not always) need to be installed later but that’s about it. NVidia’s drivers used to lose some performance on Linux but that is getting improved constantly.

Pick whatever you feel like as all options work just fine with most Linux distros.

[Zef]

Originally posted by C1REX:

Originally posted by gobydon:

Now, besides an AMD K5 and K6 processor that was my first PC build in the 90s, I have only ever used intel and Nvidia. SO... I have no experience with AMD but I hear that it is the way to go on Linux.

You don’t need to go AMD with Linux. I hear about that „amd has better linux drivers” since forever but I use nvidia on Linux since almost the very beginning - Geforce 2. AMD drivers are usually installed automatically when nvidia drivers usually (not always) need to be installed later but that’s about it. NVidia’s drivers used to lose some performance on Linux but that is getting improved constantly.

Pick whatever you feel like as all options work just fine with most Linux distros.

It wouldn't make any sense to go back to intel + nvidia for his next build if OP is sticking to linux (fedora).

AMD is just way more mature and hassle free on linux.

[gobydon]

Yeah. The intel and Nvidia is working in Fedora fine but it is not quite as good as it was is all. So if I am going to upgrade anyways I figured it was a good time to look at AMD.

[gobydon]

Originally posted by Zef:

Originally posted by gobydon:

Thanks for Chat GPTing that for me. I have so much contempt for AI that I would not have done it myself.

It's just a tool, and a way better search engine then Google these days, do with it what you want, there's plenty of research material online.

I'm old. I still prefer a conversation. So, nice to meet you!

[Schrute_Farms_B&B]

Interesting post.
Out of curiosity, you mentioned that Windows has "finally gotten bad enough" for you to leave it. What exactly changed in your experience that made Windows "bad"? From XP onward, Windows has gone through many iterations with both pros and cons, but no fundamental shift that would justify calling it worse. In fact, quite the contrary if you consider that Windows has become much more secure and far less vulnerable to security breaches over the years.

I’m asking because I often see a lot of bashing from users who don’t really dive into the technical side of things, so Id genuinely like to hear your perspective as someone who daily drove Windows for decades.

[C1REX]

Originally posted by Zef:

AMD is just way more mature and hassle free on linux.

This hassle free means no HDMI 2.1 support on AMD drivers. Big pain for me running two screens with HDMI2.1 ports.
Also no Adrenaline app on Linux.

Nvidia drivers in my case are less of a hassle. Nvidia drivers are only a problem on some distros allergic to proprietary software.

[gobydon]

Originally posted by Schrute_Farms_B&B:

Interesting post.
Out of curiosity, you mentioned that Windows has "finally gotten bad enough" for you to leave it. What exactly changed in your experience that made Windows "bad"? From XP onward, Windows has gone through many iterations with both pros and cons, but no fundamental shift that would justify calling it worse. In fact, quite the contrary if you consider that Windows has become much more secure and far less vulnerable to security breaches over the years.

I’m asking because I often see a lot of bashing from users who don’t really dive into the technical side of things, so Id genuinely like to hear your perspective as someone who daily drove Windows for decades.

Windows ever changing terms of service has soured me. I also left Google, Apple, Samsung... Never had facebook or any other social media. I'm old, like I said. Pay no attention to grampa, crazy old man.

[gobydon]

Originally posted by C1REX:

Originally posted by Zef:

AMD is just way more mature and hassle free on linux.

This hassle free means no HDMI 2.1 support on AMD drivers. Big pain for me running two screens with HDMI2.1 ports.
Also no Adrenaline app on Linux.

Nvidia drivers in my case are less of a hassle. Nvidia drivers are only a problem on some distros allergic to proprietary software.

Will a 9070 xt feel like an upgrade over a 3080ti on linux for games. That's all I care about.
@ 3440x1440p

[Zef]

Originally posted by C1REX:

Originally posted by Zef:

AMD is just way more mature and hassle free on linux.

This hassle free means no HDMI 2.1 support on AMD drivers. Big pain for me running two screens with HDMI2.1 ports.
Also no Adrenaline app on Linux.

Nvidia drivers in my case are less of a hassle. Nvidia drivers are only a problem on some distros allergic to proprietary software.

All niche topics, PC gamers use Displayport, not HDMI ( when we can).

Also there isn't any proper geforce app on linux either, and to manage AMD gpu's on linux you can use LACT , CoreCtrl, and amdgpu_top

[Zef]

Originally posted by gobydon:

Originally posted by C1REX:

This hassle free means no HDMI 2.1 support on AMD drivers. Big pain for me running two screens with HDMI2.1 ports.
Also no Adrenaline app on Linux.

Nvidia drivers in my case are less of a hassle. Nvidia drivers are only a problem on some distros allergic to proprietary software.

Will a 9070 xt feel like an upgrade over a 3080ti on linux for games. That's all I care about.
@ 3440x1440p

Definitely, under ideal circumstances (and depending on the game ofc), the 9070XT can be anywhere between 20 to 50% faster then the 3080TI.