If I may make a recommendation for gaming on that machine:

Have a windows install on a second partition/drive.

Windows’ graphics drivers are generally better are reallocating system ram to be used as vram, IME the Linux drivers generally are unwilling to allocate more than is absolutely necessary to run a desktop and a few gui apps. This is one of the biggest complaints for example with Nvidia’s *nix drivers, which don’t allow ram sharing and only use what’s dedicated to the video card in hardware. Of course you’re on a team blue rig, my experience won’t transfer there but I assume it’s likely a similar issue.

You ain’t got no VRAM, lieutenant Dan.

Where are you planning to put those textures you’re loading.

I know the performance should be sufficient to game with, but Idk about that one.

But will it work with reactos yet? I keep virtualbox installed because I cannot seem to get reactos installed in ‘boxes’.

I like fedora. I used it 20 years ago. I recently switched a laptop over to it, quickly realized atomic distros are kind of a PITA if you know how to linux and hopped off.

It feels… mature? Clearly there’s a lot of work that has gone into making fedora a “Set and Forget” experience, the normie distro… if you don’t try to use it like a windows machine.

If you want a machine that just works, doesn’t bug you about just frankly stupid shit that’s been solved already (looking at you kwallet), and feels like a computer that your grandma could check her email on without feeling like she’s starting the falcon’s hyperdrive, Fedora Atomic Silverblue is the distro for you.

I am not a shill. I don’t use fedora on any of my machines currently (unless you include my partner’s bazzite rig, I don’t, personally). I don’t plan to use fedora on anything currently, but the next time I get a laptop that’s meant to be “Just a fuckin computer”, you bet your ass I’m going straight to Fedora Atomic Silverblue.

Aim for step 2.5 and be the middle guy but hosting it all on a retired PC in the closet. It’s almost like step 3.

Alternatively, I guess you could use a VPS but those can get expensive quick.

I converted my gaming machine into a server a while back. I like to live dangerously though, no proxmox. Baremetal. If my blog is slow, sorry y’all, I’m gaming. Deal with it.

For a lot of purposes, an old slow system is great. Craigslist (if you’re in a country that has it, otherwise use your local equivalent) is a great place to find super cheap old equipment to build server infrastructure from. Thrift shops too, I regularly find old UPSs that just need a new lawnmower battery chucked in to work at my local thrift shop, they charge like $10 for em. Usually found near power strips.

This is getting really old. Can these dorks please do something valuable with their time? Maybe contribute (positively) to society a little?

(and no I don’t consider teaching arch users to be more responsible with their package management a positive contribution to society)