Linux revived an old PC and keeps it running smoothly

A How-To Geek writer reports that installing an Arch-based Linux distro (CatchyOS) and a tiling window manager revived an older PC, which now idles with low resource use and quiet fans; he also says he runs daily rolling updates with pacman to keep software current.

A writer for How-To Geek describes switching an older machine from Windows to an Arch-based Linux distribution and seeing a sustained performance improvement. He removed Windows, installed CatchyOS and a tiling window manager (Hyprland), and says the PC's fans became quiet and the system felt responsive. The piece contrasts the author's experience with Windows—high idle memory and frequent lag—with Linux's lower idle overhead and different update model. The article also notes trying several lightweight distributions to revive other older laptops. Key details: - The author reports an older PC could not run Windows 11 well; Windows used a large share of memory and CPU and caused noisy fans. - He wiped Windows, installed CatchyOS (an Arch-based distro) and Hyprland, and reports the system now idles with low resource use and runs apps without lag. - CatchyOS is described as a rolling‑release distribution; the author says he updates daily using the pacman -Syu command to keep packages current. - The article names lightweight distros that worked on older laptops, including AntiX, PeppermintOS, LXDE, and Tiny Core, and notes Puppy Linux caused issues in the author's tests. - It contrasts Linux package managers (Pacman, APT) and modern filesystems (ext4) with Windows behaviors that the author says can lead to bloat and slower systems over time. - The article gives approximate idle memory figures from the author's experience: Windows around 4GB idle versus Linux around 1GB or less, with some lightweight distros idling near 200MB. Summary: The author reports that moving older machines to an Arch-based Linux distro restored performance and reduced system overhead, and that daily rolling updates keep software current. He describes testing several lightweight distributions on older laptops with generally positive results; ongoing maintenance is described as continuing through regular updates.