I’ve been on Linux for almost a full year now and, by and large, I’m happy with my switch. But still, there are always moments when I think about what I miss on Linux compared to Windows.

It’s mainly about multimedia and gaming. My RTX 3080 works quite well for gaming. The only thing is that the turbine problem isn’t as easy to solve on Linux. The RTX 3080 Founder’s Edition was configured by Nvidia to its limit, so it roars like an airplane under full load. On Windows, you can use MSI Afterburner to slightly undervolt it, which significantly reduces power consumption and heat generation. For a 1% performance loss. On Linux, the driver doesn’t allow such settings. I can only limit the power draw, but that costs more than 1% performance.

But other Nvidia features don’t work on Linux either. There’s no RTX Voice or RTX Broadcast’s background removal. The background noise removal, in particular, works damn well, but only on Windows. On top of that, OBS has its issues with Linux. Browser sources are a constant problem, and game capture isn’t as reliable as it is on Windows.

And of course, the games run practically automatically, with optimal settings thanks to GeForce Experience. Everything is a bit more polished when it comes to the graphics card, gaming, and streaming. That’s when the question arises for me: shouldn’t I just go back to Windows? After all, it would save me a lot of trouble. It was quite a hassle to get the Affinity Suite 2 programs running. And they do run, but not exactly stably.

And then I have to go back to the office in Zurich. For this, I use the HP Elitebook that my employer provides. At home, I use my PC. And then I’m sitting there in front of Windows 11, Pro at least, and I notice the many little things that aren’t so great here either. Starting with Bluetooth, which has problems with both of my headsets and only connects them sporadically or partially. Partially means I can’t hear anything or can’t be understood. Despite the correct settings. Gnome won’t win any beauty contests, but at least the desktop environment is internally consistent. The GUIs are almost all built on the same logic, which can’t be said for the patchwork that’s been going on since Windows 8. Here, everything looks a bit different now and follows different operating concepts.

In the evening, I’m glad when I can close the notebook and put it away. The things I’m missing on Linux aren’t that important to me after all. Or I’ve already found similarly good alternatives.