Video summary

We Tested Linux VS Win 11 - One Huge Catch!? It SHOULDN’T work this well

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Summary of the video (Linux vs Windows 11 gaming test)

Goal / setup

The creators tested a dual-boot gaming PC with the same hardware running:

  • Windows 11 on one SSD
  • Linux on another drive

They ran the same games and benchmarks, and also examined issues that FPS numbers often miss—such as:

  • compatibility
  • launchers
  • anti-cheat behavior

Not a tutorial

The video explicitly states it is not a how-to guide, but it does document the testing methodology and the resulting conclusions.

Hardware / platform choices (why they matter)

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9850 X3D
  • GPU / driver philosophy: They used an AMD GPU and argue that AMD drivers are open-source and integrated into the Linux kernel, which they believe improves out-of-the-box support (they refer to Radeon as a “best friend” for Linux gaming).
  • Storage & fairness: They used two Gen4 NVMe drives (one per OS). The motherboard has two M.2 slots wired directly to the CPU, ensuring both OSes receive identical storage bandwidth/latency, avoiding “storage bias.”

Method to keep results comparable

  • Each benchmark ran three times, with averaged results
  • Same settings and resolution on both OSes
  • Used a memory/expo profile on the motherboard, applying the same memory profile to both OS boots
  • If Linux required extra steps (Proton tweaks, launch flags, workarounds), they said they would not hide that, and they would evaluate Linux based on real use, not on an “optimized curve.”

Pros/cons framework presented

Windows

Pros

  • Best compatibility
  • Stronger/“kerneled” anti-cheat
  • Game Pass
  • Peripheral and ecosystem software support
  • Familiar workflows

Cons

  • More telemetry/account pressure
  • More forced OS prompts/suggestions (they specifically complain about Copilot)
  • More background/AI features
  • Less sense of ownership/custom control

Linux

Pros

  • Ownership/control
  • No uncontrollable telemetry
  • Free
  • Most Steam games work
  • Valve’s Proton investment
  • Often lighter/less overhead, creating a faster/leaner feel

Cons

  • The biggest issue is anti-cheat
  • Problematic launchers, RGB/peripheral software
  • No Game Pass
  • Troubleshooting is generally harder

Benchmark + game results (with key technical explanations)

They use a “stoplight” framing:

  • Green: works great
  • Yellow: works but needs tweaking/patching
  • Red: major issues / doesn’t work

CPU / system overhead

  • Geekbench single-core/multi-core: Linux was about ~3% faster single-core and ~4% faster multi-core
  • Claimed cause: lower OS overhead / fewer background processes, giving more “headroom”

Interpretation: Linux performs best in workloads that are mostly raw compute with minimal translation-layer overhead.

Round 1: Cyberpunk 2077 (Linux via Proton)

  • Linux (Fedora KDE + Proton): 140 FPS avg, 121% 1% lows
  • Windows: 149 FPS avg, 125% 1% lows
  • Result: Windows ~6% faster

Tech note: Proton translates Windows DirectX calls to Vulkan in real time, which has a performance cost (measurable but not huge). Proton state in this test: no launch flags/workarounds were needed.

Round 2: Arc Raiders

  • Windows: 145 FPS avg, 131% 1% lows
  • Linux: 133 FPS avg, 94% 1% lows
  • Result: Averages are closer (~9% gap), but 1% lows drop ~38%—which they argue strongly affects gameplay feel in an extraction-style shooter.

Anti-cheat incident mentioned: Denuvo broke Linux in June 2026. They used Proton Experimental to avoid worse enforcement. Valve later hot-fixed it (about 10 days before filming), giving Linux a temporary “green light” at the time of testing.

Round 3: Marvel Rivals

They note a nuance: the game uses NetEase proprietary anti-cheat in user space, so it “tolerates Proton” better (since it’s not kernel-level).

  • Windows: 116 FPS avg, 92% 1% lows
  • Linux: 110 FPS avg, 87% 1% lows
  • Result: ~5% gap; lows are close, so Linux is viable here.

Round 4: Blender (compute/render workload)

Blender is described as cross-platform with the same binary, making it a fair comparison.

  • Result: Linux was consistently faster across scenes (higher “samples per minute”)

Explanation: ties back to earlier CPU findings—less OS overhead and no Proton translation layer.

Round 5: Fortnite (major failure)

  • Fortnite does not run on Linux in 2026.
  • They claim Epic Games did not enable Easy Anti-Cheat support for Linux, despite the assertion that the technology exists and works for other games.

Outcome:

  • Windows: Green
  • Linux: Red

They stress this is not a “workaround” situation: “there is no fix.”

Final decision guidance: “Can you build a gaming PC in 2026 without installing Windows?”

Linux is viable if you:

  • Mostly play Steam games
  • Play single-player/indie/backlog, emulation, or older titles
  • Prefer control and privacy over “perfect convenience”
  • Don’t need Game Pass, and don’t require Fortnite/Valorant
  • Accept a ~5–10% performance tax (based on their testing)

They recommend their specific “real answer” target: Fedora 44 KDE.

Windows is still better if you:

  • Play competitive multiplayer where exact anti-cheat behavior matters more
  • Rely on Game Pass
  • Need games with kernel-level anti-cheat
  • Use lots of peripheral software
  • Don’t want to think about OS differences and troubleshooting

Overall pattern they observed

  • Windows won every gaming round they ran by FPS averages.
  • Linux won where the OS gets out of the way (CPU compute / Blender).
  • Conclusion: Linux gaming is better than it used to be, and the gap is closing, but not fully equal yet.

Product/test resources mentioned

  • They say a full parts list is in the description
  • They offer dual-boot PC build/shipping via metapcs.com (with shipping described as ready to ship ships next business day)

Main speakers/sources (as identifiable from subtitles)

  • Jared (asked “what should they do?”; appears to be the main host/speaker)
  • Valve (cited as funding/maintaining Proton)
  • Microsoft (discussed telemetry/Copilot/OS behavior)
  • Epic Games / Easy Anti-Cheat / Denuvo / NetEase (anti-cheat and compatibility references)
  • Meta PCs / metapcs.com (mentioned as the build/shipping provider)

Original video