Windows or Xubuntu for first time Mining?

[mcrimson]

Okay so I have very little computer knowledge, although I'd love to learn. I'm about to enroll in school in the fall for computer science/video production so one day I'll have the knowledge lol.

Anyways I just ordered in all my equipment for a mining rig. I got 3 7950s for it. Once I build the rig, my question is whether I should put linux or windows on it? Currently I use a macbook (I know u computer geeks think its the anti-christ, whatever I love it) so either OS is somewhat foreign to me. Used to have a laptop with windows but just used it for the usual internet stuff.

From what I've gathered searching the forums it appears like for a non computer person it would be easier to jump into the windows OS for mining than linux.  I'm looking to mine alt coins so the github linux source code kind of scares me when its between that and just a simple download link for windows, but really I have no idea. Also it seems like some of those new coins only have windows based links to start sometimes!

I'm really just at a loss of what to do right now. I think once I get going I'll be able to fake my way through it for the first part and eventually get the hang of it, but I just want to start the best way possible.

So windows or linux guys? Help a noob out lol

p.s. I say Xubuntu cuz that seems to be the consensus linux os to mine on if you're a beginner. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I'd love for an experienced miner to help me out along the way and answer all the probably tedious questions I'm going to have. Just because I'm a noob though, doesn't mean I'm crypto poor.  Good advice and help will be compensated appropriately

Cheers!

[SamuelSG]

Windows definitely a plus on usability for a person solely used to GUI operating systems.
But it is a somewhat significant extra cost up front.

I personally haven't noticed any gains using linux over windows in terms of hashing speed.
As a result of this, I use windows as I can easily switch over to gaming or other uses instantly (this is of course related greatly to the fact that I bought my hardware to game, generate fractal math, and use cad/3d modeling software on primarily, Mining on it is used the other 90% of the time, as it helps justify some of the extravagant cost of the rig, and I am fast becoming enamored with the crypto-currency itself)

If you have any command line experience, and taking into account that both are more or less alien to you, I would say go with linux, the experience of it alone is worth the effort.

Just my 2¢

[devlin]

 Xubuntu for stability

[Baneroks]

I am system administrator + programmer and I work with different systems like FreeBSD, Ubuntu, Windows and so on. With my experience I can say that for mining the best OS is Windows as it has all needed stable video drivers, many manuals are written exactly for Windows and setup is faster and more user friendly, stability is the same as on unix. Unix is more likely for geeks that want to make a huge setup of customs and don't want to pay for Windows license, thats the difference.

[yvero78]

Myself, I prefer "pure" Debian linux.

[schlopper]

If you want to undervolt (major power savings for scrypt-based mining), you have no choice but to go with Windows.