Subject: RTX 4070 Performance and Setup Help on Zorin OS (Running games from Windows partition)

Zerniz · May 1, 2026, 9:34pm

Hi everyone,

I've recently switched to Zorin OS and I’m looking for some help to properly set up my system for gaming. I have an NVIDIA RTX 4070, but I'm struggling with a few things:

Drivers & Hardware: I need help ensuring my GPU drivers are correctly installed and optimized. Also, my microphone isn't working properly (driver issue, most likely). What is the best way to handle these on Zorin?

Running Windows Games: I am trying to run games (EXE files) directly from my Windows NTFS partition without reinstalling them. Some games give me a "No graphics card detected" error. Is there a specific way to mount the partition or configure permissions to make this work smoothly?

Proton & DLSS: I am using PortProton, but I want to make sure I have access to all RTX 40-series features, specifically DLSS, Ray Tracing, and Frame Generation. Which Proton version (GE-Proton or others) and environment variables are best for this?

Alternatives: Are there better alternatives to PortProton for my use case (running games from a Windows drive), or is it the best choice?

Saves: I’ve already manually moved my saves to the Wine prefixes, so that part is covered.

My goal is to have a "no-reinstall" gaming setup where I can just launch my existing library with maximum performance.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

StarTreker · May 1, 2026, 10:12pm

To insure that you are using the proper driver for your Nvidia GPU, you can check this in Additional Drivers tab, in Software & Updates.

I typically recommend using the (proprietary) driver variant, as you see I'm using here. Then, to insure your GPU gets fully leveraged, go into Nvidia X Server Settings, and under Prime, insure your set to full performance.

Is your microphone a 3.5mm jack connection? If so, you don't need a driver, it should just work. And even if your microphone is USB, there should already be a driver in the kernal for it. You likely need to go to your sound settings, and choose your microphone default. Easiest way to do that, is in Pulse Audio Volume Control.

In the screenshot, in the blue highlighted section, you can see my microphone is selected. However, I currently have in muted, you can see the highlighted speaker icon with the slash through it highlighted. When the mic is not muted, it will not be highlighted. So make sure your selected microphone is not muted as well.

I understand your not wanting to re-install games policy, cause it can be a pain and time consuming, but I fear thats where some of your issues are coming from.

Another issue is, your drive coming from Windows, is using the NTFS format, which is not compatible with Linux, it needs to be formatted EXT4, for Linux.

Back in the day, I used to buy games on disk, like everyone else. When I switched to Linux, I realized that EXE files, were not always going to work for me. I stopped buying games on disk, and switched to only buying games on Steam. (Which is far easier anyways)

All of my drives both internal & external, are formatted EXT4, and in Steam, I choose those drives for the game installs. Then I use Proton, to launch said games.

I don't think you will be able to implement the no-reinstall policy, but I'll be happy in this case if I'm wrong. Regarding other version of Proton, there's Proton Plus & Proton QT as well.