My following recommendations are often pretty easy for new users: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, ZorinOS. These distros will give you a chance to become more familiar with linux without getting overly lost in the process. Debian based distros tend to be the best starting place, as they often just work, their approach to Third Party Drivers is sane.

I recommend you steer clear of Arch or Arch-Based distros like CachyOS…If you are just starting out, this will not be a good experience for you. I’ve found that installers of either EndeavourOS or CachyOS can fail in ways you aren’t prepared for, like failing to install the Linux Kernel or failing to allow you to correctly install partitions. Please, don’t listen to those that recommend CachyOS or anything Arch Linux. Unless you are prepared to cry, or are very technically inclined and can figure stuff out fast.

I’d love to help you, but unfortunately I can’t think of a single distro that would run on a cat.

I started on Bazzite when I switched, and it was ok but never felt quite right. After that I switched to Garuda, which is also designed to be a ready right out of the box experience that is gaming and performance focused.

It is based on Arch, so it is currently being kept up to date and has been extremely reliable. Pretty much every issue has been solved with an update and reboot.

As an aside, everyone always pushes KDE, but I personally love xfce, it’s worth a look.

Honestly, if you’re mostly using Steam for gaming, pretty much any major distro will work. Linux Mint is my personal choice for newbies but if something else strikes your fancy, go for it. I second the recommendation for checking on ProtonDB to see if your games are supported. I would also recommend ProtonUp-Qt as a program once you’ve installed Linux; it’s really good for managing different Proton installs on Steam quickly and easily. Also also, I have personally had better luck with the Flatpak version of Steam, rather than the native distro versions, because it has less weird dependency issues, but YMMV. Good luck!

mint

You will feel at home with anything kde

I was in the same situation a few months ago. I wanted to try Linux but had no real experience with it. To experiment safely, I built a computer from old parts and installed Linux Mint. I then swapped it with my Windows machine and committed to using Mint exclusively for a month. That hands-on approach helped far more than reading guides. I now use Mint on my primary system.

Here is what I learned along the way. Mint has excellent documentation because it is one of the most popular Linux distributions. When I ran into problems, I could generally find reliable answers through the official forums, community wikis, or by asking ChatGPT for step-by-step instructions. So far, there has not been a single issue I could not eventually fix with some experimentation.

If you are coming from Windows and want to game, there are several points worth knowing upfront:

1. Steam on Linux is straightforward

Steam has a native Linux client. Most Windows games work through Proton, which Steam handles automatically. For many titles, you simply install the game and press play. Performance can be very close to Windows.

2. Expect some trial and error

Although many games work out of the box, some require you to switch Proton versions or install small compatibility tools. It is usually not difficult, but it is different enough from Windows that patience helps.

3. Modding takes more effort

My most recent challenge involved getting game mods working. Tools like Proton, Wine, and mod installers sometimes interact in unexpected ways. It took me a few hours of reading and experimenting, but I eventually got everything running. Once you understand where games store their files and how Proton prefixes work, modding becomes much more manageable.

4. Linux teaches you how your system works

If you are willing to tinker, Linux rewards you. You learn how your files are organized, how applications install dependencies, and how to fix problems yourself. That knowledge makes troubleshooting less intimidating over time.

5. You can always dual-boot

If you are nervous about switching completely, you can dual-boot Windows and Mint. That way you can learn Linux without losing access to anything critical.

If you are starting from zero, the biggest advantage is the size and friendliness of the Linux Mint community. You do not have to figure everything out alone. With a bit of persistence, you can build a fully functional gaming setup that performs well and is easier to maintain than you might expect.

Fedora KDE Plasma is what I use. It’s solid.

Fedora KDE is what I use and recommend.

Its easy, to setup, no frills, reliable and very easy to use with a just gui if you’re not into the terminal.

If, and only if, this is not your primary computer. Eg, it’s only for gaming, I’d recommend Bazzite.

Bazzite is great and I use it on our couch pc for a true console experience. I call it “our better Xbox”.

Zorin OS

Pop_OS

Fedora’s solid for me. I left Ubuntu distros because they’re always out of date with the latest desktop environment updates.

The beauty of asking a linux advice from linux nerds is that you will get as many different advices as there are comments and then will have to do your own research anyway.

Fedora KDE.

Looks similar-esque to Windows, Steam and most/all your games will run great on it.

Packages and kernel are kept current and it’s stable.

It has an App Store called Discover for finding most anything you will need out of the gate.

https://fedoraproject.org/kde/