Linux

I'd recommend either OpenSuSE or Fedora, both with KDE. They're big, well supported distros, which should install without issue and provide a slick modern experience. I use OpenSuSE, as I find the YaST system tools convenient and user friendly.

I'd avoid Ubuntu, multiple issues. Mint is a good distro but I think any big mainstream distro "just works" now, so I'd go for something that uses a slicker desktop. I prefer KDE, which is available on Mint but just isn't as tightly integrated as their own Cinnamon desktop.

Mint is fine. I went with pop!_os because at the time mint didn't play well with my hardware.

Make sure you test things from the install live disk before you commit. Internet access, displays, audio should all work.

Don't use Mint or Ubuntu, use Bazzite. It actually is "just works" with the added benefit of "you can't break it". It's perfect for both beginners and experienced users who are looking to do work rather than tinker with their OS.

And if you have a graphics card (which you probably do since you mentioned gaming), Bazzite comes with Nvidia or AMD drivers preinstalled, so you don't have to do anything extra to get it to work.

But if you really want to follow the YT influencer Linux memes, at least go with Ubuntu instead of Mint. Mint is just Ubuntu with a different default desktop, but ~~worse in every other way~~ less reliable (edit: toned down the exaggeration)

Btw you can load them to a USB and try out without installing if picking one is kinda hard tho remember performance will depend on USB quality.

The thing about Linux is the back and front are separated, and you can customize the ux like crazy. So as you try stuff, pay more attention to package manager, how easy things are in terminal, compatibility, etc.

Try some shit.

Bazzite for a first try. If you never hit a wall needing to make system tweaks, stick to it in the long term. Otherwise, I’m really liking Fedora. KDE/Gnome is personal choice.

Lots of people are going towards ZorinOS, since Windows died with the canning of W10. However, I'd say go for Mint, as that doesn't implement the Snap packaging format (if you need GUI apps, go for Flatpak if you want them sandboxed).

Fedora.

sounds like you have a decent computer so try bazzite gnome for your gpu

it's great for normal stuff, development and gaming

I use Pop! OS and I'm also a first time linux user! The installation process was pretty straightforward and I got used to it pretty quickly

As someone who's been using Linux for around 12 years now, I just came back to Mint a while ago and it's a good choice for close to everyone I reckon.

I used pretty much all the major distros and some niche ones as well, but in the end I want a PC that does PC things without having to fuck around all the time. Mint does exactly that, it just works.

That being said, feel free to mess around with live USBs, try some distros on an old laptop etc, it's good fun and you might find something you really like.

As long as you don't pick Ubuntu, you're good to go!

(p.s. not to scare you lol, if you pick ubuntu you'd be fine, just some of their decisions on where they are taking their os have been bad imo)

I recommend Zorin. It helps you to find the best way to install the apps you need. It also includes a WINE integration that greatly simplifies the process of using Windows apps on Linux. It's built on Ubuntu, meaning it's stable, has wide hardware compatibility, will run pretty much anything that works on Linux, and all the Ubuntu commands will work on it. It looks a lot nicer than Mint (Cinnamon). And supports lots of super useful trackpad gestures for laptops. It includes a version of Brave out of the box, stripped of all their BS.

Honestly, whatever you go with, you should make sure it has KDE plasma, it has a graphical interface that more closely resembles Windows and can function as training wheels until you better familiarize yourseld with the terminal. If you're looking at Ubuntu, just be aware that you will likely find it irritating once you start understanding how the system works as it forces its own package manager, snap, which introduces a slew of difficulties in acclamaiting to the Linux ecosystem. However, snap does make installation easier for newcomers who may not understand how to identify dependencies for a given package they wish to install. With all of this in mind, Kubuntu is a really good option for first-timers as its a flavour of Ubuntu that comes with KDE Plasma out of the box.

Ubuntu

Pick any of the more popular ones at random; it really doesn't matter that much.

I've been using Nobara, it's good, it has a dumbed down utility to help you install the important stuff. It's made for noobs, in a way. I recommend the Plasma desktop instead of Gnome, Gnome is super basic and inflexible. I'm using it because it has support for my wacom tablet but I miss KDE Plasma.