How easy is gaming and torrenting on Linux compared with Windows?

For gaming, your experience will depend more on the individual game, graphics drivers, and Proton compatibility than on whether you choose Ubuntu or Mint. Steam games are generally the easiest to manage. A dual-boot setup can also be useful if you have a few titles or applications that don’t work well under Linux.

The game files themselves may work, but setup is more hit-or-miss than on Windows. Highly compressed installers sometimes fail when run through Wine, while simply extracting a game and launching its executable can be easier. If an installer gives you trouble, checking its compatibility with Proton or Lutris is usually the next step.

Torrenting works essentially the same on Linux: install a reputable torrent client and use it normally. For Windows games, the main difference is that you’ll usually run the installer or game through Wine, Proton, Lutris, Bottles, or a launcher such as Steam or Heroic. Compatibility varies by game, and unofficial installers can be unreliable, so stick to software and games you’re legally allowed to use.

Linux Mint is probably the gentler transition from Windows because its desktop layout feels familiar. Ubuntu is also well supported and has a large amount of documentation. If you want a Windows-like Ubuntu experience, Kubuntu is worth considering because its KDE desktop is more familiar than standard Ubuntu’s desktop.