Is My Linux Mint Crashing Due to Hardware Issues?

It sounds like you're dealing with possible hard drive issues. If files are getting deleted unexpectedly and games are slowing down, your hard drive might be on the fritz. Just switching distros isn't going to fix that. Consider getting a new SSD, as that could make a big difference!

I've never had a Linux system delete stuff without a reason. You might be looking at a filesystem issue where files get moved to lost+found, but that's pretty rare. Linux Mint is generally stable, especially being based on Ubuntu LTS.

I run EndeavourOS on an older i3 desktop, and after upgrading RAM and switching to an SSD, it's been smooth sailing—games run great, even the more demanding ones! If you're interested in a rolling release, you might want to check that out!

Your hardware specs would really help clarify things. Sounds to me like you might have some remnants of a Windows setup that could be causing conflicts. If you're looking for something more gaming-oriented, give Cachyos a shot! Even Linux is less resource-demanding than Windows, but compatibility with non-native stuff can sometimes lead to issues.

It's very likely a hardware issue. Linux itself isn't prone to these kinds of problems unless something changes. You could try a newer kernel—Linux Mint's version might be outdated by now. A cheap SSD could be a quick fix too. Just be cautious; once you start seeing signs of data loss, it could escalate pretty quickly!