What’s the best Linux Mint version for gaming on a budget PC?

The best distro is the one that allows you to focus more on gaming rather than technical issues. If you find a version that looks good and is easy to use, you’ll be set! With your hardware, anything will be lighter than Windows 11, but Xfce is definitely a solid choice for performance. Don't stress too much about the details—install what feels right for you!

Honestly, it doesn't make a huge difference which desktop environment (DE) you choose when it comes to gaming performance. If you're looking for something that uses the least resources, Mate is the lightest option, followed by Xfce, and then Cinnamon which is the heaviest. But in your case, any of these should perform better than Windows 11 on your hardware, so you'll likely be fine with any of them!

You might want to weigh other options like Pika OS or Pop!_OS, as they're often better suited for gaming performance than Mint. Also, if you have older hardware, MX Linux might be a great fit for you!

I suggest checking out some good choices like Mint Xfce, CachyOS, or even EndeavourOS and Pop!_OS. Additionally, consider using an app called CoreCtrl; it lets you create custom power profiles for your GPU and CPU to optimize performance for gaming.

I'm not convinced Mint is the way to go. The GT 1030 doesn't have great driver support on Linux, meaning you might end up using the buggy open-source driver instead of the official one. If you really can't handle Windows 11, maybe give Windows 10 a shot instead.