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OK my friend, let’s be fair here and agree on something from the start. In no way are you near being the normal average windows user.

On that we can agree!

Any linux can be customized any way you like it with the level of skills you have with windows,

That, or finding that, is not what I have experienced.

I think you should load up mint cinnamon 19.2 in your old one.

Thanks. I also like https://www.pclinuxos.com/pclinuxos-kde-full-edition-2019-06-release/ Release is Kernel 5.1.10 May be the USB wireless with work with the latter.

Try it as is with no changes.

I have. Every major distro, and some minor, though of late there are more. But I am not giving up.

Thank you for recognizing I was not trying to be conflictive about it, It's just that with your drive to customize in detail as you do, Linux is right up your alley and actually designed for someone with your skills. I think you feel so comfortable with windows because you happen to know it so well from years of playing with it when there is a huge potential with your skills using open source.

Here is a perspective to consider. Because MS is so proprietary, including control over 3rd party apps, there are actually many more limitations to what you can do with it compared to open source like Linux. Look at how many distros and apps there are because anyone who wants to customize it can do that without the restrictions of proprietary licenses and restrictions. It is a customizers dream come true, Freedom to do anything you like including building your own personal custom distro. there is even CMOS flash firmware to make a real real old machine into a new up to date machine. so Linux is from the CMOS up capable.

I do some web development as a hobby and what I have found is that Linux and similar open source can be compared to working with webscripts, HTML, java, and CSS style. Every little element can be customized with a few snippets of code or value settings to the finest detail. And if there is anything that can possibly be done with Linux someone has indeed done it, just have to search around and find it and apply it as you like. And there is a LOT of it... with instructions and most times personal support.

But it doesn't even need to be that complicated, because it is open source there are applications designed to make everything easier for customizing it as you like. Some like the Mint Cinnamon come boxed with tools to customize folders, menus, etc. Themes, folders, menus, tool bars, colors, and custom emblems (in "properties") can be applied as you like to customize in detail. And there are assembly apps that make it easier to build your own custom distro or desktop as you like from the bottom up without restriction, or personally customize any chosen boxed distro as you like in detail.

I'm thinking you may be locked into the "permission" mind set from working with windows when open source is a free for all to do as you like with it. And I also think you might be limiting your own potential and skill set with this when there is so much more you could achieve with open source and a little time and effort. And a search of "doing xxxxxx with or in Linux?" would open up a whole new world for your skill set. What you can actually do with it is incredible once you start searching around. Everything from building a radio telescope to running a Raspberry Pi, you can make a phone run on Linux or run android apps on your PC. The capabilities are endless and someone has done it and are sharing it somewhere. All because there are no proprietary limitations.

Again... with that being shared, search around and you will find that Linux can indeed be highly customized. I think you are on the right track with the pclinuxos kde as a base to start from with your new Ryzen CPU system. Then you can go customize it even further as you like of course. But the boxed mint cinnamon and kernel might actually serve your older PC better because it has great drivers boxed up geared for older machines. And like I say, I have installed it on 5 PCs now and the USB/internal wireless drivers have worked flawlessly. From a 2002 E machine to a brand new HP laptop with Win 10.

Now when I mention to try it as is with no changes, I was pointing towards doing any partitioning or anything before hand. If you have installed mint then you know this is not needed because the install will do all this for you and give you the size options Etc. and auto set up the two separate partitions needed during the install. These links I share are just a small example and the very tip of the iceberg with what can be done with and customized in Linux. :)

https://www.techsupportalert.com/content/tips-and-tricks-linux-mint-after-installation-mint-18-cinnamon-edition.htm

https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/

https://www.maketecheasier.com/6-tools-to-easily-create-your-own-custom-linux-distro/