Every year, 62 million tons of e-waste are dumped, much from hardware Microsoft stopped supporting. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 and modern CPUs, so perfectly good 2014-2019 machines are now 'obsolete'.
Linux uses far less RAM with Ubuntu+Xfce needing 650MB vs Windows 11 at 3-4GB. Three lightweight Linux releases in 2026 show that Linux ecosystem will work just fine on your old hardware.
https://www.fosslinux.com/158206/linux-on-older-hardware-revival-guide.htm
@yogthos @Galsungen My take based on 20+ years usage of linux and of helping various computer-illiterate switch to linux: too many issues with ubuntu, lacking some polish. Issues that I easily overcome, but they can't by themselves, and they shouldn't happen.
Also, XFCE is nice for very old computers, but KDE has a usability for newbies over footprint ratio much higher in my view, and its footprint is often overestimated.
Most computers that don't support Windows 11 run KDE/Plasma smoothly.
@stormi I mostly shared it to encourage people to switch to Linux and thereby extend the lifespan of hardware that is still perfectly good and sufficient for most of our needs.
That said, I’m not a fan of Ubuntu. However, like you, I am a fan of KDE. Right now, I’m using the KDE+Fedora combination, which suits me quite well. Generally, I’d recommend starting with a distribution that has a strong community, so you can actually get help, rather than one that’s too niche.
Yogthos
Mishel Z
Christophe B. 
Stormi 🐿️
Galsungen