I have this spare pc (i3 4gb Ram and 80Gb hdd/DVD/IGPU Intel) which i could/want to use for Windows Retro gaming, meaning playing games from the 90s and 00s on it. For now it has been giving to me at purchase with a version of windows 10. except this windows 10 seemed to be having a illegal pirated key. i found several files (with kaspersky) which indicate that this version of windows 10 on that pc is made with some form of keygen. (the seller forgot to remove the keygen literally, kaspersky found traces of it allover the hdd) - he actually made the key something like this KEYABC000-0000-0000. well i bought this pc a year ago so i cannot return it, and i was not intending to in the first place. also. it runs like ** with windows 10 on it. it is so unbearable slow it is ludicrous. so i would install linux anyhow on it after a while, only i dont know which distro to use mainly for retro gaming. - not batocera or retropie.

So i now have several windows 95/98/xp games i would like to try (again) on disc. i also have windows 98 on disc (install cd with a genuine key). the pc has a dvd drive. i am puzzled what to do now. i have several pcs in my house with versions of linux, i dont consider them optimal for this purpose (xubuntu, ubuntu, peppermint). I cannot tell which version i should download/install next to play retro windows games on this pc. so i am looking for a os which can play such games (unreal ii, simcity 2000, tombraider 1-2-3, gta iii, diablo 2, morrowind, oblivion etc). is it best to install windows 98 for this purpose or should i try a linux distro ? i am familiar with wine, except i dont know which distro has the most compatibility for older games, or is most suited for 90s-00s games.

which one is best suited for this please ??

i could not find a sub related to this question other than here,… because it IS about linux - which distro i should use for gaming and asking this on a windows sub would get me nowhere - they would redirect me elsewhere.