It’s normal to feel these things when thinking about a new OS, it can be quite a big change. You can always dual-boot, at least at first. Anyone telling you that you need to fully wipe your drive and immediately start from scratch is being silly.
Part of the fun of exploring new OSes and Linux distros is experimenting with new things! You don’t have to commit to a distros immediately, no one will judge you for distro-hopping! Even if you do eventually choose to go back to Windows, that’s okay! And just because you’re on Windows doesn’t mean you can’t use open-source software! Just because your OS is proprietary doesn’t make using FOSS any less valid.
No one is born with intrinsic knowledge of Linux, and no one should loathe their user experience of their OS. Are you made to be a Linux user, or do you just need to tinker with your Windows install? Only you can tell, but you sound like you’d regret not at least trying out a LiveUSB of some beginner-friendly distros.
Your hardware isn’t too old, in fact a new OS can often help old hardware run a lot better. Proton and WINE have made running games and Windows software on Linux easier than ever before.
Feel free to post here if you have any more questions about your potential transition 💕