Virtual machine is a completely different beast. It can virtualize drivers for any hardware so you would not see much problem for installing (almost) anything on it.
In any case, Zorin is not using the latest Linux kernel.
If you want to try the latest kernel, you should look at Fedora or openSUSE Tumbleweed .
I just wanted to be a normal person and use any distro.
First time I tried to install linux, I spent months trying and I lost all my windows (End: I found out it was my ssd's fault that it wasn't ssd, Exbom brand, I managed to install it having to change the ssd brand/model)
Second time, we're here. I don't know if it's Samsung's or Windows' fault or my parts or my model.
In the ideal world, that is how it should be.
But the reality is not
The major difference between Windows and Linux is the drivers.
Windows machines are sold with drivers which are written for the hardware. More often than not, those drivers are closed source and Linux volunteers have to either reverse engineer to create a Linux driver or modify a Windows driver to run it on Linux.
One does not need to have much imagination to understand how lengthy process that can be.
For the least difficult way to install Linux, this is what I have done.
I assembled my desktops myself and bought former corporate leased laptops (4 - 5 years old). This way I can more or less ensure that there are Linux drivers for the hardware in my systems.
Just for your info, I bought all titanium clad HP Elitebook for just over 240 Euro sometime ago at eBay. It is like one quarter of the original price.
I even did not have to auction it. I selected a professional seller with a good reputation in my own country and picked what I thought most compatible for my needs.
I am also running MXLinux on Raspberrry Pi4. You can pick up 8 GB model around 100 Euro. Mine is 4 GB model but it is fast enough for the basic computing needs.
The distro you can install on RPi4 is rather limited, but there will be absolutely no driver issue since the distro is optimized for the hardware.
You can create Retro gamebox using RasPi. Just for a few examples:
I have about a dozen of RasPi running in our household, working as connected speakers (Volumio), Pi-hole, Print server and Wordpress server.
Great thing about RasPi is that it is inexpensive (excluding maybe the high-end Rpi4) and I can be a bit more adventurous. After all, RasPi is created for young kids to learn computing. It got be quite durable in those clumsy small hands
Your machine seems to be most Linux unfriendly system I've ever seen.
I wonder if @Aravisian might have any other idea. I am completely out of idea at this point other than switching the system for older laptop or RaspberryPi.