hart
absolute Linux is the better option
Higgy Baby
If you don't have a specific need for windows 10- then you will definitely be better off with Linux Mint, Ubuntu, or a few others.
I've been running Ubuntu since 2008...I'm not complaining at all.
POG13
Im running windows 10 64 on a 2007 era core 2 duo mobile dell laptop,i'd go for a clean install,xp doesnt support upgrades to windows 10,and get anew hdd around the 320gb size.
And as for Linux,i tried Mint then Manjaro but it kept locking up,troubleshooting it is impossible due to the tiny user base,if it's locking up,kernel issues,wifi dropping it's not worth it if your totally new to it,windows is just less hassle.
Master Of Puppets
I had a 2009 General Dynamics rugged laptop that had a Core 2 Duo (I don't remember the exact CPU model), and it ran Windows 10 respectively well with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 240GB SSD.
I mainly used this laptop as an OBDII scanner for my cars, so it didn't really need to be blazing fast.
If you intend to use this PC regularly, you may want to consider using a Linux distro since they are generally more lightweight compared to Windows. If you decide to go with Windows, note that you cannot perform an upgrade from Windows XP to 10; it must be a clean install. I would also strongly recommend installing an SSD (if the computer supports SATA) instead of using a hard drive. It will make your OS overall faster and more responsive.
Anonymous
If you haven't done anything up to now with a 10 to 15 year old pc, why bother? You need more info than CPU to know what will and won't work. It's about availability of drivers and ram amounts.