Refer to this answer: Debian vs Ubuntu
My Experience: I have used Debian with XFCE desktop environment, my laptop became faster.
If you are beginner, just Install Ubuntu or give Elementary OS a try which based on Ubuntu have Mac alike design and good performance and it is free and no worries about WiFi drivers and Ubuntu community always ready to help you.
If you feel optimistic and can solve Linux problem on own, Install Debian, after installing, you might need to install WiFi driver.
Also see: First things to do after installing any Linux distro