games + linux

now, i know that if i want to game in linux im pretty much going to be building my own transmeta winex cvs, so... i was just wondering... is it worth it?

i mean, my XP laptop can handle games great (i am a moderatly hardcore gamer, but i like keeping up with new games, but i always fall back on steam) but im worried about how it would perform under emulation.

anyone have any luck with this? namely steam (counter-strike 1.6, half-life, DoD are must haves for me as i do leagues and LANs more often then i should), heroes of might and magic 2 (me and my girlfriend play), fallout:tactics, etc.

i love linux, but i love gaming, and i am torn. i would LOVE to do away completely with windows on all my machines, but i fear i cannot. also: i use my data server as a part time game machine for when i host LAN parties, and i dont want to waste the space by dual booting. it has a faster processor then my laptop but a shittier gfx card. i was just wondering whats everyone's luck with gaming in linux and any hints/tips they can give me.

thanks

laptop:
1ghz PentM, 256 DDR Ram, go5200 gfx card

desktop:
AMD 1800+, 512 SD Ram, ti4200 gfx card