[apexalpha]

Mint, in turn, is based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.

[wideem]

Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is based on Debian gnu/linux

[pjmlp]

Except that Debian lacks those precious closed source drivers.

[YSFEJ4SWJUVU6]

Except it doesn't... (See for example perhaps the single most relevant example: https://packages.debian.org/jessie/nvidia-driver)

Not that I'm saying that Debian is a better choice than Ubuntu here – Debian stable is Debian stable, and Ubuntu often contains stuff still considered experimental on Debian side – but unlike with, say, Fedora, many non-free drivers are included in the official repositories.