Hey all. I’ve recently swapped to Linux and I’ve been really enjoying it so far. I’m still pretty new to basically every aspect of it, though, so I’m not super sure what things I should be wary of with regard to hardware, in particular with Mint.
I was looking at buying a newer laptop to keep up with my main game, but it occurred to me that newer hardware may come with either a host of issues or be less supported than older hardware.
Any advice for laptops in this regard?
You can save buckets of money looking for used hardware. I got a crazy nice laptop from Craigslist for <$300.
If you can, bring a live USB stick with you and test it out before you purchase. Check peripherals like wifi, audio, camera, bluetooth, etc.
Make sure the ram is upgradable. A lot of them are soldered on these days and you’re stuck with that amount forever.
Latest Lenovo T series come with LPCAMM2 which should replace that soldered nightmare.
https://www.ifixit.com/News/115827/new-thinkpads-score-perfect-10-repairability
https://www.ifixit.com/News/95078/lpcamm2-memory-is-finally-here
you don’t have to use or like Ubuntu, but they do have a certified hardware list that might be helpful
Oh wow, that’s actually super helpful! Thanks!
I’d heard of Framework, Tuxedo, and system76, but not the others. Thanks for the pointers!
Also slimbook! They’re offering similar machines to tuxedo, but my Executive 14 13700 was slightly cheaper than the equivalent Tuxedo Infinity book pro (same clevo laptop base), and dropped the second nvme slot for a full 99Wh battery.
Additionally, I has no problems shipping from Spain to the US.
Oh you will suffer in the best way possible. You like the Slimbook now but in five years something will degrade, like the battery. You’ll think about getting a new one and you’ll look forward to it but nooo, you will not get a new one. You will look online and there will be parts available and you’ll repair it. Then you’ll need more disk space or ram so you’re hoping to get a new one but nooo, you will upgrade it. And then something will break and you finally see the part is not in stock so you mail them just in case but instead of an automated reply you’ll get a real response and they’ll get you the part you need. Sure, replacing a glued keyboard is a bit exciting but turns out a lot can be replaced. Not sure how old mine is but I like it, it just keeps running.
Are you looking for a gaming laptop with a dedicated gpu or just a newer one with a faster cpu/igpu?
A gaming laptop. My current one is fine for most everything else at this point. I don’t game super hard, but when I play my go-to game or try out something new, I wanna at least not be bouncing between 30-45 FPS.
If you want a compatible laptop, you get one that has a version that comes with Linux, without major kernel changes. For example, the DELL laptops. The DELL laptops get hate, but they are tested against Linux. I personally got the 5640: https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/115/129/776/310/532/073/original/ffe65da00bfd0b39.jpg It now runs Mint and Debian-Testing.
I paid just $900 euros with 32GB of RAM, and my husband got the same with 64GB of RAM for $1000 here in Greece. Everything works 100%, except touchpad’s palm rejection (I made a bug report about it).
If you wanna game Asus Zephyrus with AMD GPU (6000 series or higher) has an excellent Linux support and community support, dare I say it’s better than Framework or Systems76 in term of replacement parts if you live outside EU or US
Usually wifi cards are the biggest potential issue. If you’re buying something brand new that hasn’t been out yet for that long, your best bet is to probably use something arch-based as a distro so that you get the latest kernel versions. When i bought my ideapad years ago i tried installing void on it, but the kernel on the iso was too old and my wifi card wasn’t recognized. I had to use usb tethering on my phone to update the system. After that everything was working.
Oof, thanks for the heads up. I honestly think I have a pretty good list of components to double check at this point and it’s driving me away from anything bleeding edge. Whatever I end up getting, it’ll be something that’s new-ish right now, but I’ll be buying it a year from now.
Fingerprint readers and touchscreens can be hit or miss for Linux support.
I think this is a list of supported readers. When you get a shortlist of devices you want to purchase, compare its fingerprint reader with this list: https://fprint.freedesktop.org/supported-devices.html
Amazon renewed I find dell Inspiron or xps work well. Used to be Lenovo think pads but not so sure about the newer ones.
I did check out System76 and even if the price is a bit high, it would be kind of nice to support a company in the EU. That alone has a bit of appeal. I haven’t seen Framework before, though. I’ll look them up, thanks for the tip!
For an EU based company you might want to check out Tuxedo https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/index.php they are based in Germany and sell Linux compatible notebooks
Oh shoot, I’m an idiot. Tuxedo is what I was looking at. 😅 Thank you for the link!
I’m using a 10 years old Razer Blade Stealth 13 on Debian and so far no only minor problems with it.
Consequently my advice is :
- do you actually “need” a new one or do you just “want” one? if the later then could be 2nd hand
- if you do then share either what your “main game” is or what its requirements are, because e.g Slay the Spire runs on nearly anything
- do not buy something brand new unless you are ready to tinker, consider something a year old
- whatever you do, check online review specifically on Linux installations, that will let you know if something somehow (typically inconsequential, e.g. LED tweaking) requires proprietary software
- consider buying directly from a Linux pre-installed vendor, this way you are 100% sure it will work (but it’s typically not cheap)
My go-to is FFXIV, but I run it with a pretty large number of mods, which is what is hard to keep up with on my current laptop. Between that and just not being able to play any modern game, (in particular, I wanted to be able to play the new Silent Hill F), it’s definitely more of a want, but it’s a pretty strong want. 😅
My current laptop is about 6 years old, and it’s getting to the point where my frame rate during raids is dipping below 60 frames quite frequently, even with the minimum settings, which is what got me looking at upgrading.
I’ll look at Linux pre-installed vendors, though, I hadn’t thought about that. And the year old tech is a super good tip also, thanks!
try cachyos for a performance boost, it did wonders on my desktop
Maybe you can make a live CD, buy it, test it, keep it or give it back?
Depends. Sometimes you’ll get a PC magazine or blog cover an upcoming laptop and test Linux compatibility. Or someone writes a long Reddit post after they got it, or updates the Arch Wiki. There definitely are ways to learn about Linux-compatibility with new models. We used to have Amazon comments and reviews…Just be super cautious with all the AI bots and fake comparison sites out there.
And it’s a bit more complicated with gaming stuff. Sometimes they’ll add a weird webcam, or unsupported RGB LED controller, or have weird quirks in the firmware. Some other model lines like a business laptop from Dell or Lenovo tend to be just fine and you’ll get 100% Linux compatibility. There’s no guarantee, but any way, after a few Linux nerds blogged about it you should be fine.
Thanks for the tips! I’ll make sure I’m checking individual components for compatibility long before I hover the buy button. Another user mentioned buying a year old as well, so I’ll probably also take that advice. And thanks for the heads up about fake comparison sites and such!
