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Looking for Linux laptop

8

860lacov

Joined
Nov 9, 2020
Messages
151 (0.09/day)
I would like to buy a laptop that will run Linux.
Tuxedo pro 14 is a good example of something I'm trying to find.
But it has 2 cons and that's why I'm still looking.
1. 14 inch can be a bit to small (my current laptop has 14 inch)
2. There is an iso keyboard layout only, and I would prefer ansi.

I would like to buy a laptop with Intel 13700k or AMD equivalent.
16GB of ram or more
No glossy screen (It's a pain)
Good battery is welcome.
Don't need a dedicated GPU
It doesn't have to be 100% Linux oriented brand.

Could you please recommend an alternative for tuxedo?
 
Pretty much pick one that's in your budget and that you like and install linux on it my choice would be go for an AMD CPU based system though
 
If you're looking for 'officially supported' hardware (i.e. no exotic hardware right out of the box) but don't want to pay a premium for something like a System76, you might consider perusing ubuntu's certified laptops page: https://ubuntu.com/certified/laptops / https://ubuntu.com/certified?category=Desktop&category=Laptop

I remember reading a few years back that Dell was striving to have all their prebuilts support linux out of the box - i think that still applies (https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000138246/linux-on-dell-desktops-and-laptops) so really between those resources you just need to decide on the size / profile you're looking for.

It's not a "buy this laptop" kind of answer but hopefully you'll have the tools to make the choice for yourself instead.
 
I'm aware that even after kernel update something can go wrong with hardware support.

For my current laptop I had to load extra modules and install specific package for sound support. Without that after fresh system install it didn't boot so I had to reboot into live CD and than fix the problem. I would not be able to without arch forum.

I ask this question mostly for users experience with current gear.
I love how Dell xps looks but I read (or heard on YouTube review) that they didn't change anything in their cooling system for many years and it is loud and hot.

L
 
Laptops move too fast and there are too many models to make accurate predictions. By the time one person has tested one model under Linux it is already discontinued.

I would pick a random 15" Thinkpad with 10th or 11th gen Intel CPU.
 
860lacov said:
I would like to buy a laptop that will run Linux.
Tuxedo pro 14 is a good example of something I'm trying to find.
But it has 2 cons and that's why I'm still looking.
1. 14 inch can be a bit to small (my current laptop has 14 inch)
2. There is an iso keyboard layout only, and I would prefer ansi.

I would like to buy a laptop with Intel 13700k or AMD equivalent.
16GB of ram or more
No glossy screen (It's a pain)
Good battery is welcome.
Don't need a dedicated GPU
It doesn't have to be 100% Linux oriented brand.

Could you please recommend an alternative for tuxedo?
Click to expand...

Did you mean 13700H? Having Intel -P or -H in any laptop is pretty antithetical to battery life right now in 13th gen. Phoenix laptops are starting to hit the shelves.

I'd go for a ThinkPad P14s, seems like Linux shouldn't be hard to set up on most Thinkpads. Or otherwise identical T14 Gen 4 AMD if it finally decides to release in the coming weeks.

T16 Gen 2 AMD is also available with the same 7540U/7840U choices if you want a bigger screen. Dunno if P16 Gen 2 is available but it should be the same. No dGPU, 780M in 7840U is plenty for almost everything. No glossy screens afaik.

Availability of keyboard layouts for Lenovo however is highly dependent on where you are.
 
any laptop you like will run linux amazing,


1695073451393.png
 
I think System76 has the best options in the USA. You are paying for their support really. Look up some YouTube reviews and you will find build quality of the latest models is pretty good.
 
Currently I'm narrowing a list to
Lenovo T16 gen 2 AMD
Lenovo Z16
Tuxedo infinity Book pro 16

Not sure about Z16 compatibility
Small battery in T16
Not sure about tuxedo quality control and don't like keyboard layout

I'm considering 14 inch if there is no screen scaling. In my current system I can't find consistency.
I have an old Lenovo t410. 1440x900 resolution on 14 inch seems fine so don't need 4k or something :)

P16 is too expensive
 
Sometime ago I was told (on Arch forum i believe) that even if a pc/laptop work with Linux today, it may stop working tomorrow because a module, driver or something else could be removed from kernel.
My current laptop is acer 13.5 inch (I made a mistake in the first post). It is based on Intel 1165g.
From the beginning I had to load additional kernel module and I had to install something sound related (don't even remember what it was).
Till now I can hear cracks and pops from speakers and headphones. It is probably connected with power saving but nothing I did help.

That's why I asked for recommendation.
I always wanted a new thinkpad. I have t410. Bought used one.
After some time with scaling on 13.5 screen I decided to go old school. 1920x1200 should be more than enough eclven for 16 inch. I just can't decide between 14 and 16 :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
860lacov said:
Sometime ago I was told (on Arch forum i believe) that even if a pc/laptop work with Linux today, it may stop working tomorrow because a module, driver or something else could be removed from kernel.
Click to expand...

the kernel can load all sort of modules and this option is not going away. Maybe somebody was trying to say that it's possible that the package that compile and installs the module will became outdated. Such package is in fact a script automating building the module from source code.


860lacov said:
My current laptop is acer 13.5 inch (I made a mistake in the first post). It is based on Intel 1165g.
From the beginning I had to load additional kernel module and I had to install something sound related (don't even remember what it was).
Till now I can hear cracks and pops from speakers and headphones. It is probably connected with power saving but nothing I did help.
Click to expand...

you might be using legacy 'pulse-audio' system instead of 'pipewire'

you can check that by running:

Bash: 
╰─>$ ps aux | grep -E 'pipewire|pulseaudio'
mm          1299  0.0  0.0 118452 17360 ?        S<sl 18:29   0:00 /usr/bin/pipewire
mm          1491  0.4  0.1 161532 64748 ?        S<sl 18:29   1:18 /usr/bin/pipewire-pulse
mm         28401  0.0  0.0   6404  2172 pts/1    S+   22:52   0:00 grep --color=auto -E pipewire|pulseaudio

860lacov said:
That's why I asked for recommendation.
I always wanted a new thinkpad. I have t410. Bought used one.
After some time with scaling on 13.5 screen I decided to go old school. 1920x1200 should be more than enough eclven for 16 inch. I just can't decide between 14 and 16 :)
Click to expand...

all depends on the preference. I'm happy with 1440p at 27" and 1080p at 14" is even more PPI.
 
Thank you for an advice. I use pipewire for a long time.

I would like to ask one more question.
I'm aware that Intel 13700h is an overkill for most laptop uses but in general which notebook is better
Dell xps 9530
ThinkPad t16 gen 2?
 
I think it probably more so depends on your preference of the kind of build each company provides given similar specs. In terms of build quality I generally prefer Thinkpads to the kinds of Dell machines that have come through my hands but it's not clear cut and I don't know and haven't used either of these models. You may want to read some reviews to compare based on your specific needs. I can tell you that the thinkpads tend to be well supported in terms of bios updates etc - but again, i'm generalizing and that's unlikely to be super helpful in this case.

I doubt you'll find people who have had experiences with those specific models - if you do, great, but if not - go trawl the interwebs - the info you seek is out there somewhere.


Unrelated but I have a second hand Lenovo Ideapad S3 I use for school (IdeaPad 3-17ITL6 Laptop - Type 82H9 - i3-1115g4) and while it's far from perfect, it does everything I need perfectly adequately and at the price point I purchased it at, it just made sense for my needs. the screen is fantastic under all conditions I've used it so far, and 1080p is plenty for me. Battery life is good, and upgrades / replacements are easily accomplished because bottom case comes off to reveal most important bits (ram, nvme, battery, wifi). Mine has soldered on ddr4 ram for one slot which means only 1 slot is upgradeable - not great, but in the grand scheme of things irrelevant for my uses. These are the kinds of things you should probably check out and make sure you're comfortable with.

There's definitely a CORRECT PRICE POINT for any machine though so pay attention to the build quality and make sure it's what you're comfortable with.
 
Last edited:
860lacov said:
Great machnie.
Currently not available in my country :)
Click to expand...

Another laptop line that you can get actual Linux information on is the Framework laptops. When they release their AMD CPU powered version that might be very attractive for Linux and FreeBSD.
 
I decided to buy Lenovo p14s g4 amd
I'll buy it form Germany because they have 32GB model.
The company that sells this model offers lcd check for bad pixels. The wrote on their we page that if any pixel is bad that they will replace a laptop for brand new before sending to me.
The cos of this service sir 17 euros. Is it worth it?
 
I've not had a new laptop show up with dead pixels in many generations - check into Lenovo's RMA policy on this before you do anything. Either way this is probably a question you should answer for yourself based on your own comfort level. I personally find insurance to be an unnecessary added cost in any scenario where not having it isn't catastrophic (and to me a dead pixel is far from catastrophic).
 
860lacov said:
I decided to buy Lenovo p14s g4 amd
I'll buy it form Germany because they have 32GB model.
The company that sells this model offers lcd check for bad pixels. The wrote on their we page that if any pixel is bad that they will replace a laptop for brand new before sending to me.
The cos of this service sir 17 euros. Is it worth it?
Click to expand...
Meh, not worth it. I've seen hundreds and hundreds of HP, Lenovo, Acer and Asus laptops and have never seen a dead pixel. QC in general has become quite good, ThinkPad and Pro/EliteBook is even better. We recently had a batch of 60ish Acer laptops (not my choice, unfortunately) and no dead pixels. Monitors on the other hand are a completely different beast, especially Asus.

EDIT: Huh, how funny, the battery in my ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 AMD is a bit bigger even though it's a 13" model.
 
Quigly said:
I've not had a new laptop show up with dead pixels in many generations - check into Lenovo's RMA policy on this before you do anything. Either way this is probably a question you should answer for yourself based on your own comfort level. I personally find insurance to be an unnecessary added cost in any scenario where not having it isn't catastrophic (and to me a dead pixel is far from catastrophic).
Click to expand...
Maybe not catastrophic but very hard to live with. I'm not diagnosed but I believe that I have quite strong ocd.
And I asked mostly to see an answer like yours. Never saw a dead pixel on a laptop... :)
Lenovos rma policy doesn't matter here.
It is the shop offer that they can check screen and replace a laptop to a new one.


Anoniem said:
Meh, not worth it. I've seen hundreds and hundreds of HP, Lenovo, Acer and Asus laptops and have never seen a dead pixel. QC in general has become quite good, ThinkPad and Pro/EliteBook is even better. We recently had a batch of 60ish Acer laptops (not my choice, unfortunately) and no dead pixels. Monitors on the other hand are a completely different beast, especially Asus.

EDIT: Huh, how funny, the battery in my ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 AMD is a bit bigger even though it's a 13" model.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I don't remember if I saw a dead pixel on a laptop too.

And yes. Battery thing is hilarious ;)
 
I took some time but im ready to buy a laptop. I have one more question.
Till today I thought that p14s is equivalent to t14s. But it's not. It's t14 equivalent.

And it seems that it is made of plastic and not magnesium alloy. Is that a very bad thing? Is the build quality much worse?
 
860lacov said:
And it seems that it is made of plastic and not magnesium alloy.
Click to expand...
Depends on coloraration. My T14s gen 3 AMD has both magnesium alloy cover and carbon fiber reinforced plastic base. It's a "classic black" thinkpad, not the new "thunder gray" models. YMMV.
 
860lacov said:
I took some time but im ready to buy a laptop. I have one more question.
Till today I thought that p14s is equivalent to t14s. But it's not. It's t14 equivalent.

And it seems that it is made of plastic and not magnesium alloy. Is that a very bad thing? Is the build quality much worse?
Click to expand...
What most people miss is that there are loads of different plastics, which all behave differently. Plastic is not a bad thing, what does matter for durability is how it is used. Second is the shore hardness, harder isn't always better. I could go on, I won't. The plastic in most high end laptops like the ThinkPads is fine, just be responsible with it, like any other piece of tech.
 
Anoniem said:
What most people miss is that there are loads of different plastics, which all behave differently. Plastic is not a bad thing, what does matter for durability is how it is used. Second is the shore hardness, harder isn't always better. I could go on, I won't. The plastic in most high end laptops like the ThinkPads is fine, just be responsible with it, like any other piece of tech.
Click to expand...
Yeah there are a million different grades and thicknesses in plastic. Even rugged laptops like the Panasonic toughbooks use the stuff, just higher grade and thickness obviously.
 
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