Which are your preferred laptops?

foremanguy@lemmy.ml to Linux@lemmy.ml – 78 points –

Hey, I wanna know your preferred laptops, used is better and to run Linux on it. Something with at least 16gb and 512 SSD is good. Budget range. Thank you!

78

If you're on a small budget, look for older ThinkPad laptops, you can get them for good prices and in good condition and Linux works very well on them.

For mid-range try to find an older Dell XPS 13, they sold those as certified Linux devices nicknamed "Developer Edition" and with an Ubuntu LTS version preinstalled. I have one of those and I run Arch on it. It runs perfectly fine. Also: superb build quality! It's a very great device.

Thx

Not all Thinkpads work equally well. For the best experience, get an all-Intel one, from one of the more expensive business lines, like the T-series. Consumer models are definitely worse, because employees of big Linux-using tech firms are getting the pro models.

So it's preferable to take a x, p or t series?

I personally went with a P15 model and have been beyond happy with mine. Got that numpad too 🙌

I haven't kept up with all the various lines they're up to now, but that looks about right. Also obviously doesn't hurt to google the exact model. Someone I know got an old tabletty Thinkpad with a touchscreen (don't know what model) and on that one the webcam doesn't work on Linux, so something like that can happen.

What problems with AMD Ryzen? I've been happy with them, except one that had excessive power drain on suspend.

Maybe it's fine with now, but I looked into a Ryzen Thinkpad a couple of years ago and Linux users reported problems with something (maybe power management?).

Also note that Thinkpads up to a couple of years ago (when soldering RAM became a thing) are mostly trivial to open and upgrade RAM / drives, so you don't have to care about those and can pick up a bargain (look to T480 at the moment (not the TN screen tho), or whatever is 3 years or so old, as that's the corporate fleets that are getting dumped onto the market).

And decently easy to repair / have repaired at a computer shop, wether its the battery, RAM, CPU, keyboard, screen, or any and I mean ANY of the external connectors!

A "factory seconds" framework 13 might fit your budget, and you get a laptop that is easily repairable and upgradeable. The 11th gen i7 version that starts at $500 is what I have been using for a couple of years now and still runs great.

They also have refurbished laptops, but those seem to start a little bit more expensive.

Love my 11th gen framework, but there is an issue with the 11th gens where the CMOS battery will die rather quickly. If it does die then the laptop needs to be plugged in to turn on, even if it is fully charged. Framework is aware of the issue and will send a free replacement battery or, if you can solder, a mod that will eliminate the issue for good.

Still love framework and would definitely recommend them - but the 11th gen line (their first product) has a few gotchas

I often skip first gens hence why I got a 12th gen and then upgraded it to a 7040 series. Super happy with the battery life and performance.

I'm thinking about buying a Framework 13 myself, but I worry the keyboard will be a huge downgrade on my current ThinkPad T480. Are the Framework keyboards any good?

I have no complaints with the framework keyboard, is there a particular issue you're concerned about? The track pad is almost apple quality. Certainly better than most laptops I've used.

ams

No concerns, just that a bad keyboard can completely ruin a laptop for me (XPS being one). It's all subjective I guess. After posting the above I came across an entire thread on the subject, most saying the keyboard is good enough. Anyway, I ordered a Framework 13 after reading those comments. Thanks for the reply.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but you can use pretty much anything you like, as long as it isn't brand new or extremely old.
Even stuff with Nvidia GPUs and stuff.
Even MS Surface devices work decently.

Thing is, for a really smooth experience, where you don't feel like a second class citizen, and everything works ootb, proper support is advantageous.

I have a Dell XPS laptop, and it works fine. Sometimes, the WiFi switches itself off, and I have to restart the connection, but other than that, everything is flawless.
Thinkpads are great too, since they are also used heavily in offices, where they get thrown out or sold cheaply. Maybe ask there.

I personally would recommend something that you can repair yourself, or at least change the battery and memory.

I wouldn’t recommend macs in general. Anything with a touch bar (intels from ca 2018-19 and on) are tricky to get to run Linux at all, anything with apple silicon is very experimental, and the older models have Broadcom Wi-Fi that doesn’t ship with drivers on any distribution I know of.

This is a pity because MacBooks pro from ca 2013-2015 are great; cheap second hand because they’re out of support in macOS, good screens, excellent build quality and fast enough for anything you want to do with them.

They're cheap because the battery is just about old enough to become a danger pillow.

Not entirely true, I’m running Ubuntu on MBP 2017 (non-Touchbar). WiFi works out of the box, only touchbar models have problems. They are using another antenna. Only thing that doesn’t work out of the box are FaceTime webcam and sound. There are drivers for those. One thing to note tho, Intel MBP especially those thin ones can get very hot and fans might blast.

Thanks! I thought the problem was the T2 chip and I thought the non touchbar macs had them too, but it’s been a while since I looked into this. I have a machine with a broken touchbar that could plausibly run something that isn’t macOS and was very disappointed when I realised I essentially had to install special distros with some kernel patch or something on it.

ThinkPads are my go-to. I just got an X1 Carbon Gen 9 (i5, 16GB) for $350 and put Fedora on it after upgrading the SSD to 1TB. It’s a beautiful laptop.

Of course, there’s the tried and true T480. Love that thing, especially if you get the right display panel and touchpad upgrades. Swappable batteries, upgradeable RAM. Those laptops can be had for cheap on eBay. Also check r/hardwareswap or the Discord for ThinkPad deals.

XPS 13 units can do well with Linux, too. I’m just a ThinkPad fan.

Definitely. I got a T470s that had barely been used for business purposes on eBay for 100€. It's a great machine. Lots of I/O, great IPS touchscreen, great backlit keyboard, great trackpad, great build quality, awesome form factor, good battery life (about 6-8 hours). If you need a cheap laptop, get a used ThinkPad. They're the best bang for the buck imo

I've been wanting to find an alternative to Thinkpads since Lenovo bought them, but despite them not being what they used to be, I just haven't been happy with any alternatives. I'm hopeful for Framework improving on their modularity, and the System76 in-house design that's in the works has me intrigued.

Right now I'm looking forward to their eventual redesign of the Z series. I doubt they'll do it, but I'd love a light workstation class version of the Z16, with slightly higher end graphics, and a vapor chamber. I'm also hopeful that they work on Linux support for their ARM offerings, and bring back the X13s that they offered with Snapdragon 8 a couple years back.

I only had bad experiences with an XPS, then I found out that the Linux model was a cut down version so that Dell didnt have to support the fingerprint reader and other gadgets.

Lenovo at the time were working with Fedora to get all their fingerprint drivers upstreamed so the choice seemed obvious.

AMD T14 Gen 2, and it's still great.

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Few years old Dell laptop, they are incredible, even easy to open and repair, parts available everywhere, BIOS update even after 5 or 6 years.

You can buy a few years old Latitude for maybe $200, 14", i5 8th gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, wifi, bt, webcam, usb-c, name it.

Being 8th gen it runs win11, but they also run Linux pretty well, I'm running MX Linux (debian based) on them and everything is supported.

example https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115672158079

I've had good experiences with most modern Dell Laptops. Also Thinkpads. What's "budget range" to you?

Wouldn't go really beyond 600 bucks And old or new thinkpads?

New ish. My current Thinkpad is a P14s Gen 1 with a Ryzen 4750U 16GB of RAM, and it came with a 512GB SSD. I paid just under $300 for it on eBay and well worth the cost. I wouldn't get anything that is still a TXXX variant anymore though (e g. T490), they simplified the product line. So T490 was replaced by the E14 Gen 1, and the P14s Gen 1 is an AMD variant.

Highly recommend. One thing worth noting though is to double check the fingerprint reader if you desire that, the E14 Gen 1 has a reader not compatible with Linux in a functional way. The P14s Gen 1 however does.

Fingerprint readers are definitely hit or miss... If you care make sure it was originally specced for linux (usually at least Red Hat), then you're probably good for any distro.

They're pretty insecure anyway, my current P14s Gen1 has a working fingerprint reader on Silverblue but I haven't really used it.

In the past, ThinkPads, but my next one will probably be an ARM-based one for the performance and power efficiency (e.g. Snapdragon X Elite).

there is a x13s arm thinkpad that can run pmos and other distros

its also snapdragon based

HP EliteBook 840 G5 or other EliteBook models. Even on Debian everything works fine after a clean install (including special keys), they never die and have a pleasant design. You can get one second hand, modern i7 (8th gen +) CPU + 16 GB of RAM for around 500€.

My HP envy x360 AMD with Fedora here. Build quality is really good and the laptop has a nice design.

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My "budget" until my new laptop was "hey you just got a new pc? What was wrong with your old one? Slow as hell? Can I buy it cheap and tinker?"

Friends/family always give me the best price especially when they think it's just "too old" and think I'm crazy, they don't know the problem is windows.

@foremanguy92_
Not that cheap, but very good and 100% linux compatible:
https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/de/TUXEDO-Pulse-14-Gen4.tuxedo

I have heard mixed opinions about this brand, are they really that good?

@stuckgum I bought a PC there ~six years ago and a Laptop ~3 years ago. Both are still runnig quite good, no hardware or linux based problems. Only with windows in dualboot... 😉️
I had once contact to the service (windows dualboot...) and they could help me quick.
So the only thing I could complain about would be the price.

I did have a couple of issues with a model with an nvidia video card, but the tuxedo tech I got in contact with took great care to troubleshoot the issue with me and report the issue up to the Dev team that works with nvidia. So compatibility may not be 100% but the service is great. Now I got no more issues with it.

I bought a tuxedo laptop about 2 years ago. I've only had one issue with it, where it would go to 100% fan speed for about 2 seconds after turning it on. Other than that I'm really happy with it ☺️

i bought the tuxedo nano (a mini pc but decently powerful), and its not 100% linux compatible. i imagine its better if you install their own distro (maybe) but running arch linux with the standard kernel on it, i've had issues with HPET/TSC (some cpu timekeeping stuff, ruined performance when it happened), the wifi card it came with is known to have issues and i've had plenty (usable, but super slow bandwidth depending on what AP i connect to, and no its not the AP all other devices work fine on it), and some lockups when my usb microphone is connected (sometimes it only crashed the usb hub which i could reset).

NONE of these issues are present running arch linux on my old desktop and 2 work laptops. Support wasnt helpful either.

However, its still my main device, i just had to work around these issues.

edit oh, and the fan is not controllable from linux at all, i've spent hours trying to find a way. i do not know if it's controllable from windows either, maybe it's just the mainboard that doesn't allow fan control at all outside of the UEFI settings.

In a similar vein, I went with a Framework laptop. Expensive, but 100% modular and repairable, with an in-house secondhand marketplace. I have a gen 1, batch 2, and the thing is stunningly manufactured for a startup. Can't say enough good things. Happy hunting!

i like my laptop cause i already have it, and have gotten to know it quite well over the past 16 years, but i wouldn't recommend it. it would be nice to have more than 4gb of memory these days, cause i can't have too many tabs open on firefox without it bogging down.

I bought a ThinkPad new in 2014 for my study for like 1200 euro's. She's still happily purring today. Around 2019 I made the mistake of emptying a cup of tea into the ThinkPad accidentally and then holding it upside down to get the water out. I think I should've just let it leak out of the bottom since the laptop has holes for that, but I panicked. This broke the keyboard, but not the rest of the laptop. I got an official new keyboard for like 100 euro's which came with a tool and the simple instructions, and since then everything has been working flawlessly.

So I recommend ThinkPads, although I can't really say anything about compatibility of new models

Anything that's not an HP...

I don't know what it is with them, but I always have problems with their hardware - generally. Printers, laptops, anything...

But I definitely +1 all the Dell comments

Did you ever try an EliteBook? Even on Debian everything works fine after a clean install (including special keys), they never die and have a pleasant design.

When it comes to expensive laptops, there are plenty of good options for Linux. But for cheaper stuff, your best bet might be a second hand DELL, a model that specifically says that it supports Linux (newer models use some new Intel webcams etc that don't have support on linux yet).

I bought a Lenovo about 2 years ago that I've been really happy with. I wanted something with a metal shell because I carry my laptop around sometimes and use it balanced on one hand, and my previous Dell (plastic) started flexing and having weird issues with the TouchPad as a result. The Lenovo has been solid. I'm running Kubuntu on it, but my plan is to go Debian at some point.

I also have a Lenovo E16 G1 and it's great. Everything worked out of the box (Manjaro and XFCE) and that's pretty much all there is to say about it.

I wanted a thin and light laptop for travel, I was looking between an X1 Carbon 9th gen, or a HP dragonfly gen 2, I ended up scoring a HP with a i5-1145g7, 16gb lpddr4 for $275 on eBay.

Dell Latitude 5000 series are usually bought by corporations for employees. They are made of sturdy metal, and have features like backlit keyboards and physical trackpad buttons. Then, after 2-3 years, or if they have some minor problem, they end up in a giant stack that either never gets diagnosed, or just gets sent to recycling.

I have had fantastic luck getting a couple of these either direct from the company I'm working for, or from ebay or a company that recycles laptops. They usually don't actually have a problem, and if they do, parts are readily available on ebay. You can end up with a high-spec laptop from just a few years ago for practically nothing.

I have an old Lenovo W550s Thinkpad with a 2GB Dedicated Nvidia and an i5 5500U. It's got two batteries and sips power. It's only 4 cores, but for what I run it does great. I get fairly consistent 60fps on low settings for "boomer shooters" like Selaco. The thing is an absolute beast and hardly flexes. The plastic is cracked and I can just hand it to my kids without a care in the world. Dump a drink on it, drop it, I could care less. I had them help me change out the RAM and SSD because it's essentially bound for the dumpster and any value I get out of it is the cherry on top.

That and I can run pretty much and retro gaming console on it to about the Wii/GameCube, which blows my mind. All for probably like $200 of hardware.

I'm on my second Lenovo in a row, they seem to be really good for Linux. Actually the previous one did get a drink dumped on it too, and it didn't phase it at all. The 5 key is a little sticky sometimes but otherwise works fine.

I might be tempted to get a Framework for my next one though, if I can get the cash together for a 16.

I just bought the Slimbook Executive and although there's I'm not a fan of the charger, it's a beast.

I like running Linux on my Lenovo Ideapad. It wasn't expensive and has everything I want, including easily running Linux.

The only thing is it's not a popular laptop so it doesn't have accessories, like cases or whatever.

I used to prefer ThinkPads but I've moved on. I have had lots of reliability problems with them over the past few years. I had keys fall off a newer ThinkPad keyboard (which wasn't user replaceable) and another new ThinkPad just die under warranty and the repair person damaged it further when trying to fix it.

I am on System76 now and have no issues and they do good things like right to repair and Coreboot.

If I had to choose a single laptop for everything, it would be the Toughbook 40. I have one for work and it has a 1200 nit display. It runs Ubuntu LTS perfectly. It costs several thousand dollars new but has swapable components, multiple batteries, and part availability is measured in decades. You can get an older CF-31 or CF-54 for a few hundred dollars and still find new components for it.

Are running 2 Dell's at home with Linux desktop on them. A 7280 and a 7480 model. Support for drivers etc just works. Dell get's A+ from me in regards to ease of use with support for Linux. HP's, not so much - what a struggle....

HP EliteBook 840 G5 or another EliteBook model. Even on Debian everything works fine after a clean install (including special keys), they never die and have a pleasant design.

We are using 845 G8/9/10/11 (AMDs) at work and from my testing with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS I have the opposite experience - nothing works. First problem as I recall (+1 year since I tested) was wifi driver problems.

Maybe that's a specific Ubuntu thing?

Maybe - but I seem to recall also checking out Debian testing also = no joy.

I was always happy with everything I got from Lenovo (mostly ThinkPads but also IdeaPad), both cheap ones, used and new ones, always worked without any problems.

I'm ok with the XPS 13 from Dell but I had some problems, they needed to replace the motherboard and when you hold it it bends a bit and does register a click on the touchpad.

I hated my Tuxedo laptop, very expensive and very bad quality, had to send it in to repair twice and after a year I gave up on it because it was so broken and bought a used ThinkPad.

I have 2 lenovos (ideapad and yoga) and a pinebook. I'm happy with all of them, though I'm happiest with the pinebook and yoga's impressive battery lives

I cannot say that I have done extensive testing, but the Acer Swift 315-51G and Gigabyte Aero WV8 that I have both worked fine with Linux with zero prior research on my part. No issues with any drivers, even the SD card readers, although I have not checked the fingerprint sensor on the Acer. Maybe I have just been lucky.

Both have hybrid Nvidia graphics, though, and 10-series and prior hybrid graphics especially, as I understand, have issues with high idle power usage unless you manually disable the dGPU when not gaming, which I had to do using envycontrol and nearly doubled my battery life on both. I might avoid hybrid dGPUs and especially older ones unless you need that.

Used laptop-wise, I agree with others that a used business laptop like a Dell would probably be your best bet.

Thinkpads, macs and dells are what I use.

They’re cheap and have lots of spare parts lying around.

Plus one for Dell. I get some 4 year old decommissioned dells from my company and a 5300 is now my daily driver

I am gonna get a shit ton of hate for this... MacBook air. Yes, I am on a Linux sublemmy, saying that I like macs but the hardware is just too good to justify spending money on a x86 laptop.

Though, those new snapdragon X Elite laptops do look pretty spicy... Too bad they weren't yet announced when I bought my Mac.