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The ideal Linux laptop is one with just Intel integrated, and no discrete GPU. Honestly, Intel GPUs are decent enough, even if you want to do some mild gaming.

The ideal Linux laptop is one with just Intel integrated, and no discrete GPU. Honestly, Intel GPUs are decent enough, even if you want to do some mild gaming. Handing two GPUs on a laptop in Linux doesn't have the best support. A lot of the Optimus/Bumblebee stuff is not very well maintained.

dmix 7y ago
True, I don't do any laptop gaming. Intel GPU's seem to be sufficient as long as it can easily power a full HiDPI internal monitor + 4k external monitor... which Librem's Intel 620 GPU is listed as supporting but it looks like Librem's 15 v4 only has an HDMI port and not usb-c/displayport, which limits it to 4096x2160@30Hz instead of 4096x2304@60Hz. So I guess you'd have to look at Lenovo, HP etc for top tier.. Sadly my work uses all Macbrook Pros, which are amazing machines), but I'm scared to install Archlinux on them. The Archlinux Macbook wiki pages are 4yrs+ old.
- heftig 7y ago
  Don't overestimate the Intel GPUs. My current system uses a 530 which is getting pushed to its limits trying to render the desktop at 60 Hz, either UHD on AC or FHD on battery. Forget UHD on battery, that doesn't even manage to move the cursor at more than 10 fps. IMO the ideal GPU for a UHD screen would be either an Iris or a Vega 10. But it's difficult to find the former outside MacBooks and the latter with more than an FHD screen.
ardani 7y ago
Last I used Optimus my CPU desoldered itself. Gaming on Linux was vaguely toleable while it lasted but I'm back to Windows.
girvo 7y ago
> even if you want to do some mild gaming Just to back this up, I've recently bought a non-touchbar 13" MBP from 2016, and been amazed at the amount of games I've been able to play no issues on the Intel graphics in it.
- izacus 7y ago
  Can you list some of them? Since my MBP with much faster Radeon 460 is struggling even with new isometric games like Pillars of Eternity 2 or games like Stellaris.

dmix 7y ago

True, I don't do any laptop gaming. Intel GPU's seem to be sufficient as long as it can easily power a full HiDPI internal monitor + 4k external monitor... which Librem's Intel 620 GPU is listed as supporting but it looks like Librem's 15 v4 only has an HDMI port and not usb-c/displayport, which limits it to 4096x2160@30Hz instead of 4096x2304@60Hz. So I guess you'd have to look at Lenovo, HP etc for top tier.. Sadly my work uses all Macbrook Pros, which are amazing machines), but I'm scared to install Archlinux on them. The Archlinux Macbook wiki pages are 4yrs+ old.

heftig 7y ago
Don't overestimate the Intel GPUs. My current system uses a 530 which is getting pushed to its limits trying to render the desktop at 60 Hz, either UHD on AC or FHD on battery. Forget UHD on battery, that doesn't even manage to move the cursor at more than 10 fps. IMO the ideal GPU for a UHD screen would be either an Iris or a Vega 10. But it's difficult to find the former outside MacBooks and the latter with more than an FHD screen.

ardani 7y ago

Last I used Optimus my CPU desoldered itself. Gaming on Linux was vaguely toleable while it lasted but I'm back to Windows.

girvo 7y ago

> even if you want to do some mild gaming Just to back this up, I've recently bought a non-touchbar 13" MBP from 2016, and been amazed at the amount of games I've been able to play no issues on the Intel graphics in it.

izacus 7y ago
Can you list some of them? Since my MBP with much faster Radeon 460 is struggling even with new isometric games like Pillars of Eternity 2 or games like Stellaris.