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Is there some hardware limitation of AMD Ryzen laptop processors that prevents a high-res display? Every time I see one of these laptops (like the recent HP li

Is there some hardware limitation of AMD Ryzen laptop processors that prevents a high-res display? Every time I see one of these laptops (like the recent HP linux laptop, etc), I think they look really interesting except that I wish they had a higher res display - I've not seen any Ryzen laptop with what I'd call a premium display - something high DPI.

azangru 4y ago
> Is there some hardware limitation of AMD Ryzen laptop processors that prevents a high-res display? It's probably a limitation of the company they source the laptops from (Clevo?) :-) The recently announced Tuxedo Pulse 2 [0] has a 1440p display; and the teased Starlabs Starfighter [1] is expected to come with a 4K display. Both are AMD laptops. === [0] - https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Linux-Hardware/Notebooks/15-16-inch/TUXEDO-Pulse-15-Gen2.tuxedo https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Linux-Hardware/Notebooks/... [1] - https://9to5linux.com/star-labs-teases-the-starfighter-linux-laptop-with-4k-display-amd-or-intel-processors https://9to5linux.com/star-labs-teases-the-starfighter-linux...
- _odey 4y ago
  The Tuxedo Pulse 2 looks amazing. They really addressed all of the complaints we had (purchased at the beginning of the year for our company). I still have minor nitpicks with it, but those pale in comparison with the display port upgrade they did.
  - mariusor 4y ago
    For me the worst on the Pulse is the battery. Had to change one after one year and the new one is losing charge at a seemingly higher pace than other machines. :(
    - lhl 4y ago
      I have a 2y old PF5NU1G (a second run Mechrevo CODE 01) as well, and the battery has decayed to ~73Wh (from a 91Wh original design). The one bright side is that the replacement battery, PFIDG-03-13-3S2P-0, seems to be pretty cheap ($60, shipped by boat from China) if you know you're going to stick to the same laptop for a while... https://www.aliexpress.com/i/3256803017144797.html https://www.aliexpress.com/i/3256803017144797.html
- Schinken_ 4y ago
  I didn't even see the Gen2 release. I own the Gen1 after much consideration (and very nice community management from Tom over at the XMG Subreddit). I got it in December of 2021 for about 600 Euros. (Great Deal). I know I am very susceptible to "the new shiny" and already have the itch to go for the Gen2 since it really brings some amazing improvements to the table. Mainly more external displays. The rest is nice to have (wouldn't have needed >60Hz panel to be honest). Oh and the Gen1 USB-C charging only works with a subset of all available USB-C chargers. Probably some kind of incompatibility with the IC on the motherboard. [1] If you're thinking about getting it, I can (at least for Gen1) vouch for it. To clarify: Tuxedocomputers is a subsidiary(?) of XMG/Schenker. Their "Pulse 15" is equivalent to Schenker's "Via 15 Pro". [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/XMG_gg/comments/jx3220/validated_usbc_chargers_for_xmg_schenker_laptops/ https://www.reddit.com/r/XMG_gg/comments/jx3220/validated_us...
  - lhl 4y ago
    I also liked that they fixed the biggest niggles w/ Gen2 (higher DPI display, 2 x M.2 storage, DP1.4 w/ the USB-C - rare to see any OEM actually fix the shortcomings of the previous verson). If it were a Ryzen 6000, I'd almost definitely upgrade, however, per Tuxedo's announcement [1], the 35W 5700U (Lucienne, so Zen2, not even Zen3 core) basically just matches the 54W 4800H in performance - great from a noise/heat/power efficiency perspective, but sadly, a total sidegrade when it comes to perf. "This way the 5700U reaches the already high-end performance from its AMD Ryzen 7 4800H-54-watts-equipped predecessor, but it comes with significantly better power efficiency, delivering on-par-performance with over 30% less power consumption!" [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/tuxedocomputers/comments/vrb1me/tuxedo_pulse_15_gen2_successor_with_wqhd_display/ https://www.reddit.com/r/tuxedocomputers/comments/vrb1me/tux... I agree that the Gen1 was one of the best Linux laptops around, and the Gen2 is an improvement in every way. My original review from 2y ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/hunyv6/my_mechrevo_code01_tongfang_pf5nu1g_review/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/hunyv6/my_mechr...
  - lhl 4y ago
    Also, interesting about that charging chart. I was able to use basically every 65W and 100W USB-C charger I had (about 5 different ones over the years) and also 4 different 100W-capable batteries (Zendure SuperTank, SuperTank+, Baseus Blade, and Shargeek Storm 2) w/o problems (the SuperTank is listed as having issues). I wonder if some of the reported incompatibilities were due to bad USB-C cables...
dhzhzjsbevs 4y ago
Intel does a fair bit of exclusivity deals to prevent vendors from making certain pairings. It also didn't help that amd mobile CPUs were budget options for a long time. Manufacturers haven't caught on to the demand yet really.
geokon 4y ago
Matebook 16 Amazing laptop. I'm never going back to a small screen or a non 3:2 screen Very hard to source though. Had to have it shipped specially from China
- abdusco 4y ago
  How is the serviceability? Can you swap ssd / battery?
  - geokon 4y ago
    nothing special in that department.. It's not a framework You can see the notebookcheck review for details: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Huawei-MateBook-16-AMD-Review-Multimedia-laptop-impresses-with-its-Ryzen-7-CPU.575022.0.html https://www.notebookcheck.net/Huawei-MateBook-16-AMD-Review-... My main concern would be procuring parts. I'd have to order them over Taobao and then have them forwarded and wait a while. Fingers crossed nothing comes up..
    - abdusco 4y ago
      Better get a battery replacement before you need it. It becomes really difficult to find replacement parts after a couple of years because the device is not "popular" and most sellers stop keeping stock.
- ClumsyPilot 4y ago
  that looks like an interesting machine, reasonably priced
  - geokon 4y ago
    Especially if you purchase on Taobao/VMall - then it's under $1K. I think they also sell a version in Germany, but the price is marked up a lot
- dark-star 4y ago
  I wonder what's with all the "3:2 screen" aficionados recently. Some years ago, a 3:4 screen was considered "bad" and "unusable" and 16:9 or 16:10 was what you needed to have. Now 16:9 is bad and 3:2 (pretty close to 4:3) is back in business? Is this just about chasing the latest fad? I mean 16:9 or even 16:10 has so much horizontal space that it's perfect if you do software development for example. Why is it so common now to give that up for more vertical space?
sudosysgen 4y ago
None, I have an AMD Ryzen laptop with a highres display (1440p), and there are with 4k displays. It's just that a loooooot of laptops you're seeing are going to be rebrands of these ones.
sneak 4y ago
It's a gpu power consumption/battery life issue. Putting a high res display in an Air clone ("ultrabook") means poor battery life unless you can also make a very efficient GPU (which so far only Apple has done). The battery life on my 4k XPS13 is atrocious and it gets hot enough to burn my thighs.
- Silica6149 4y ago
  Battery life vs display resolution is always a balancing act. Even macbooks don't have 4k displays for this reason. Makes me wonder why manufacturers opt to make so many 4k laptops compared to 2k ones.
  - sneak 4y ago
    4k looks vastly better and many laptop users seldom or rarely run off battery for more than an hour or so.
    - Silica6149 4y ago
      While I agree that my laptop gets used plugged in most of the time, it is nice for it to last a while for the occasions when I'm away from an outlet (which I argue would be the primary benefit of using a laptop).
  - kitsunesoba 4y ago
    Economies of scale. Factories are pumping out huge numbers of 4K panels while the more balanced panels Apple uses are likely made to order. So in most cases it’s probably cheaper for manufacturers to use 4K panels, despite their problems.
IYasha 4y ago
Can you please explain what use hi DPI displays have in general? I bought one and it was almost nothing but disappointment except viewing photos. For me it concludes as purely wasted computational (and electrical) power.
- ChuckNorris89 4y ago
  Fonts and GUI elements look much sharper. After going HighDPI i can't go back.
  - usrn 4y ago
    Honestly adwaita will look like crap no matter what the resolution is. (And before you get upset about the Gnome dev's feelings getting hurt, they've decided that this is the best theme and no one should ever use anything different.)
    - ChuckNorris89 4y ago
      That's why I use KDE, since I saw how Gnome devs treat font rendering issues from the community[1]. And for some reason this is the most popular linux DE. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. [1] https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/3787 https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/3787
      - usrn 4y ago
        You're not crazy, whatever Redhat decides eventually becomes popular because that's what people get paid to work with. It's very similar to the situation with Windows. Also, I think most desktop Linux users that care probably use a small WM rather than either Gnome or KDE. Gnome also gets a lot of attention because GTK is easier to work with than QT.
        skeletal88 4y ago
        I care but I don't understand the craziness about tiling wms, xfce etc. I like the convenience that KDE provides for me. To me the guys who casually always mention "btw yeah I'm using this tiling wm and ..." are just smugly showing off, like vegans or people who own too expensive bicycles.
jeffalyanak 4y ago
It's not a hardware limitation, but many vendors are still using AMD only in their budget SKUs and using Intel in their flagships. Since the AMD SKUs are aimed at a different price-point, they generally don't have higher end display options.
eertami 4y ago
High DPI on something like a phone screen makes sense since it is often used so close to the face - but are people really getting this close to their computer displays? For a 1080p 14" screen, and a person with 20:20 vision, you would need to be closer than 50cm to the screen to be able to discern any visual differences. Hackernews has lots of people who like to claim they can tell the difference, but the science of visual acuity is against them and they never back up these claims with studies or experiments. Given a blind A/B test at a normal desk viewing distance, I'm doubtful any of these people would be able to pick out the difference between 1080p and 4k on a screen so small.
- seltzered_ 4y ago
  High DPI displays have been available for a decade, since the 2012 retina macbook pro. "Science of visual acuity" aside, the difference is noticeable. I use a tablet pc and find it bizarre some vendors sell the m with 1080p displays when it's meant to be used closer to the face at be times. 2-in-1 budget laptops also have the same issue when using 1080p panels
- unrealhoang 4y ago
  Read this article: https://tonsky.me/blog/monitors/ https://tonsky.me/blog/monitors/. There's simply not enough pixel to render character correctly on non-hiDPI displays.
  - eertami 4y ago
    I have two laptops, one with a high DPI display (Macbook), and one with a regular 1080p screen. Both running Linux. There is quite zero difference viewing text at a regular viewing distance. If I move uncomfortably close to the screen, I can of course make out the changes. The examples on this page do not work because they do not take into account viewing distance.
- fomine3 4y ago
  Difference is pretty obvious. I'm 100% sure to pass ABX test. Is it seriously needed is different question. I strongly prefer it but I can live without it.
ClumsyPilot 4y ago
everyone talking about HiDPI, but everyone seems to miss display brightness. Standard displays are 200 - 300 nits, woefully inadequate if you are going to use it on the balcony, terrace or even near a big window. Very limiting if you open a laptop and it's unreadable. For the first time I splashed out on a premium 4K monitor 32", and at 600 nits you forget the word glare - there is no glare if the screen is brighter than the sun.
- dotancohen 4y ago
  Which sunglasses do you code with?
  - jagger27 4y ago
    My eyes can’t handle the dimly lit room they once could, especially not when reading code. 400 nits is a minimum for me now.
- kitsunesoba 4y ago
  Yes, this is crazy frustrating. The problem isn’t exclusive to boutique Linux laptops either, a lot of manufacturers use terribly dim panels that are barely usable in a well-daylight-lit room, and exacerbating it they’re glossy with extremely ineffective antiglare coating, which adds a thick layer of glare that the dim backlight doesn’t have a prayer of cutting through. Even expensive laptops can have this problem… I briefly owned a $2k+ ASUS ROG G15 that had an otherwise nice screen (15.6” 2560x1440 144hz IPS satin finish), but had a 300 nit backlight which rendered all that moot except at night. This is one of those things that Apple nails. The MacBooks I’ve used for work have all had displays bright enough to handle a bright room with ease with very little glare despite being glossy. My Thinkpad X1 Nano also has a matte 500 nit display that’s quite nice.
deleted 4y ago
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virtualritz 4y ago
Nope. See e.g. my reply here elsewhere about the Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro. These are available since a while with ~240ppoi screens (3.2×2k). I.e.the 2021 model already had that resolution. Also Huawei's MateBook laptop series has been offering AMD CPUs + HDPI screens since years, afaik.
usrn 4y ago
If I were to buy a new laptop I'd probably avoid high DPI displays. I can display fonts small enough that I can't read them even though the screen can resolve them on the older 1080p screen my thinkpad has. All the high DPI means is extra trouble and I think they know this.
sturza 4y ago
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro has 2880*1800 ~ 3k 90hz display with Ryzen 5800h
lhl 4y ago
This laptop is a refresh based on the Tong Fang PF5NU1G chassis. Tuxedo just announced their version, the Pulse 15 Gen2 that has a WQHD 2560x1440 165Hz 350 nit display: https://www.reddit.com/r/tuxedocomputers/comments/vrb1me/tuxedo_pulse_15_gen2_successor_with_wqhd_display/ https://www.reddit.com/r/tuxedocomputers/comments/vrb1me/tux... There's no limitation for Ryzen itself, it's largely up to the ODM/OEM to decide. For example, Lenovo and Asus have multiple QHD/4K options for Ryzen 5000 and 6000 series (iGPU-only) laptops (just do a search for Yogas, Thinkpads, Zenbook, Vivobook, etc). Note, certain designs might have display limitations. A couple years ago, for the 1st gen PF5NU1G, Schenker tried to get a 4K OLED panel to run, but failed due to PCON compatibility and then sourcing/logistics issues: https://www.reddit.com/r/XMG_gg/comments/izg598/no_4koled_panel_on_schenker_via_15_pro_sorry/ https://www.reddit.com/r/XMG_gg/comments/izg598/no_4koled_pa...
- gigatexal 4y ago
  How's the keyboard on the Pulse 2 from someone who might be very partial to loud, clickety, far travel, mechanical keyboards? How does Linux do with the high refresh rate display? Does it destroy battery life like I imagine?
  - gpm 4y ago
    I don't know how high refresh rate displays affect battery life, but in the worst case I imagine you could turn down the refresh rate when you aren't interested in using it (certainly refresh rate is tunable in X11).
  - lhl 4y ago
    If you want a mechanical keyboard, you should probably carry your own, as even the "mechanical" keyboards on laptops like the Eluktronics Mech 15 are IMO pretty lackluster. The NuPhy Air 75 fits exactly over the keyboard deck, btw, so that'd be my recommendation (replaced an Anne Pro I was using, which felt better, but was much bulkier. A Keychron low-profile might work as well, but I can't confirm whether it'll sit on the deck properly or not w/o having to disable the built-in keyboard. In terms of the built-in keyboard feel, it's adequate. I would say that it reminds me of the keyboards on early-2000s Apple TiBooks. For the previous gen (and in my copy as well) there were reports of slight unevenness of the keyboard deck, although it was more of a curiousity than an actual issue in day-to-day use.
leeoniya 4y ago
currently on a Lenovo P14s with an excellent matte 4k, color calibrated, bright display and Ryzen Pro 5850u. EndeavourOS (Arch) with KDE/Plasma works great.
syockit 4y ago
I have a 4K display AMD Ryzen laptop (Asus ROG Flow X13 2021 edition), so yes it's actually possible. The Japanese fonts look really pretty when everything is scaled 200% (to be equivalent to 2K display). But I value real estate so I still have everything on 100%. For some reason, the 2022 edition lineup no longer offers 4K display.
starptech 4y ago
Thinkpad T14 Gen2 is shipped with (14") 4K UHD (3.840 x 2.160), IPS with Dolby Vision™, 500 cd/m² and Ryzen 5850U. Linux certified.
- minimaul 4y ago
  Hm, that's not available on Lenovo's UK store that I can find :( Maybe it's also a regional issue. edit: or the US store? shows me a T14 Gen 2 (AMD) - Up to AMD Ryzen™ 7 Pro 5850U Processor, Up to 14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, anti-glare, touchscreen with Privacy Guard or T14 Gen2 (Intel) - Up to 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7 with vPro™, Up to 14" UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS, anti-glare with Dolby Vision™
  - starptech 4y ago
    I bought it from a re-seller. On ThinkPad Germany it is also sold out.
trynumber9 4y ago
Nope. Even HP sells a 13 inch 2560x1600 Ryzen laptop for about $700. Asus goes even higher resolution on their 13 inch OLED at 2880x1800 but it costs more. But I'm not sure there is a difference between 1920 and 2560 for most users at 13-14 inches.
bedast 4y ago
It depends on what you're looking for. There's been a withdrawal on focusing on 4K displays in laptops. Most of them exist as a marketing point, but provide no ancillary benefits. One thing you might notice is "low res" displays tend to support things like higher refresh rates, might have better color and HDR I have an ROG Flow X13 2021 with the 1980x1200 display. This "low res" display supports higher refresh rates, variable refresh rate, has good color and HDR support, and works quite well for a 13" laptop.
bedast 4y ago
I've seen Ryzen 5000 series laptops with premium displays. I wouldn't consider 4K to be the only metric for that, though. My current Ryzen 5900HS laptop (from 2021) gave me the option of a 1920x1200 display or 3840x2400 at a lower refresh rate. Both displays have good color support, HDR, etc, but I went for the 1920x1200 display model for the smoother experience. When I came out of laser eye surgery, I ended up with exceptional vision. I'd have to pixel peep to see a difference between those 2 display options. I would have preferred something that met half way in the middle, but this DPI is fine for the display size. Outside of that, I get good color accuracy, good brightness with HDR, and the high refresh rate with adaptive sync makes for a very smooth experience. Do we not consider features like that also premium?
oblak 4y ago
I guess you weren't looking hard enough. I am writing this on a fairly light and slim machine, equipped with Ryzen 5800 and a 16:10 2560x1600 @ 120Hz display. I used to have a 14 inch model with an even higher resolution at same refresh rate. Both were ~1k euro, depending on exact configuration.
rez9x 4y ago
My experience has been that Linux is bad at scaling HiDPI. Maybe KDE is better. In Linux-specific forums and chats, I've seen many people comment that they go out of their way to buy a 1080p display to avoid the scaling issues.

azangru 4y ago

> Is there some hardware limitation of AMD Ryzen laptop processors that prevents a high-res display? It's probably a limitation of the company they source the laptops from (Clevo?) :-) The recently announced Tuxedo Pulse 2 [0] has a 1440p display; and the teased Starlabs Starfighter [1] is expected to come with a 4K display. Both are AMD laptops. === [0] - https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Linux-Hardware/Notebooks/15-16-inch/TUXEDO-Pulse-15-Gen2.tuxedo https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Linux-Hardware/Notebooks/... [1] - https://9to5linux.com/star-labs-teases-the-starfighter-linux-laptop-with-4k-display-amd-or-intel-processors https://9to5linux.com/star-labs-teases-the-starfighter-linux...

_odey 4y ago
The Tuxedo Pulse 2 looks amazing. They really addressed all of the complaints we had (purchased at the beginning of the year for our company). I still have minor nitpicks with it, but those pale in comparison with the display port upgrade they did.
- mariusor 4y ago
  For me the worst on the Pulse is the battery. Had to change one after one year and the new one is losing charge at a seemingly higher pace than other machines. :(
  - lhl 4y ago
    I have a 2y old PF5NU1G (a second run Mechrevo CODE 01) as well, and the battery has decayed to ~73Wh (from a 91Wh original design). The one bright side is that the replacement battery, PFIDG-03-13-3S2P-0, seems to be pretty cheap ($60, shipped by boat from China) if you know you're going to stick to the same laptop for a while... https://www.aliexpress.com/i/3256803017144797.html https://www.aliexpress.com/i/3256803017144797.html
Schinken_ 4y ago
I didn't even see the Gen2 release. I own the Gen1 after much consideration (and very nice community management from Tom over at the XMG Subreddit). I got it in December of 2021 for about 600 Euros. (Great Deal). I know I am very susceptible to "the new shiny" and already have the itch to go for the Gen2 since it really brings some amazing improvements to the table. Mainly more external displays. The rest is nice to have (wouldn't have needed >60Hz panel to be honest). Oh and the Gen1 USB-C charging only works with a subset of all available USB-C chargers. Probably some kind of incompatibility with the IC on the motherboard. [1] If you're thinking about getting it, I can (at least for Gen1) vouch for it. To clarify: Tuxedocomputers is a subsidiary(?) of XMG/Schenker. Their "Pulse 15" is equivalent to Schenker's "Via 15 Pro". [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/XMG_gg/comments/jx3220/validated_usbc_chargers_for_xmg_schenker_laptops/ https://www.reddit.com/r/XMG_gg/comments/jx3220/validated_us...
- lhl 4y ago
  I also liked that they fixed the biggest niggles w/ Gen2 (higher DPI display, 2 x M.2 storage, DP1.4 w/ the USB-C - rare to see any OEM actually fix the shortcomings of the previous verson). If it were a Ryzen 6000, I'd almost definitely upgrade, however, per Tuxedo's announcement [1], the 35W 5700U (Lucienne, so Zen2, not even Zen3 core) basically just matches the 54W 4800H in performance - great from a noise/heat/power efficiency perspective, but sadly, a total sidegrade when it comes to perf. "This way the 5700U reaches the already high-end performance from its AMD Ryzen 7 4800H-54-watts-equipped predecessor, but it comes with significantly better power efficiency, delivering on-par-performance with over 30% less power consumption!" [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/tuxedocomputers/comments/vrb1me/tuxedo_pulse_15_gen2_successor_with_wqhd_display/ https://www.reddit.com/r/tuxedocomputers/comments/vrb1me/tux... I agree that the Gen1 was one of the best Linux laptops around, and the Gen2 is an improvement in every way. My original review from 2y ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/hunyv6/my_mechrevo_code01_tongfang_pf5nu1g_review/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/hunyv6/my_mechr...
- lhl 4y ago
  Also, interesting about that charging chart. I was able to use basically every 65W and 100W USB-C charger I had (about 5 different ones over the years) and also 4 different 100W-capable batteries (Zendure SuperTank, SuperTank+, Baseus Blade, and Shargeek Storm 2) w/o problems (the SuperTank is listed as having issues). I wonder if some of the reported incompatibilities were due to bad USB-C cables...

dhzhzjsbevs 4y ago

Intel does a fair bit of exclusivity deals to prevent vendors from making certain pairings. It also didn't help that amd mobile CPUs were budget options for a long time. Manufacturers haven't caught on to the demand yet really.

geokon 4y ago

Matebook 16 Amazing laptop. I'm never going back to a small screen or a non 3:2 screen Very hard to source though. Had to have it shipped specially from China

abdusco 4y ago
How is the serviceability? Can you swap ssd / battery?
- geokon 4y ago
  nothing special in that department.. It's not a framework You can see the notebookcheck review for details: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Huawei-MateBook-16-AMD-Review-Multimedia-laptop-impresses-with-its-Ryzen-7-CPU.575022.0.html https://www.notebookcheck.net/Huawei-MateBook-16-AMD-Review-... My main concern would be procuring parts. I'd have to order them over Taobao and then have them forwarded and wait a while. Fingers crossed nothing comes up..
  - abdusco 4y ago
    Better get a battery replacement before you need it. It becomes really difficult to find replacement parts after a couple of years because the device is not "popular" and most sellers stop keeping stock.
ClumsyPilot 4y ago
that looks like an interesting machine, reasonably priced
- geokon 4y ago
  Especially if you purchase on Taobao/VMall - then it's under $1K. I think they also sell a version in Germany, but the price is marked up a lot
dark-star 4y ago
I wonder what's with all the "3:2 screen" aficionados recently. Some years ago, a 3:4 screen was considered "bad" and "unusable" and 16:9 or 16:10 was what you needed to have. Now 16:9 is bad and 3:2 (pretty close to 4:3) is back in business? Is this just about chasing the latest fad? I mean 16:9 or even 16:10 has so much horizontal space that it's perfect if you do software development for example. Why is it so common now to give that up for more vertical space?

sudosysgen 4y ago

None, I have an AMD Ryzen laptop with a highres display (1440p), and there are with 4k displays. It's just that a loooooot of laptops you're seeing are going to be rebrands of these ones.

sneak 4y ago

It's a gpu power consumption/battery life issue. Putting a high res display in an Air clone ("ultrabook") means poor battery life unless you can also make a very efficient GPU (which so far only Apple has done). The battery life on my 4k XPS13 is atrocious and it gets hot enough to burn my thighs.

Silica6149 4y ago
Battery life vs display resolution is always a balancing act. Even macbooks don't have 4k displays for this reason. Makes me wonder why manufacturers opt to make so many 4k laptops compared to 2k ones.
- sneak 4y ago
  4k looks vastly better and many laptop users seldom or rarely run off battery for more than an hour or so.
  - Silica6149 4y ago
    While I agree that my laptop gets used plugged in most of the time, it is nice for it to last a while for the occasions when I'm away from an outlet (which I argue would be the primary benefit of using a laptop).
- kitsunesoba 4y ago
  Economies of scale. Factories are pumping out huge numbers of 4K panels while the more balanced panels Apple uses are likely made to order. So in most cases it’s probably cheaper for manufacturers to use 4K panels, despite their problems.

IYasha 4y ago

Can you please explain what use hi DPI displays have in general? I bought one and it was almost nothing but disappointment except viewing photos. For me it concludes as purely wasted computational (and electrical) power.

ChuckNorris89 4y ago
Fonts and GUI elements look much sharper. After going HighDPI i can't go back.
- usrn 4y ago
  Honestly adwaita will look like crap no matter what the resolution is. (And before you get upset about the Gnome dev's feelings getting hurt, they've decided that this is the best theme and no one should ever use anything different.)
  - ChuckNorris89 4y ago
    That's why I use KDE, since I saw how Gnome devs treat font rendering issues from the community[1]. And for some reason this is the most popular linux DE. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. [1] https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/3787 https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/3787
    - usrn 4y ago
      You're not crazy, whatever Redhat decides eventually becomes popular because that's what people get paid to work with. It's very similar to the situation with Windows. Also, I think most desktop Linux users that care probably use a small WM rather than either Gnome or KDE. Gnome also gets a lot of attention because GTK is easier to work with than QT.
      - skeletal88 4y ago
        I care but I don't understand the craziness about tiling wms, xfce etc. I like the convenience that KDE provides for me. To me the guys who casually always mention "btw yeah I'm using this tiling wm and ..." are just smugly showing off, like vegans or people who own too expensive bicycles.

jeffalyanak 4y ago

It's not a hardware limitation, but many vendors are still using AMD only in their budget SKUs and using Intel in their flagships. Since the AMD SKUs are aimed at a different price-point, they generally don't have higher end display options.

eertami 4y ago

High DPI on something like a phone screen makes sense since it is often used so close to the face - but are people really getting this close to their computer displays? For a 1080p 14" screen, and a person with 20:20 vision, you would need to be closer than 50cm to the screen to be able to discern any visual differences. Hackernews has lots of people who like to claim they can tell the difference, but the science of visual acuity is against them and they never back up these claims with studies or experiments. Given a blind A/B test at a normal desk viewing distance, I'm doubtful any of these people would be able to pick out the difference between 1080p and 4k on a screen so small.

seltzered_ 4y ago
High DPI displays have been available for a decade, since the 2012 retina macbook pro. "Science of visual acuity" aside, the difference is noticeable. I use a tablet pc and find it bizarre some vendors sell the m with 1080p displays when it's meant to be used closer to the face at be times. 2-in-1 budget laptops also have the same issue when using 1080p panels
unrealhoang 4y ago
Read this article: https://tonsky.me/blog/monitors/ https://tonsky.me/blog/monitors/. There's simply not enough pixel to render character correctly on non-hiDPI displays.
- eertami 4y ago
  I have two laptops, one with a high DPI display (Macbook), and one with a regular 1080p screen. Both running Linux. There is quite zero difference viewing text at a regular viewing distance. If I move uncomfortably close to the screen, I can of course make out the changes. The examples on this page do not work because they do not take into account viewing distance.
fomine3 4y ago
Difference is pretty obvious. I'm 100% sure to pass ABX test. Is it seriously needed is different question. I strongly prefer it but I can live without it.

ClumsyPilot 4y ago

everyone talking about HiDPI, but everyone seems to miss display brightness. Standard displays are 200 - 300 nits, woefully inadequate if you are going to use it on the balcony, terrace or even near a big window. Very limiting if you open a laptop and it's unreadable. For the first time I splashed out on a premium 4K monitor 32", and at 600 nits you forget the word glare - there is no glare if the screen is brighter than the sun.

dotancohen 4y ago
Which sunglasses do you code with?
- jagger27 4y ago
  My eyes can’t handle the dimly lit room they once could, especially not when reading code. 400 nits is a minimum for me now.
kitsunesoba 4y ago
Yes, this is crazy frustrating. The problem isn’t exclusive to boutique Linux laptops either, a lot of manufacturers use terribly dim panels that are barely usable in a well-daylight-lit room, and exacerbating it they’re glossy with extremely ineffective antiglare coating, which adds a thick layer of glare that the dim backlight doesn’t have a prayer of cutting through. Even expensive laptops can have this problem… I briefly owned a $2k+ ASUS ROG G15 that had an otherwise nice screen (15.6” 2560x1440 144hz IPS satin finish), but had a 300 nit backlight which rendered all that moot except at night. This is one of those things that Apple nails. The MacBooks I’ve used for work have all had displays bright enough to handle a bright room with ease with very little glare despite being glossy. My Thinkpad X1 Nano also has a matte 500 nit display that’s quite nice.

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virtualritz 4y ago

Nope. See e.g. my reply here elsewhere about the Xiaomi RedmiBook Pro. These are available since a while with ~240ppoi screens (3.2×2k). I.e.the 2021 model already had that resolution. Also Huawei's MateBook laptop series has been offering AMD CPUs + HDPI screens since years, afaik.

usrn 4y ago

If I were to buy a new laptop I'd probably avoid high DPI displays. I can display fonts small enough that I can't read them even though the screen can resolve them on the older 1080p screen my thinkpad has. All the high DPI means is extra trouble and I think they know this.

sturza 4y ago

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro has 2880*1800 ~ 3k 90hz display with Ryzen 5800h

lhl 4y ago

This laptop is a refresh based on the Tong Fang PF5NU1G chassis. Tuxedo just announced their version, the Pulse 15 Gen2 that has a WQHD 2560x1440 165Hz 350 nit display: https://www.reddit.com/r/tuxedocomputers/comments/vrb1me/tuxedo_pulse_15_gen2_successor_with_wqhd_display/ https://www.reddit.com/r/tuxedocomputers/comments/vrb1me/tux... There's no limitation for Ryzen itself, it's largely up to the ODM/OEM to decide. For example, Lenovo and Asus have multiple QHD/4K options for Ryzen 5000 and 6000 series (iGPU-only) laptops (just do a search for Yogas, Thinkpads, Zenbook, Vivobook, etc). Note, certain designs might have display limitations. A couple years ago, for the 1st gen PF5NU1G, Schenker tried to get a 4K OLED panel to run, but failed due to PCON compatibility and then sourcing/logistics issues: https://www.reddit.com/r/XMG_gg/comments/izg598/no_4koled_panel_on_schenker_via_15_pro_sorry/ https://www.reddit.com/r/XMG_gg/comments/izg598/no_4koled_pa...

gigatexal 4y ago
How's the keyboard on the Pulse 2 from someone who might be very partial to loud, clickety, far travel, mechanical keyboards? How does Linux do with the high refresh rate display? Does it destroy battery life like I imagine?
- gpm 4y ago
  I don't know how high refresh rate displays affect battery life, but in the worst case I imagine you could turn down the refresh rate when you aren't interested in using it (certainly refresh rate is tunable in X11).
- lhl 4y ago
  If you want a mechanical keyboard, you should probably carry your own, as even the "mechanical" keyboards on laptops like the Eluktronics Mech 15 are IMO pretty lackluster. The NuPhy Air 75 fits exactly over the keyboard deck, btw, so that'd be my recommendation (replaced an Anne Pro I was using, which felt better, but was much bulkier. A Keychron low-profile might work as well, but I can't confirm whether it'll sit on the deck properly or not w/o having to disable the built-in keyboard. In terms of the built-in keyboard feel, it's adequate. I would say that it reminds me of the keyboards on early-2000s Apple TiBooks. For the previous gen (and in my copy as well) there were reports of slight unevenness of the keyboard deck, although it was more of a curiousity than an actual issue in day-to-day use.

leeoniya 4y ago

currently on a Lenovo P14s with an excellent matte 4k, color calibrated, bright display and Ryzen Pro 5850u. EndeavourOS (Arch) with KDE/Plasma works great.

syockit 4y ago

I have a 4K display AMD Ryzen laptop (Asus ROG Flow X13 2021 edition), so yes it's actually possible. The Japanese fonts look really pretty when everything is scaled 200% (to be equivalent to 2K display). But I value real estate so I still have everything on 100%. For some reason, the 2022 edition lineup no longer offers 4K display.

starptech 4y ago

Thinkpad T14 Gen2 is shipped with (14") 4K UHD (3.840 x 2.160), IPS with Dolby Vision™, 500 cd/m² and Ryzen 5850U. Linux certified.

minimaul 4y ago
Hm, that's not available on Lenovo's UK store that I can find :( Maybe it's also a regional issue. edit: or the US store? shows me a T14 Gen 2 (AMD) - Up to AMD Ryzen™ 7 Pro 5850U Processor, Up to 14.0" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, anti-glare, touchscreen with Privacy Guard or T14 Gen2 (Intel) - Up to 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7 with vPro™, Up to 14" UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS, anti-glare with Dolby Vision™
- starptech 4y ago
  I bought it from a re-seller. On ThinkPad Germany it is also sold out.

trynumber9 4y ago

Nope. Even HP sells a 13 inch 2560x1600 Ryzen laptop for about $700. Asus goes even higher resolution on their 13 inch OLED at 2880x1800 but it costs more. But I'm not sure there is a difference between 1920 and 2560 for most users at 13-14 inches.

bedast 4y ago

It depends on what you're looking for. There's been a withdrawal on focusing on 4K displays in laptops. Most of them exist as a marketing point, but provide no ancillary benefits. One thing you might notice is "low res" displays tend to support things like higher refresh rates, might have better color and HDR I have an ROG Flow X13 2021 with the 1980x1200 display. This "low res" display supports higher refresh rates, variable refresh rate, has good color and HDR support, and works quite well for a 13" laptop.

bedast 4y ago

I've seen Ryzen 5000 series laptops with premium displays. I wouldn't consider 4K to be the only metric for that, though. My current Ryzen 5900HS laptop (from 2021) gave me the option of a 1920x1200 display or 3840x2400 at a lower refresh rate. Both displays have good color support, HDR, etc, but I went for the 1920x1200 display model for the smoother experience. When I came out of laser eye surgery, I ended up with exceptional vision. I'd have to pixel peep to see a difference between those 2 display options. I would have preferred something that met half way in the middle, but this DPI is fine for the display size. Outside of that, I get good color accuracy, good brightness with HDR, and the high refresh rate with adaptive sync makes for a very smooth experience. Do we not consider features like that also premium?

oblak 4y ago

I guess you weren't looking hard enough. I am writing this on a fairly light and slim machine, equipped with Ryzen 5800 and a 16:10 2560x1600 @ 120Hz display. I used to have a 14 inch model with an even higher resolution at same refresh rate. Both were ~1k euro, depending on exact configuration.

rez9x 4y ago

My experience has been that Linux is bad at scaling HiDPI. Maybe KDE is better. In Linux-specific forums and chats, I've seen many people comment that they go out of their way to buy a 1080p display to avoid the scaling issues.