6 ms·

This might be the first Ryzen 6800U Linux laptop, which is cool, but it's a bit hard for me to get too excited about it... * One of the biggest selling points

by lhl 4y ago

This might be the first Ryzen 6800U Linux laptop, which is cool, but it's a bit hard for me to get too excited about it... * One of the biggest selling points of Ryzen 6000 is the chip's USB4 support, but looks like the Pangolin won't have it. It also only has 1 USB-C port, which is a bit of a headscratcher in 2023. Does it support PD even? (Not mentioned) * 16:9 FHD display (no brightness specified) - high refresh is nice, but again, weird that it's not 16:10 in 2023 and IMO, QHD would be better for a 15-16" display. * soldered memory (32GB at least) * Numpad keyboard. This will be a positive for some, but I'm in the centered keyboard camp * Only a 70Wh battery and still not so light (1.8kg) While it's running an older chip, if you're not going to have USB4/TB4, and the points I listed are important, I think the Tuxedo Pulse 15 Gen2 is still a better 15" option atm (5700U chip, but lighter, bigger battery, better (still 16:9) display, Ethernet, SODIMM slots). There are some Ubuntu certified ThinkPads that are an option too (they have Ryzen 6000U chips but also no USB4), although almost all the models are w/ soldered RAM on ThinkPads now, which is a bummer. If you want USB4 on AMD, the best (Linux friendly) options right now are probably the Asus G14 GA402 or a ThinkPad Z16. The HP EliteBook G9s are an option as well, although you need Linux 6.0+ to fix a broken HP BIOS update (HP support is also aggressively indifferent to Linux users) and I've seen lots of complaints about the fan curve and the SureView displays so I'm hesitant to recommend it...

ysleepy 4y ago
There is already the ThinkPad P14s G3 AMD with the 6850U PRO. I have the G2 with the 5850U and it performs very well.
- kfajdsl 4y ago
  Yep, basically same here with a T14s G3 also with the 6850U PRO.
kitsunesoba 4y ago
Agreed on preferring a bright 16:10 display. It might seem minor but that was on of the factors that pushed me over the edge to buy a ThinkPad X1 Nano instead of a Lemur Pro a couple of years ago. I'm also not into numpads on laptops. Not that they aren't useful sometimes, but the they push the alpha cluster and trackpad off-center which is uncomfortable to type on which is hard to justify with how little I personally need one — a standalone numpad that I pull out of a drawer during tax season or whenever makes a lot more sense. Ultimately I think 15"+ laptops should offer keyboard options with and without numpads.
doublepg23 4y ago
I’m holding out hope on System76 designing truly custom hardware and we reach the fabled “MacBook of Linux” someday. As of now their Clevo rebadges don’t appeal to me, though their “custom” desktops do.
- Entinel 4y ago
  I think Framework is the closest thing to that.
  - doublepg23 4y ago
    It’s idealistic but I do like System76’s Linux first approach.
    - lhl 4y ago
      While the Framework maybe isn't 100% Linux first, Linux is definitely treated as a "first class citizen": https://frame.work/linux https://frame.work/linux with active (dedicated) first party support: https://community.frame.work/tag/linux https://community.frame.work/tag/linux (Matt Hartley, the new Linux Support Lead was formerly providing technical support at System76) I ended up going with a Framework last year as an upgrade since I liked the display (3:2 HiDPI 400nit+ 13.5") and form upgradability, but also because the official Framework forums was by far the best Linux laptop forum I've seen online. As long as you can deal w/ 5-6h of battery life, I can highly recommend it as one of the best Linux ultraportable laptops (although I'm really hoping that there's a Ryzen 7040 motherboard upgrade coming...). My review/notes on the 12th Gen Framework w/ Arch Linux: https://github.com/lhl/linuxlaptops/wiki/2022-Framework-Laptop-DIY-Edition-12th-Gen-Intel-Batch-1 https://github.com/lhl/linuxlaptops/wiki/2022-Framework-Lapt...
- deaddodo 4y ago
  I mean, it wouldn't even be hard for them to partner with someone like ASUS, Acer, etc to produce semi-custom hardware. The strict Clevo-based hardware will always turn me away from buying from them when I can get multiple AMD 6000-based laptops from Asus that run Linux fine (after a wifi-card swap, the MediaTek's they use are useless); and have superior build qualities.
p1necone 4y ago
On the screen - after using 3:2 and 16:9 laptops, I'll never go back to 16:9 again, so it's a definite deal breaker for me.
- ddejohn 4y ago
  I absolutely cannot go back to 16:9 after the last few years with various 3:2 laptops. What's funny is that I rock a 32:9 for my desktop PC at home.
  - aqfamnzc 4y ago
    Why is 3:2 better?
    - p1necone 4y ago
      The extra vertical space is better for reading stuff, and looking at code. It also allows for smaller laptops with the same usable screen space - they don't need to be as wide.
      - KennyBlanken 4y ago
        I think you have that backwards. Wider screen formats allow for a proper size keyboard (and speakers) without having to have a massive palm rest and very tall screen.
  - phkahler 4y ago
    I rock a 55" curved 4k TV (16x9) on my home desktop. To watch TV I move the desk chair and sit on my couch on the opposite wall. I can't explain how efficient this setup is in a small apartment.
INTPenis 4y ago
It might seem like nitpicking but I'm actually on your side here, as a consumer. It's been a struggle to find a 1440 AMD laptop, I have one that I'm happy with for travel. (Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Carbon Gen 6) I also don't want it to be too big, for travel, so numpad is out for me. The Slim 7 feels like a toy, but it's actually just very, very light, and made of plastic. It creeks, yes, but it's very, very light. This is more important to me when it's on my back, than being out of metal.
- tormeh 4y ago
  Tuxedo Computers sells the Pulse 15 with a centered keyboard, 1440p 165Hz screen, and AMD CPU+iGPU. Pretty nice laptop, except the integrated microphone is a bit shit.
  - akvadrako 4y ago
    These are also Clevo rebrands and I find mostly pretty poor user reviews.
    - lhl 4y ago
      The Pulse 15 Gen 2 is actually a refresh of the Tong Fang (not Clevo) PF5NU1G (that fixes most of the major complaints I had with the original version (multi-monitor support, better & brighter display, dual M.2 slots). I was quite happy with mine, as were almost all the user reviews I read (Here's mine: https://github.com/lhl/linuxlaptops/wiki/2020-MECHREVO-Code-01-PF5NU1G https://github.com/lhl/linuxlaptops/wiki/2020-MECHREVO-Code-...).
  - INTPenis 4y ago
    They sold it, the Tuxedo 15 gen2 has a full sized keyboard, too big for me.
- hiyer 4y ago
  Check out the Asus Rog zephyrus g14 [1]. I have the 2021 version (which is only FHD) and it's quite light and runs cool. 1. https://rog.asus.com/laptops/rog-zephyrus/rog-zephyrus-g14-2023-series/ https://rog.asus.com/laptops/rog-zephyrus/rog-zephyrus-g14-2...
andreareina 4y ago
I have a 14” QHD laptop (framework) and it’s really awkward without fractional scaling. I don’t know that 20-25% more screen space would really fix that.
- joombaga 4y ago
  Agreed. Love the size and aspect ratio, I just wish it was a bit higher resolution so I could use 200% scaling.
- yellowapple 4y ago
  I just don't scale anything on mine. Obviously not ideal for everyone, but I tend to want to cram as much into the screen as possible.
  - andreareina 4y ago
    Alas my eyes aren't that good :)
Night_Thastus 4y ago
16:10? That's a dead format. It was seeing some popularity around ~2006 but quickly died out as 16:9 took over. 21:9 is the popular ultra-widescreen option. 16:9 is the popular regular option. Acting like 16:10 is the direction the industry is going is just bizarre.
- icegreentea2 4y ago
  There has been a very recent (last year or two) mild resurgence in 16:10 in some segments of the market. For example, while the Thinkpad T14 is still 16:9, the T14s, X1 Carbon, some of the P line are 16:10. The most recent XPS 13 and 15 are also 16:10.
- ptero 4y ago
  I prefer 16:10 to 16:9 by far. While the difference might feel small, the usability improvement from seeing more lines of code is very noticeable for me.
- spijdar 4y ago
  I'll give a good faith reply to this, many laptops in recent years have moved to a 16:10 aspect ratio. MacBooks have used it (infamously) since the late 2000s, while brands like Dell have recently shifted (some of) their XPS laptops to 16:10 displays. My understanding is it's become very popular across "macbook like" ultraportables in all the major brands for its greater vertical resolution.
  - Night_Thastus 4y ago
    Thank you for the response. I mostly stick to the desktop space, and haven't seen it for over a decade, nor did I see it when shopping for laptops recently. But that's interesting if they are.
- philliphaydon 4y ago
  > Acting like 16:10 is the direction the industry is going is just bizarre. The industry is moving to 16:10… The last 3 laptops I bought are all 16:10. The 2022 Dell XPS 15 I got last year is 16:10. It’s bizarre you’re unaware the industry is moving in this direction…
Nullabillity 4y ago
Personally I'm super happy to see FHD@15" make a return. I have pretty ok eyesight, but QHD@15" is unreadable without fractional scaling (which will probably be usable… right around the same time as Wayland and fusion energy).

by lhl 4y ago

ysleepy 4y ago

There is already the ThinkPad P14s G3 AMD with the 6850U PRO. I have the G2 with the 5850U and it performs very well.

kfajdsl 4y ago
Yep, basically same here with a T14s G3 also with the 6850U PRO.

kitsunesoba 4y ago

Agreed on preferring a bright 16:10 display. It might seem minor but that was on of the factors that pushed me over the edge to buy a ThinkPad X1 Nano instead of a Lemur Pro a couple of years ago. I'm also not into numpads on laptops. Not that they aren't useful sometimes, but the they push the alpha cluster and trackpad off-center which is uncomfortable to type on which is hard to justify with how little I personally need one — a standalone numpad that I pull out of a drawer during tax season or whenever makes a lot more sense. Ultimately I think 15"+ laptops should offer keyboard options with and without numpads.

doublepg23 4y ago

I’m holding out hope on System76 designing truly custom hardware and we reach the fabled “MacBook of Linux” someday. As of now their Clevo rebadges don’t appeal to me, though their “custom” desktops do.

Entinel 4y ago
I think Framework is the closest thing to that.
- doublepg23 4y ago
  It’s idealistic but I do like System76’s Linux first approach.
  - lhl 4y ago
    While the Framework maybe isn't 100% Linux first, Linux is definitely treated as a "first class citizen": https://frame.work/linux https://frame.work/linux with active (dedicated) first party support: https://community.frame.work/tag/linux https://community.frame.work/tag/linux (Matt Hartley, the new Linux Support Lead was formerly providing technical support at System76) I ended up going with a Framework last year as an upgrade since I liked the display (3:2 HiDPI 400nit+ 13.5") and form upgradability, but also because the official Framework forums was by far the best Linux laptop forum I've seen online. As long as you can deal w/ 5-6h of battery life, I can highly recommend it as one of the best Linux ultraportable laptops (although I'm really hoping that there's a Ryzen 7040 motherboard upgrade coming...). My review/notes on the 12th Gen Framework w/ Arch Linux: https://github.com/lhl/linuxlaptops/wiki/2022-Framework-Laptop-DIY-Edition-12th-Gen-Intel-Batch-1 https://github.com/lhl/linuxlaptops/wiki/2022-Framework-Lapt...
deaddodo 4y ago
I mean, it wouldn't even be hard for them to partner with someone like ASUS, Acer, etc to produce semi-custom hardware. The strict Clevo-based hardware will always turn me away from buying from them when I can get multiple AMD 6000-based laptops from Asus that run Linux fine (after a wifi-card swap, the MediaTek's they use are useless); and have superior build qualities.

p1necone 4y ago

On the screen - after using 3:2 and 16:9 laptops, I'll never go back to 16:9 again, so it's a definite deal breaker for me.

ddejohn 4y ago
I absolutely cannot go back to 16:9 after the last few years with various 3:2 laptops. What's funny is that I rock a 32:9 for my desktop PC at home.
- aqfamnzc 4y ago
  Why is 3:2 better?
  - p1necone 4y ago
    The extra vertical space is better for reading stuff, and looking at code. It also allows for smaller laptops with the same usable screen space - they don't need to be as wide.
    - KennyBlanken 4y ago
      I think you have that backwards. Wider screen formats allow for a proper size keyboard (and speakers) without having to have a massive palm rest and very tall screen.
- phkahler 4y ago
  I rock a 55" curved 4k TV (16x9) on my home desktop. To watch TV I move the desk chair and sit on my couch on the opposite wall. I can't explain how efficient this setup is in a small apartment.

INTPenis 4y ago

It might seem like nitpicking but I'm actually on your side here, as a consumer. It's been a struggle to find a 1440 AMD laptop, I have one that I'm happy with for travel. (Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Carbon Gen 6) I also don't want it to be too big, for travel, so numpad is out for me. The Slim 7 feels like a toy, but it's actually just very, very light, and made of plastic. It creeks, yes, but it's very, very light. This is more important to me when it's on my back, than being out of metal.

tormeh 4y ago
Tuxedo Computers sells the Pulse 15 with a centered keyboard, 1440p 165Hz screen, and AMD CPU+iGPU. Pretty nice laptop, except the integrated microphone is a bit shit.
- akvadrako 4y ago
  These are also Clevo rebrands and I find mostly pretty poor user reviews.
  - lhl 4y ago
    The Pulse 15 Gen 2 is actually a refresh of the Tong Fang (not Clevo) PF5NU1G (that fixes most of the major complaints I had with the original version (multi-monitor support, better & brighter display, dual M.2 slots). I was quite happy with mine, as were almost all the user reviews I read (Here's mine: https://github.com/lhl/linuxlaptops/wiki/2020-MECHREVO-Code-01-PF5NU1G https://github.com/lhl/linuxlaptops/wiki/2020-MECHREVO-Code-...).
- INTPenis 4y ago
  They sold it, the Tuxedo 15 gen2 has a full sized keyboard, too big for me.
hiyer 4y ago
Check out the Asus Rog zephyrus g14 [1]. I have the 2021 version (which is only FHD) and it's quite light and runs cool. 1. https://rog.asus.com/laptops/rog-zephyrus/rog-zephyrus-g14-2023-series/ https://rog.asus.com/laptops/rog-zephyrus/rog-zephyrus-g14-2...

andreareina 4y ago

I have a 14” QHD laptop (framework) and it’s really awkward without fractional scaling. I don’t know that 20-25% more screen space would really fix that.

joombaga 4y ago
Agreed. Love the size and aspect ratio, I just wish it was a bit higher resolution so I could use 200% scaling.
yellowapple 4y ago
I just don't scale anything on mine. Obviously not ideal for everyone, but I tend to want to cram as much into the screen as possible.
- andreareina 4y ago
  Alas my eyes aren't that good :)

Night_Thastus 4y ago

16:10? That's a dead format. It was seeing some popularity around ~2006 but quickly died out as 16:9 took over. 21:9 is the popular ultra-widescreen option. 16:9 is the popular regular option. Acting like 16:10 is the direction the industry is going is just bizarre.

icegreentea2 4y ago
There has been a very recent (last year or two) mild resurgence in 16:10 in some segments of the market. For example, while the Thinkpad T14 is still 16:9, the T14s, X1 Carbon, some of the P line are 16:10. The most recent XPS 13 and 15 are also 16:10.
ptero 4y ago
I prefer 16:10 to 16:9 by far. While the difference might feel small, the usability improvement from seeing more lines of code is very noticeable for me.
spijdar 4y ago
I'll give a good faith reply to this, many laptops in recent years have moved to a 16:10 aspect ratio. MacBooks have used it (infamously) since the late 2000s, while brands like Dell have recently shifted (some of) their XPS laptops to 16:10 displays. My understanding is it's become very popular across "macbook like" ultraportables in all the major brands for its greater vertical resolution.
- Night_Thastus 4y ago
  Thank you for the response. I mostly stick to the desktop space, and haven't seen it for over a decade, nor did I see it when shopping for laptops recently. But that's interesting if they are.
philliphaydon 4y ago
> Acting like 16:10 is the direction the industry is going is just bizarre. The industry is moving to 16:10… The last 3 laptops I bought are all 16:10. The 2022 Dell XPS 15 I got last year is 16:10. It’s bizarre you’re unaware the industry is moving in this direction…

Nullabillity 4y ago

Personally I'm super happy to see FHD@15" make a return. I have pretty ok eyesight, but QHD@15" is unreadable without fractional scaling (which will probably be usable… right around the same time as Wayland and fusion energy).