9 ms·

All-AMD Ryzen Notebooks for Linux Gamers: USB4, AMD GPU? and PCIe-Gen-4.0

26 points by opengears 3y ago

sfn42 3y ago
Well good luck with that. I'm sure the dozen or so Linux laptop gamers in the world will be ecstatic. I mean why wouldn't you buy a machine incapable of sufficiently cooling itself under load, with an operating system for which only a small fraction of games run well, to play games? /S
- G4E 3y ago
  Yeah because as everybody knows the steamdeck, which fits exactly your description, was a huge failure. /s.
  - opengears 3y ago
    Lol. Steam deck is such a huge W - they even recently started the "Valve Certified Refurbished" program to satisfy the high demand. https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamdeckrefurbished https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamdeckrefurbished
- opengears 3y ago
  I guess it depends on the ecosystem. For Steam Linux is more used than Mac OS X (still Windows is the most popular). https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/linux-surpasses-the-mac-among-steam-gamers/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/linux-surpasses-the-...
  - alphabettsy 3y ago
    Likely the result of the SteamDeck almost exclusively though right?
    - wiseowise 3y ago
      What difference does it make?
- nonplus 3y ago
  There are multiple Linux powered handhelds at this point that seem to have market traction, they are doing heavy lifting for laptops like this on the software side. I don't know any current figures and don't think quoting forecasts figures for 2027 is helpful. I do think it's getting to the point where starting a game on a steam deck or holoiso is easier/requires less of a user than windows. Anecdotally, every time I turn on a windows machine I'm inundated with updates. My machines using holoiso (steamos build for any x86 hardware) I just start up and they work (assuming no required game updates). https://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/There-Are-Dozens-of-Us-Tobias-Funke-Arrested-Development.gif https://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/There-Are-Do...
- wiseowise 3y ago
  > I'm sure the dozen or so Linux laptop gamers in the world will be ecstatic. https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2023/04-apr/omdia-steam-deck-installed-base-to-surpass-three-million-during-2023 https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2023/04-apr/omdia-steam-de... And that’s only Steam Deck. > only a small fraction of games run well, to play games? ????? You mean most games from previous gen consoles and thousand PC games? https://www.protondb.com/explore https://www.protondb.com/explore
sylware 3y ago
$215 cheaper without windows? Why I have been told windows OEM price is around $20 all along? (windows OEM price should be public info).
- opengears 3y ago
  To be fair, Windows 11 Pro is $215. Win 10 or Win 11 are "cheaper", but still significantly more than $20
  - sylware 3y ago
    So I have been lied to for a decade? Need regulation to make that official public info.
    - opengears 3y ago
      Who lied to you? Microsoft?
      - sylware 3y ago
        open source software user groups fighting the mass default pre-installation of windows on PCs. As far as I could tell...
        mcny 3y ago
        for reference, I am typing this on a minisforum um560XT which is a small desktop with a Ryzen 5600H mobile processor. The whole thing cost me under USD 500 with 500 GB SSD, 32 GB of RAM, and a windows 11 Pro license. Somehow I doubt there was enough room for Minisforum to pay Microsoft USD 215. I would gladly take the USD 215 discount and install an operating system myself if I had a choice.
        opengears 3y ago
        I do not think that the vendor passes on $215 to microsoft, but 215 is what HP is charging their customers
lhl 3y ago
One note, while the author recommends the 1000-nit HP Sureview display, those SureView panels have significant downsides. A short summary from a Notebookcheck review: https://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-EliteBook-865-G9-Laptop-review-1000-nits-Sure-View-display-not-quite-up-to-par.675587.0.html#toc-4 https://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-EliteBook-865-G9-Laptop-rev... But basically, with Sure View, viewing angles are extremely compromised even with the privacy off, brightness and contrast can change w/ head motion/position, there's graininess to the display (due to the Sure View layer itself), and at least last gen's model had a <60Hz PWM, which is awful for eyestrain. While it has an older Zen 3+ CPU, for those looking for an AMD GPU model that plays decently well with Linux, I've heard good things about the 2022 Asus Zephyrus G14. The big bonus is that being last year's model, they're usually on clearance if you can find them in stock.
- opengears 3y ago
  Afaik here the suggestion is to get the ASUS TUF Gaming Advantage A16, but the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 also looks nice! (it is missing USB4, but has AMD Radeon RX 6700S and PCIe 4.0)
  - lhl 3y ago
    Hmm, are you sure that's what the suggestion is because the first line of the Verdict says: "If you want an amazing 1,000 nits (IPS) LCD — go for the HP EliteBook 865 G10, Ryzen"... My comment directly talks about why the Sure View display is objectively not amazing, and has a lot of downsides. Also, I have an older Ryzen laptop with a 250 nit display and to me, it's basically too dark unless you work exclusively in low lighting (even sunlight from office windows made it unpleasant to work with) so I think the TUF would also be hard to recommend unless you really were someone who never looks at their screen (but then, why get a laptop?). The G14's display I'd say is significantly better than either the TUF or the HP's. Personally, I think 350 nits would be my minimum. The G14 has a 500 nit display. It's also DCI-P3 and Pantone validated making it much more color accurate. It's a matte display, supports HDR (largely irrelevant to Linux I know), and supports 120Hz and VRR (it can actually be tweaked to 144Hz and 30-144Hz VRR, which is actually amazing to me [1]). Notebookcheck of course has a review on the display: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ROG-Zephyrus-G14-GA402R-Gaming-Laptop-Review-AMD-Times-Two.608125.0.html#toc-4 https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ROG-Zephyrus-G14-GA402R-G... (much faster pixel response, PWM at 27KHz only at <35% brightness). USB 4 is available on the 2022 G14 via a beta BIOS: https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1049059 https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1049059 [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/ZephyrusG14/comments/w9k8p3/my_g14_2022_1600p_144hz_vrr_settings/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ZephyrusG14/comments/w9k8p3/my_g14_...
clircle 3y ago
What is this insane full page ad on mobile…
littlecranky67 3y ago
I am eagerly waiting for the Framework 16 AMD-based Laptop. First production shipments and thus independent reviews should be available Q4 2023.
- gtvwill 3y ago
  Dead set. Until other companies get ontop of their waste/longevity/upgrade paths. They can duck right off. Frame work laptops or nothing. Ethics of waste > everything else. Apple is a e-waste machine along with dell and hp. Their e-waste for profit should be considered criminally negligent given today's climate. Gross companies are gross. I love that frame.work is providing some option/fight back against the toxic businesses of yesteryear.
  - opengears 3y ago
    Fully agree. Another and more efficient path to prevent waste is to buy aftermarket (second hand) machines, and to use them the longest time possible. There are a few small vendors offering refurbished and modded hardware, for example https://minifree.org https://minifree.org
  - littlecranky67 3y ago
    To me the e-waste is not even the biggest selling point, but rather the ability to configure the HW yourself and adjust to your needs, through the lifetime of the laptop. Especially since I found myself having different needs over several years of usage. I.e. upgrading RAM or Storage at a later point (sad that this is even something special and worth mentioning today), but also change ports between usb-c, usb-a, ethernet, headphone jacks etc. I mean if you want you can build your own framework laptop that has 4 different headphone jacks with input/output (think streaming/podcasting setup).
pella 3y ago
all-AMD : posted on July 9 There are now 85 configurations available in the EU featuring Zen4 and DirectGPU https://geizhals.de/?cat=nb&xf=18367_001+-+(dGPU)%7E19538_17+-+Zen+4+(ab+2022) https://geizhals.de/?cat=nb&xf=18367_001+-+(dGPU)%7E19538_17...
- opengears 3y ago
  But only 5 with AMD dGPU. And all of these 5 are the ASUS TUF Gaming Advantage A16 https://geizhals.de/?cat=nb&xf=17538_00+06+-+(AMD+Mainstream)%7E18367_001+-+(dGPU)%7E19538_17+-+Zen+4+(ab+2022) https://geizhals.de/?cat=nb&xf=17538_00+06+-+(AMD+Mainstream...
bubblethink 3y ago
Despite better paper specs, AMD laptops have numerous issues on linux. Gaming aside, if you want a good productivity laptop, I would advise T/X Intel Thinkpads.
- deaddodo 3y ago
  I use an all-AMD laptop with Linux daily. I haven't noticed any major issues. And, in fact, I have more issues with my Intel/nVidia laptop, especially with regards to power management.
- redeeman 3y ago
  i have an all-amd laptop, works perfectly with linux
  - effie 3y ago
    Also suspend/hibernate/resume? Which brand/model can you recommend?
    - deaddodo 3y ago
      I have the ASUS Zephyrus G14 and it works great. All S-states are supported and function fine. It's Zen3, however. I would assume the Framework 13 or 16 would function equally well and are Zen4-based.
      - effie 3y ago
        That's great. What's the build quality, is it creaky/plasticky like the cheap ones in 2010's, or are they now making it rigid/sturdy like Thinkpads were? (Didn't buy laptop for a looong time.)
        deaddodo 3y ago
        It's plastic, sure (it's a midrange laptop); but solid and definitely not creaky/bendy. The screen housing is the weakest part. Not weak per se, but not as solid as the body. I would recommend watching some video reviews of it and judging for yourself.
cracauer 3y ago
Disappointing that this test doesn't report on how well suspend/resume works.
- opengears 3y ago
  OP here. Suspend/resume worked flawlessly with Archlinux and Kernel 6.4
  - opengears 3y ago
    Correction, the Kernel was newer. 6.5.x. Here is an old probe https://linux-hardware.org/?probe=88cfdb061d https://linux-hardware.org/?probe=88cfdb061d
_d3Xt3r_ 3y ago
There's also the upcoming Thinkpad Z13 Gen 2, which is rumored to come out either this month or next month. I have the Gen 1 with a Zen 3+ CPU and it's been fantastic under Nobara (a gaming-optimized Fedora derivative) - everything works out-of-the-box including suspend/resume, and I get playable framerates even on recent games (40-45 FPS on Diablo 4) under Wine/Proton-GE. Another option is getting a Framework laptop. The Zen 4 Frameworks are expected to start shipping from next month onwards.
effie 3y ago
I'm completely lost on current options in the laptop space, is there some reliable review site focusing on Linux-friendly laptops?
- opengears 3y ago
  You can discuss on https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/ https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/
grecy 3y ago
> Warning: my configuration comes to $4,522.00 I often see people complaining about the "Apple tax" and that Apple sell overpriced hardware. But it seems when directly comparing to a very high quality laptop they are priced like others.
opengears 3y ago
Here are some more online resources about that notebook * Anyone have experience with Asus TUF Gaming A16 2023 Advantage Edition in Linux? (r/AMDlaptops) https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/159mj6i/anyone_have_experience_with_asus_tuf_gaming_a16/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/159mj6i/anyone_... * Asus TUF A16 Advantage Edition (2023) laptop compatibility check (forums linuxmint) https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=400080 https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=400080

26 points by opengears 3y ago

Well good luck with that. I'm sure the dozen or so Linux laptop gamers in the world will be ecstatic. I mean why wouldn't you buy a machine incapable of sufficiently cooling itself under load, with an operating system for which only a small fraction of games run well, to play games? /S

G4E 3y ago
Yeah because as everybody knows the steamdeck, which fits exactly your description, was a huge failure. /s.
- opengears 3y ago
  Lol. Steam deck is such a huge W - they even recently started the "Valve Certified Refurbished" program to satisfy the high demand. https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamdeckrefurbished https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamdeckrefurbished
opengears 3y ago
I guess it depends on the ecosystem. For Steam Linux is more used than Mac OS X (still Windows is the most popular). https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/linux-surpasses-the-mac-among-steam-gamers/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/linux-surpasses-the-...
- alphabettsy 3y ago
  Likely the result of the SteamDeck almost exclusively though right?
  - wiseowise 3y ago
    What difference does it make?
nonplus 3y ago
There are multiple Linux powered handhelds at this point that seem to have market traction, they are doing heavy lifting for laptops like this on the software side. I don't know any current figures and don't think quoting forecasts figures for 2027 is helpful. I do think it's getting to the point where starting a game on a steam deck or holoiso is easier/requires less of a user than windows. Anecdotally, every time I turn on a windows machine I'm inundated with updates. My machines using holoiso (steamos build for any x86 hardware) I just start up and they work (assuming no required game updates). https://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/There-Are-Dozens-of-Us-Tobias-Funke-Arrested-Development.gif https://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/There-Are-Do...
wiseowise 3y ago
> I'm sure the dozen or so Linux laptop gamers in the world will be ecstatic. https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2023/04-apr/omdia-steam-deck-installed-base-to-surpass-three-million-during-2023 https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2023/04-apr/omdia-steam-de... And that’s only Steam Deck. > only a small fraction of games run well, to play games? ????? You mean most games from previous gen consoles and thousand PC games? https://www.protondb.com/explore https://www.protondb.com/explore

sylware 3y ago

$215 cheaper without windows? Why I have been told windows OEM price is around $20 all along? (windows OEM price should be public info).

opengears 3y ago
To be fair, Windows 11 Pro is $215. Win 10 or Win 11 are "cheaper", but still significantly more than $20
- sylware 3y ago
  So I have been lied to for a decade? Need regulation to make that official public info.
  - opengears 3y ago
    Who lied to you? Microsoft?
    - sylware 3y ago
      open source software user groups fighting the mass default pre-installation of windows on PCs. As far as I could tell...
      - mcny 3y ago
        for reference, I am typing this on a minisforum um560XT which is a small desktop with a Ryzen 5600H mobile processor. The whole thing cost me under USD 500 with 500 GB SSD, 32 GB of RAM, and a windows 11 Pro license. Somehow I doubt there was enough room for Minisforum to pay Microsoft USD 215. I would gladly take the USD 215 discount and install an operating system myself if I had a choice.
        opengears 3y ago
        I do not think that the vendor passes on $215 to microsoft, but 215 is what HP is charging their customers

lhl 3y ago

One note, while the author recommends the 1000-nit HP Sureview display, those SureView panels have significant downsides. A short summary from a Notebookcheck review: https://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-EliteBook-865-G9-Laptop-review-1000-nits-Sure-View-display-not-quite-up-to-par.675587.0.html#toc-4 https://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-EliteBook-865-G9-Laptop-rev... But basically, with Sure View, viewing angles are extremely compromised even with the privacy off, brightness and contrast can change w/ head motion/position, there's graininess to the display (due to the Sure View layer itself), and at least last gen's model had a <60Hz PWM, which is awful for eyestrain. While it has an older Zen 3+ CPU, for those looking for an AMD GPU model that plays decently well with Linux, I've heard good things about the 2022 Asus Zephyrus G14. The big bonus is that being last year's model, they're usually on clearance if you can find them in stock.

opengears 3y ago
Afaik here the suggestion is to get the ASUS TUF Gaming Advantage A16, but the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 also looks nice! (it is missing USB4, but has AMD Radeon RX 6700S and PCIe 4.0)
- lhl 3y ago
  Hmm, are you sure that's what the suggestion is because the first line of the Verdict says: "If you want an amazing 1,000 nits (IPS) LCD — go for the HP EliteBook 865 G10, Ryzen"... My comment directly talks about why the Sure View display is objectively not amazing, and has a lot of downsides. Also, I have an older Ryzen laptop with a 250 nit display and to me, it's basically too dark unless you work exclusively in low lighting (even sunlight from office windows made it unpleasant to work with) so I think the TUF would also be hard to recommend unless you really were someone who never looks at their screen (but then, why get a laptop?). The G14's display I'd say is significantly better than either the TUF or the HP's. Personally, I think 350 nits would be my minimum. The G14 has a 500 nit display. It's also DCI-P3 and Pantone validated making it much more color accurate. It's a matte display, supports HDR (largely irrelevant to Linux I know), and supports 120Hz and VRR (it can actually be tweaked to 144Hz and 30-144Hz VRR, which is actually amazing to me [1]). Notebookcheck of course has a review on the display: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ROG-Zephyrus-G14-GA402R-Gaming-Laptop-Review-AMD-Times-Two.608125.0.html#toc-4 https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ROG-Zephyrus-G14-GA402R-G... (much faster pixel response, PWM at 27KHz only at <35% brightness). USB 4 is available on the 2022 G14 via a beta BIOS: https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1049059 https://rog.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1049059 [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/ZephyrusG14/comments/w9k8p3/my_g14_2022_1600p_144hz_vrr_settings/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ZephyrusG14/comments/w9k8p3/my_g14_...

clircle 3y ago

What is this insane full page ad on mobile…

littlecranky67 3y ago

I am eagerly waiting for the Framework 16 AMD-based Laptop. First production shipments and thus independent reviews should be available Q4 2023.

gtvwill 3y ago
Dead set. Until other companies get ontop of their waste/longevity/upgrade paths. They can duck right off. Frame work laptops or nothing. Ethics of waste > everything else. Apple is a e-waste machine along with dell and hp. Their e-waste for profit should be considered criminally negligent given today's climate. Gross companies are gross. I love that frame.work is providing some option/fight back against the toxic businesses of yesteryear.
- opengears 3y ago
  Fully agree. Another and more efficient path to prevent waste is to buy aftermarket (second hand) machines, and to use them the longest time possible. There are a few small vendors offering refurbished and modded hardware, for example https://minifree.org https://minifree.org
- littlecranky67 3y ago
  To me the e-waste is not even the biggest selling point, but rather the ability to configure the HW yourself and adjust to your needs, through the lifetime of the laptop. Especially since I found myself having different needs over several years of usage. I.e. upgrading RAM or Storage at a later point (sad that this is even something special and worth mentioning today), but also change ports between usb-c, usb-a, ethernet, headphone jacks etc. I mean if you want you can build your own framework laptop that has 4 different headphone jacks with input/output (think streaming/podcasting setup).

pella 3y ago

all-AMD : posted on July 9 There are now 85 configurations available in the EU featuring Zen4 and DirectGPU https://geizhals.de/?cat=nb&xf=18367_001+-+(dGPU)%7E19538_17+-+Zen+4+(ab+2022) https://geizhals.de/?cat=nb&xf=18367_001+-+(dGPU)%7E19538_17...

opengears 3y ago
But only 5 with AMD dGPU. And all of these 5 are the ASUS TUF Gaming Advantage A16 https://geizhals.de/?cat=nb&xf=17538_00+06+-+(AMD+Mainstream)%7E18367_001+-+(dGPU)%7E19538_17+-+Zen+4+(ab+2022) https://geizhals.de/?cat=nb&xf=17538_00+06+-+(AMD+Mainstream...

bubblethink 3y ago

Despite better paper specs, AMD laptops have numerous issues on linux. Gaming aside, if you want a good productivity laptop, I would advise T/X Intel Thinkpads.

deaddodo 3y ago
I use an all-AMD laptop with Linux daily. I haven't noticed any major issues. And, in fact, I have more issues with my Intel/nVidia laptop, especially with regards to power management.
redeeman 3y ago
i have an all-amd laptop, works perfectly with linux
- effie 3y ago
  Also suspend/hibernate/resume? Which brand/model can you recommend?
  - deaddodo 3y ago
    I have the ASUS Zephyrus G14 and it works great. All S-states are supported and function fine. It's Zen3, however. I would assume the Framework 13 or 16 would function equally well and are Zen4-based.
    - effie 3y ago
      That's great. What's the build quality, is it creaky/plasticky like the cheap ones in 2010's, or are they now making it rigid/sturdy like Thinkpads were? (Didn't buy laptop for a looong time.)
      - deaddodo 3y ago
        It's plastic, sure (it's a midrange laptop); but solid and definitely not creaky/bendy. The screen housing is the weakest part. Not weak per se, but not as solid as the body. I would recommend watching some video reviews of it and judging for yourself.

cracauer 3y ago

Disappointing that this test doesn't report on how well suspend/resume works.

opengears 3y ago
OP here. Suspend/resume worked flawlessly with Archlinux and Kernel 6.4
- opengears 3y ago
  Correction, the Kernel was newer. 6.5.x. Here is an old probe https://linux-hardware.org/?probe=88cfdb061d https://linux-hardware.org/?probe=88cfdb061d

_d3Xt3r_ 3y ago

There's also the upcoming Thinkpad Z13 Gen 2, which is rumored to come out either this month or next month. I have the Gen 1 with a Zen 3+ CPU and it's been fantastic under Nobara (a gaming-optimized Fedora derivative) - everything works out-of-the-box including suspend/resume, and I get playable framerates even on recent games (40-45 FPS on Diablo 4) under Wine/Proton-GE. Another option is getting a Framework laptop. The Zen 4 Frameworks are expected to start shipping from next month onwards.

effie 3y ago

I'm completely lost on current options in the laptop space, is there some reliable review site focusing on Linux-friendly laptops?

opengears 3y ago
You can discuss on https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/ https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/

grecy 3y ago

> Warning: my configuration comes to $4,522.00 I often see people complaining about the "Apple tax" and that Apple sell overpriced hardware. But it seems when directly comparing to a very high quality laptop they are priced like others.

opengears 3y ago

Here are some more online resources about that notebook * Anyone have experience with Asus TUF Gaming A16 2023 Advantage Edition in Linux? (r/AMDlaptops) https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/159mj6i/anyone_have_experience_with_asus_tuf_gaming_a16/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AMDLaptops/comments/159mj6i/anyone_... * Asus TUF A16 Advantage Edition (2023) laptop compatibility check (forums linuxmint) https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=400080 https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=400080