I am thinking of buying a relatively cheap laptop that is reasonably powerful. I am at loss when it comes to new CPU naming and its compatibility with Linux (from both Intel/AMD). I prefer Ryzen 5 or Core 5 above with atleast 16GB RAM.
Framework laptops are not available where I live.
I saw some Reddit posts claiming AMD being not optimized for Linux particularly for arch related distros (I use EndeavourOS). I am thinking of buying a Thinkbook from Lenovo, but confused b/w team blue & red.
Which of these CPUs are better for running Linux long-term with respect to optimizations, power management, thermals, track pad support etc. If anyone has a laptop recommendation, please feel free to comment down below.
Also, should I go for a high end Laptop like Asus Zenbook S14? A lot of reviews are picking it as the best compact laptop to buy this year. Its expensive. But if it keeps working for a long time, like 6+ years, then I don’t mind investing.
Edit: I use Gnome as my DE with EndeavourOS, but can also try Debian 12 with Gnome.
I saw some Reddit posts claiming AMD being not optimized for Linux particularly for arch related distros (I use EndeavourOS)
This is literally the other way around.
But in general it depends on the budget. Both Intel and AMD work perfectly on Linux. It’s more about the CPUs themselves. AMD is better in the budget category because of much more capable iGPUs and performance/price ratio but Intel is better in high end because of simply better technological advancement (as long as you can keep the chip cooler than 90°C).
But if it keeps working for a long time, like 6+ years, then I don’t mind investing.
I wouldn’t be so optimistic about modern laptops, especially ones with dedicated GPUs. They don’t live for more than 2-3 years without repairs.
as long as you can keep the chip cooler than 90°C
I’ve yet to see a laptop that can go through heavy load without throttling. The little cooler, which also cools the potential extra GPU, all with a tiny fan, are just a joke and sound like a jet engine.
Ryzen and AMD in general is perfect under linux, no configuration, just working out of the box on any debian/ubuntu derivatives. They are performant yet energy efficient in my experience so i really cant say anything bad about them.
if you want a hassle-free experience, go for a used Thinkpad a generation or two back, especially if you want Debian. if you buy a new Thinkpad, a) the software support isn’t there yet and b) you’re paying the corpo extortion tax for stuff you don’t need (IME and friends).
as to Intel vs AMD, whatever you choose will do fine for the vast majority of use cases; even the 1st gen T14 meets your specs (6-core, 16 GB on-board) and those can be had for $200ish; even less if you’re willing to tinker.
Either or
Linux will likely work fine.
Any reason you need a new one? I just got a Thinkpad T14 Gen 1 with a Ryzen 7 Pro 8 and 16gb of RAM for £200. Probably fast enough to everything except newer games and training AI.
I just went through this search for attending Uni, and unfortunately it’s almost impossible to get a reasonably-to-decently spec’d out laptop running AMD at the 14” size right now. The purpose was to avoid any 13th/14th gen intels for their recent issues, and increase it’s longevity.
What it boiled down to (for me) was: • Asus Zephyrus G14 (32GB Ram), or • Thinkpad P14s Gen 5
Ultimately went with the Zephyrus, and holy shit I’m glad I did, even with Win11.
Edit:
To clarify, Framework is available to me, but I couldn’t take a chance on class requirements. This video was very helpful in making the final decision.
Are you running linux on that G14? I am also looking at that P14s Thinkpad. Since it is tested on Arch linux (should work on EndeavourOS). What processor is on that Asus G14?
Transparently, not yet. I haven’t had the spare time for any tinkering (too busy with a move & holidays) though as soon as I’m able, I plan to swap out the m.2 with a 4tb and split that into a dual-boot. Sorry I can’t give any advice on that right now! 😓
The processor is an: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS w/ Radeon 780M Graphics
You could pickup a older device. Get something well built that has a replaceable battery.
I wouldn’t be worried about buying AMD in terms of thermals, their laptop CPUs are fine. Usually, it’s the WiFi card that poses the biggest problem in terms of driver availability, in which case you can purchase an Intel WiFi card from Amazon for $15-$20. Battery and “optimizations” depend on your config and distro. Most plug-and-play distros should be fine OOTB, if you’re setting up Arch from scratch I assume you don’t have a problem in looking for drivers/compiling code.
Edit: I personally do not suggest that anyone buys a new laptop unless they do not have a choice (horrible used market or the like). There is a heavy mark-up on new devices and the used market in the West (especially in the US) is excellent if you’re OK with fiddling with some parts of your laptop (or not - sometimes you don’t even need to do that). But being in c/linux that’s about granted, eh?
CES 2025 is just around the corner. I’d wait to get a new laptop now.
Obligatory Framework plug comment. Doesn’t matter which architecture you go for, they support Linux ootb and there are community threads for almost every distro. You can also upgrade it in a few years :D
I love the Framework project, and want one, but my god do you pay a premium for the modularity.
A Framework 13 with a 7840U, 512gb SSD, 16GB RAM costs £1400.
I can get a different laptop with equivalent specs (but with a much better OLED display) for £670, £620 for a Grade A refurbished one. I didn’t look hard. Literally the first result when I searched “7840U” at a retailer.
I love the modularity, but costing 2.1x as much is something I can’t justify.
Same reason I didn’t get a framework. I would’ve loved to get one, but couldn’t justify the price.
Framework laptops are not available where the OP lives. It was said in the description.