I’m currently on an MSI GF65 Thin 9SEXR. It has a 9th gen core i5, 8GB RAM, and a geforce rtx2060 graphics card. While it’s been a great daily driver for several years now, it’s definitely starting to show it’s age with newer games and such.
I’ve currently got my eyes on the ASUS TUF series of laptops, because they seem like pretty decent quality. The chassis design seems more intuitive with where the ports are located, and other small details that make ease of use a priority. I like that it has a numberpad as well, and I’d consider this one of my necessities going forward.
My main uses will be moderate gaming, 3D design, and general browsing/productivity. I’d also like to dump windows for Linux as well, but I’m not entirely sure that I’m ready to make that jump yet. I’ve got very minimal experience with alternative operating systems to windows.
I don’t know much about AMD’s hardware, so I’m not sure how the designations compare to what I currently have. If anyone could give me an easy rundown to get me up to date I’d appreciate it too.
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I would recommend going for an all-AMD laptop, with a Ryzen 7xxx/8xxx series CPU, such as the Framework 13/16. You can go for either the APU version (integrated graphics) or one with a discreet Radeon card if you’re a serious gamer (the 16" Framework comes with a Radeon RX 7700S). If you’re unsure about the gaming performance, you can look up your respective APU/GPU model on YouTube - there should be plenty of videos demonstrating GPU performance. notebookcheck.net is also a good site to check.
Also, with an all-AMD setup, you’ll have very little issues with Linux compatibility. AMD Linux drivers have been making some great progress thanks to the Steam Deck and Valve (and also AMD’s recent opensource initiatives - like the plan to opensource ROCm and even GPU firmware), so it’s a pretty exiting space to be in.
But whatever option you end up going for, avoid nVidia - you’re just asking for trouble, if you plan to run Linux with it. Now there are some interesting opensource driver projects such as Nova and NVK, but it’s still a while (years?) away before they may reach maturity, so I wouldn’t recommend them at this stage.
I had a couple Asus laptops over the last few years, and didn’t much care for them overall. Too bulky, and finicky at times. For my current laptop I went with Lenovo legion slim and I much prefer it.
If you want to go Linux gaming, then I’d stay away from Asus completely. There is a project called Asus ctl, which I had ok luck using but it’s better for older Asus models.
If you truly want to focus on Linux gaming, system76 makes some similar laptops to the Asus lineup but with more compatible hardware.
There is also the fedora slimbook which probably gives you the best form factor with at least a somewhat modern GPU.
Lastly, the best option, regardless of windows or Linux is to get a Framework laptop. Though they can get pricey
I think framework laptops are a good investment if the company is still around when you need to repair or upgrade the system.
IMO i think its worth it to go with a framework if you can afford it. Having the ability to not only repair but upgrade components is a game changer and is something im heavily considering for a work/DND machine.
This, 100%
Thank you for the excellent advice. I’m no longer interested in the Asus lineup.
I’m really liking everything about the Adder WS by System76, or the Pangolin (but I’m not sure that I would be happy with an integrated gpu). Thoughts?
That really depends on what kind of games you play. The pangolin is basically a steam deck in power with a bigger screen. You can play a lot with it. But if your plans are 120fps at 160hz for games like cyberpunk 2077, then no.
My wife has a new Asus Tuf15 and it is a decent, solid laptop. Not thin and light, but then again that is not how it is marketed. Plus the price can’t be beat.
Specs-wise, I own a beefier rebranded Tongfang (XMG, XPG, ELUKTRONICS…) with an Nvidia 4070 GPU. I quite like and recommend it, but I would definitely get the mechanical keyboard version. I love the port placement.
Those Eluktronics laptops are sweet! It looks like they’ve got some good deals on refurbished models, and I like that they are based in the USA too.
Do you run Linux?
Yes, no problems with Linux. There is a fix in the latest kernels for a keyboard issue that the RP-15 used to have (TongFang GMxXGxx).
Research your laptop’s repairability. I have an Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition from 2021, and one of the biggest reasons why I chose it was that it had 2 SoDIMM slots and 2 total M.2 2280 slots for SSDs. Saved me from junking the computer right out of warranty when the installed SSD suddenly borked.
However, this model does not have a numpad, and my model doesn’t come with a webcam, although newer model years fixed the latter issue. It’s a bit bulky and heavy but I really don’t care as long as it fits in my backpack. It’s been an overall great laptop and I plan on using it until 2030 or later.
Additionally, if you care about battery life, AMD CPUs are still king in that regard.