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Buying a new computer to run Linux on - suggestions?

Hello. I have never used Linux before in my life, but this post isn’t really about the software. I know there are many guides and threads out there explaining how to set up Linux for beginners.

My question is more about what computers you guys suggest for Linux. I don’t have any old computers lying around at home, I only have a computer assigned by my school that I’ll turn in next year. To my understanding, Linux should be able to work on almost all computers, so I haven’t thought about a specific brand.

My top priorities are (in order):

  • good/great battery life
  • quiet
  • compact and lightweight

Preferably a 13" or 15" screen, though I prefer the former. Just a small machine with a great battery life that also doesn’t make much noise when several apps are open at once. I have looked at Asus before, but I’m not sure what the general consensus is of this brand, so I was hoping to get some suggestions. I’ve also looked at Framework computers, but honestly it’s a bit expensive for me. My budget is ~1000$ (10 000 SEK).

Might be unnecessary information, but: I will be using this computer mainly to write documents, make the occasional presentations, browse the web, and watch videos and movies. So no photo- or video editing nor gaming at all. Like everybody, I hope to buy a computer that will last many years and survive many student theses. Cheers and thanks!

cRazi_man , (edited )

I’ve just been through the process you’ve described and bought a laptop. Your budget is way overkill for your use (documents, browsing, video watching).

I recently bought myself a “like new” second hand Dell Latitude (5300, I think), 8th gen i7, 16GB Ram for £150 and it is amazing with OpenSUSE.

I got my wife a new HP Aero 13 (Ryzen) a couple of years ago and even that was £580 brand new and has been great.

Consider the secondhand market. A lot of laptops will meet your criteria.

clark OP ,
@clark@midwest.social avatar

You’re right. I actually bought my current Pixel phone secondhand, so I’ll check out the market for computers. Do you know of any red flags to watch out for in secondhand computer ads?

borari ,

I wouldn’t buy a used MacBook from an individual seller unless I could meet in person to verify there’s no BIOS/TPM lock going on that would prevent me from doing a secure erase and wiping the SSD to start fresh. A laptop with a replaceable ssd is probably less of an issue, but I’d still feel more comfortable having a picture of the BIOS showing no password set or anything, and a picture of it booted to desktop at minimum so you know it isn’t a stolen laptop that has a password no one knows. If you’re buying from like a second hand recycler or something, anyone that sells through significant volume of devices, I’d be much more comfortable just pulling the trigger sight unseen.

cRazi_man , (edited )

I used eBay so I could get a refund if the laptop wasn’t as advertised. I spent weeks looking at new listings looking for a good deal. I eventually found an amazing deal from a hospice that was selling excess stock. I’ve worked in a hospice before and know this would have only ever been used sparingly in an office and be very well looked after.

On eBay I would avoid anyone who hasn’t written out a complete description and detailed pictures of condition and specifics. Like the other comment says, the BIOS being unlocked is very important. Read descriptions carefully. People fall victim to buying expensive things that can’t be returned because it was mentioned in the listing (e.g. buying a box only for a very expensive price). For any laptop I find, I search for forum posts from other users about how that model works with Linux and videos for a teardown to make sure that RAM, WiFi module, etc can be upgraded. Make sure the charger is included.

Search eBay for “8th Gen 13 inch 16GB”, then sort by lowest price for buy-it-now. That’s what I did for a number of weeks. Got one for myself and a great one for my dad as well. Good experience both times.

velox_vulnus ,

If you can afford to pour in a little bit more money, get a Thinkpad T14 Gen 5/T16 Gen 3 AMD variant. You can also get the T14 Gen 4/T16 Gen 2 AMD variant, but the RAM will be soldered. The X13 laptop is probably what you’re looking for, if screen is a big deal for you, but they have soldered chipsets, and the only thing modular is the NVME storage. Then there’s the HP Elitebook 835, 845 and the 855, and also the Acer TravelMate (I don’t remember the exact model). By the way, Framework is also available in Sweden, so you may also look into that.

InternetUser2012 ,

Go team red would be my advice.

possiblylinux127 ,

Old Intel systems are solid as well. Something 2022 or older

CrabAndBroom ,

If money wasn’t an object I think I’d get a Framework but I’ve always had a good experience with Lenovo for a more budget-friendly option. My last two laptops have been Lenovos and have both worked super well with Linux.

LiamMayfair ,

If I had to replace my Linux laptop right now, I’d probably go for a ThinkPad T14 AMD. They also sell them with Snapdragon ARM chips now, which is a very interesting option, though I’m not sure how viable as a daily driver.

You could run Linux on it with no issue ofc, but I wonder how good the support for ARM arch from common Linux software is nowadays…

Trainguyrom ,

If there’s a decent (even online) used market where you live buying a refurbished computer that’s just a few years old can be amazing bang for your buck. 9th-11th gen Intel or Ryzen 2-4th gen. Any of the more business focused lines tend to be fairly well-built and are designed to be relatively long lasting while being relatively well-maintained during their service life. HP Elitebooks, Dell Latitudes, Lenovo Thinkpads, etc.

liliumstar ,

I would get a Thinkpad, either used or new, with that budget. Generally all the hardware will work out of the box, with the possible exception of the fingerprint reader if it exists. RAM and SSD should be replaceable, so if you purchase new just do the upgrade yourself to save some bucks.

gila ,

I’ve had a lot of thinkpads and currently use an ideapad flex 5. I prefer the smaller form factor for a portable machine I take travelling or out to biz meetings etc. The autorotate and touchscreen work great in Debian with gnome-shell out of the box. No pinch-to-zoom but I believe that works on KDE plasma out of the box.

yo_scottie_oh ,

ideapad flex 5

Like this one?

gila ,

Same shell, mine has Intel CPU though

tla ,

Check out laptopwithlinux.com - new or used.

propter_hog ,
@propter_hog@hexbear.net avatar

System 76

sunzu ,

Their laptops ain't as good as their Desktop which are premium from what I gathered from comments

possiblylinux127 ,

The laptops are Clevo devices. However, Clevo does make good hardware and most models run coreboot.

If you can afford it they are a solid devices. I like the metal body.

Jayb151 ,

I love my dell 5300 latitude with fedora. Touchscreen, 13 inches, super compact. And a dime a dozen as you can find used enterprise laptops on eBay/Facebook market.

Slap a large nvme in there and you’re good to go for like, under 300. With the leftover cash, you can even get a docking station and monitor if you wanted a dank setup at home.

jpablo68 ,

I’m a thinkpad guy but how are these dells for everyday use with Linux?

jollyrogue ,

Dell Latitudes and Precisions support Linux pretty well.

Jayb151 ,

Ya, like jolly rouge said, they’re pretty good. I have had an occasional issue where the track pad didn’t want to work after waking the PC up. But otherwise it’s been bullet proof. All the hot keys work no problem. I haven’t had any of the weird “can’t wake from suspended state” issues I’ve had with older PCs. I basically leave my laptop plugged in next to my desk and it’s ready at a moments notice. I use Windows for gaming and work btw. But I’ve even installed Valheim on my laptop just to see if it would work and it totally does. No complaints on fedora. I used endeavor on it as well and I want to say even pop is. Just a bit of distro going there, no reason I ditched the other two other than just preferring fedora in the end.

jpablo68 ,

jpablo

Thanks.

priapus ,

I personally love my Framework 13. Not sure if the battery life is up to your standard, but the new models are plenty enough for me.

GustavoM ,
@GustavoM@lemmy.world avatar

I will be using this computer mainly to write documents, make the occasional presentations, browse the web, and watch videos and movies. So no photo- or video editing nor gaming at all.

Then go for a Raspberry pi 3. (No, not rpi 4 or the rpi 5 one). It’s cheap, with a power draw low enough to leave it running 24/7 (it will not increase your energy bills by the slightest). Downside is that you’ll have to learn some Linux “tricks” that will (definitely) “grind your gears”, but eh… it’ll be a fun ride if you are willing to lose some sanity for the sake of enjoying a “It’s like nothing is happening to my power bills at all!” power of the convenience it’ll bring to your life and your lifestyle as well.

delirious_owl ,
@delirious_owl@discuss.online avatar

I think its reasonable to assume that they’ll want to easily be able to take it and use it in different rooms

GustavoM ,
@GustavoM@lemmy.world avatar

Rpis can be as mobile as (or even more than) a laptop.

possiblylinux127 ,

That’s not a laptop and even if it was the raspberry pi won’t work with stock Linux. You need a custom kernel.

GustavoM ,
@GustavoM@lemmy.world avatar

That’s not a laptop

OP mentioned a computer, not a laptop.

You need a custom kernel.

That is completely wrong – there are a couple distros out there that work “out of the box” without the need of a custom kernel. Not just for the rpi, but for many other “obscure” pcs, including a thermostat.

possiblylinux127 ,

You need the Raspberry pi kernel for it to work

github.com/raspberrypi/linux

HotsauceHurricane ,

Sounds like you need a higher end chromebook. I used Mr. Chromebox to load linux onto my Lenovo.

Agility0971 ,
@Agility0971@lemmy.world avatar

I can reccomend huawei laptops with metal chassis. I’ve had my matebook x pro for around 6 years. My past laptops made of plastic disentegrted over time

pastermil ,

Clearly you never have a Thinkpad.

cizra ,
@cizra@lemm.ee avatar

Once I a very sleepy adult human happened to accidentally stand smack in the middle of my ThinkPad P50, with plastic everything. It’s 7 years old now, and still works fine.

possiblylinux127 ,

I want one of those Panasonic rugged laptops that can withstand being run over with a truck. The are made to run outdoors and they work in very wet environments. They also have dual batteries that can be swapped quickly so you can have one on the changer and one in the device.

possiblylinux127 ,

Chinese so not a great option

Agility0971 ,
@Agility0971@lemmy.world avatar

So there are safe countries and non safe countries now? Whats the difference?

possiblylinux127 ,

I would avoid non Democratic countries. I especially wouldn’t use Huawei as they have been cause putting backdoors in network equipment. You could argue that they got the idea from the NSA but I don’t think the answer is to fight fire with fire.

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