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Which are your preferred laptops?

Hey, I wanna know your preferred laptops, used is better and to run Linux on it. Something with at least 16gb and 512 SSD is good. Budget range. Thank you!

79 comments
  • Few years old Dell laptop, they are incredible, even easy to open and repair, parts available everywhere, BIOS update even after 5 or 6 years.

    You can buy a few years old Latitude for maybe $200, 14", i5 8th gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, wifi, bt, webcam, usb-c, name it.

    Being 8th gen it runs win11, but they also run Linux pretty well, I'm running MX Linux (debian based) on them and everything is supported.

    example https://www.ebay.ca/itm/115672158079

  • When it comes to expensive laptops, there are plenty of good options for Linux. But for cheaper stuff, your best bet might be a second hand DELL, a model that specifically says that it supports Linux (newer models use some new Intel webcams etc that don't have support on linux yet).

  • I bought a ThinkPad new in 2014 for my study for like 1200 euro's. She's still happily purring today. Around 2019 I made the mistake of emptying a cup of tea into the ThinkPad accidentally and then holding it upside down to get the water out. I think I should've just let it leak out of the bottom since the laptop has holes for that, but I panicked. This broke the keyboard, but not the rest of the laptop. I got an official new keyboard for like 100 euro's which came with a tool and the simple instructions, and since then everything has been working flawlessly.

    So I recommend ThinkPads, although I can't really say anything about compatibility of new models

  • I used to prefer ThinkPads but I've moved on. I have had lots of reliability problems with them over the past few years. I had keys fall off a newer ThinkPad keyboard (which wasn't user replaceable) and another new ThinkPad just die under warranty and the repair person damaged it further when trying to fix it.

    I am on System76 now and have no issues and they do good things like right to repair and Coreboot.

    If I had to choose a single laptop for everything, it would be the Toughbook 40. I have one for work and it has a 1200 nit display. It runs Ubuntu LTS perfectly. It costs several thousand dollars new but has swapable components, multiple batteries, and part availability is measured in decades. You can get an older CF-31 or CF-54 for a few hundred dollars and still find new components for it.

  • Are running 2 Dell's at home with Linux desktop on them. A 7280 and a 7480 model. Support for drivers etc just works. Dell get's A+ from me in regards to ease of use with support for Linux. HP's, not so much - what a struggle....

    • HP EliteBook 840 G5 or another EliteBook model. Even on Debian everything works fine after a clean install (including special keys), they never die and have a pleasant design.

      • We are using 845 G8/9/10/11 (AMDs) at work and from my testing with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS I have the opposite experience - nothing works. First problem as I recall (+1 year since I tested) was wifi driver problems.

  • I was always happy with everything I got from Lenovo (mostly ThinkPads but also IdeaPad), both cheap ones, used and new ones, always worked without any problems.

    I'm ok with the XPS 13 from Dell but I had some problems, they needed to replace the motherboard and when you hold it it bends a bit and does register a click on the touchpad.

    I hated my Tuxedo laptop, very expensive and very bad quality, had to send it in to repair twice and after a year I gave up on it because it was so broken and bought a used ThinkPad.

  • I like running Linux on my Lenovo Ideapad. It wasn't expensive and has everything I want, including easily running Linux.

    The only thing is it's not a popular laptop so it doesn't have accessories, like cases or whatever.

  • I cannot say that I have done extensive testing, but the Acer Swift 315-51G and Gigabyte Aero WV8 that I have both worked fine with Linux with zero prior research on my part. No issues with any drivers, even the SD card readers, although I have not checked the fingerprint sensor on the Acer. Maybe I have just been lucky.

    Both have hybrid Nvidia graphics, though, and 10-series and prior hybrid graphics especially, as I understand, have issues with high idle power usage unless you manually disable the dGPU when not gaming, which I had to do using envycontrol and nearly doubled my battery life on both. I might avoid hybrid dGPUs and especially older ones unless you need that.

    Used laptop-wise, I agree with others that a used business laptop like a Dell would probably be your best bet.

  • I am gonna get a shit ton of hate for this... MacBook air. Yes, I am on a Linux sublemmy, saying that I like macs but the hardware is just too good to justify spending money on a x86 laptop.

    Though, those new snapdragon X Elite laptops do look pretty spicy... Too bad they weren't yet announced when I bought my Mac.

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