January 15, 2023

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laptops linux macos windows

Last updated on October 25, 2023.

The Laptop List

This is an continually-updated list of laptops that I like!
  • Laptops
  • Conclusion

    • When it comes to laptops, there are a lot of options. For me, a good laptop has:

    • Good battery (80 Wh or higher)
    • A 3:2/16:10 display with 350+ nits and a resolution of 1600p or higher
    • 14 inch panel
    • A power efficient (Ryzen/ARM) processor
    • The ability to run Linux natively

    Sadly, I'm yet to find any laptops that have all of these specs. Here are my current choices:

    Laptops

    Based on Tong-Fang's ID4H1

    Several of the laptops on this list are based on some fancy Tong-Fang platform. They're all Intel at the moment, but they all have certain adaptations according to audience.

    AMD adaptations existed in the past, particularly before the coronavirus.

    MALIBAL Aon S1

    • Battery: Perfect - 99 Wh.
    • Display: Perfect - It's got an 16:10 aspect ratio at 1800p. 400 nits.
    • Panel Size: Perfect - 14 inches.
    • Processor: Intel Core i7 13700H WITH required NVIDIA RTX 3050. Probably not great for Linux.
    • Linux Support: Fully supported.

    My main issues from this machine come from its internals. In particular, the required RTX card makes it a difficult sell.

    SLIMBOOK Executive 14"

    • Battery: Perfect! 99 Wh!
    • Display: Perfect! 16:10 at 400 nits. The resolution is at 1800p.
    • Panel size: Perfect! 14 inches.
    • Processor: Not ideal. Uses an Intel chip, and an older i7 12700H at that. No RTX card required, though!
    • Linux support: YES!

    I would really like an AMD version of this machine in particular! SLIMBOOK is generally trusted in the open source community.

    SCHENKER Vision 15 (E22)

    • Battery: Perfect! 99 Wh
    • Display: Perfect! 16:10 at 380 nits with a resolution of 1800p.
    • Panel size: Perfect! 14 inches.
    • Processor: Not ideal. Uses that i7-13700H.
    • Linux support: Unknown.

    This is SCHENKER's generic version of the ID4H1. It really has no notable differences from the others. You have to get it from a site called bestware.com. I also don't see an ANSI keyboard option. :p

    Linux support is not mentioned on their website.

    TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 (Gen 8)

    • Battery: Perfect! 99 Wh!
    • Display: Perfect! 16:10 at 1800p, with 400 nits of power!
    • Panel size: Perfect! 14 inches!
    • Processor: Not ideal. Also uses one of those darn Intel chips. (13700H)
    • Linux support: YES!

    So far, this is my favorite machine. A Ryzen version would be the perfect laptop in my view. The Coreboot support is awesome!

    However, the company does not offer ANSI (standard US) options for your keyboard. Bit annoying...

    Star Labs StarFighter (16")

    • Battery: Great - 85 Wh.
    • Display: Good, 16:10 at either UHD+ (2400p60) or 1600p165. Both panels run at around 600 nits.
    • Panel Size: Not preferable - 16 inches is a bit too big for me.
    • Processor: Wide range! There's a 15W i3-1315U (not an option due to 16GB memory limits), 15W i7-1355U, 45W i9-13800H, and 45W Ryzen 7 7840HS.
      • Of these options, I think I'd opt for the 1355U - it's actually a great Intel chip! :)
      • This website explains the 1355U's basics. I really would LOVE a Ryzen 7 7730U instead, though!
    • Linux Support: DEFINITELY!

    Star Labs also has a lot of good will from the open source community. Their platform is made almost entirely in-house, and I've heard great things about their machines! In case I can't find a 14" replacement for my current machine, I'll keep my eye on this one.

    Apple MacBook Pro 14" (2021)

    • Battery: Good - 70 Wh.
    • Display: Almost perfect! 500 nits, over 1600p, and a great aspect ratio of 16:10! The notch can get in the way of some applications.
    • Panel size: Perfect! 14.2 inches.
    • Processor: Perfect! The M1 Pro can run almost anything!
    • Linux support: On-going work. Speakers don't work, graphics are mostly finished, and battery life is still a bit of a battle sometimes.

    When Asahi Linux gets some of these Linux features completed, the MBP will be a great machine!

    SCHENKER VIA 15 Pro

    • Battery: Perfect! 91 Wh.
    • Display: Not ideal. 16:9 at 1440p. 300 nits is too dark in some outdoor settings.
    • Panel size: Not ideal. 15 inches.
    • Processor: Perfect! The 5700U is very efficient!
    • Linux support: Yes!

    While it's still 15 inches, this machine would be great with a better display.

    Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

    • Battery: Not ideal. 58 Wh.
    • Display: Perfect! 3:2 at 1600p, with around 500 nits.
    • Panel size: Perfect! 14.4 inches.
    • Processor: Not ideal. The i5-11300H and i7-11370H are both quad core processors. Power usage is nice, though!
    • Linux support: Mostly works with lots of setup. Requires the use of linux-surface for any kind of good experience.

    This machine has a great design, but some parts of the device are outdated or locked down. An updated version using common parts would be great!

    Framework Laptop 13.5" (2023)

    • Battery: Not ideal. 55 or 61wh options only.
    • Display: Perfect! 1504p at 3:2, running at over 400 nits.
    • Panel size: Perfect! 13.5 inches.
    • Processor: Perfect! Modern Ryzen processors are efficient and powerful.
    • Linux support: Yes, officially supported!

    I adore this machine in almost every way, but its battery is too small.

    Framework Laptop 16" (2023)

    • Battery: Great - 85 Wh!
    • Display: Perfect! 1600p at 16:10, running at 500 nits.
    • Panel size: Too big - 16 inches.
    • Processor: Uses either the Ryzen 7 7840HS or Ryzen 9 7940HS. Both are decent options, but sit with a TDP of 45W - a bit high.
      • There is also a discrete GPU option with the RX 7700S. More Linux laptops with AMD GPUs, please!!! 🥰
    • Linux support: Yes, these machines are effectively made for Linux!

    I'd love one of these machines with a low-power Ryzen, such as the 7840U. Shaving some weight off would be nice - it's over 4 lb as-is.

    ASUS Vivobook S 14X OLED

    • Battery: Good! 70Wh.
    • Display: Perfect! 1800p at 16:10, running at 600 nits (!!!)
    • Panel size: Perfect! 14.5 inches.
    • Processor: Great, but the beefier 6800H/HS and especially the 6900HX are way above anything I need. They may also take more power when running above idle than other efficient chips.
    • Linux support: Yes! Or at the very least, the M5402RAs running here seem to be plenty happy...

    I like this machine, but I'd like to see a version with a less beefy CPU.

    ASUS Zenbook 14 OED (UM3402)

    My friend got one of these, so you get a mini review!

    • Display: It's a 16:10 panel at a resolution of 1800p90 - that's pretty good. It outputs 550 nits, which is great!
      • Unfortunately, the panel has these weird diagonal lines across the entire screen. It's particularly noticable on darker color, like a deep purple or blue.
      • However, the color is REALLY GOOD - it looks better than my MBP 14" M1 Pro.
    • Panel Size: Perfect - it's 14 inches.
    • Processor: Pick between a Ryzen 5 7530U and Ryzen 7 7730U - both will perform great!
      • WARNING: Limited to 16GB memory max!
    • Linux Support: Everything just works (©) after you update the kernel to something around 6.5. Before that, expect the weird-ass MediaTek wi-fi card to act up a bit.

    Conclusion

    Do you see a laptop that fits these specs and isn't on the list? Let me know! :)