Laptop for coding, writing, and Linux.

[jokerfmj]

Hey, all. 

 

I'm looking to purchase a new laptop and hoping to get some recommendations as I have been out of the computer parts game for about 7 years (work provides my laptops, but it is time for a personal machine). Not exactly current!

 

It will be used for:

 - Learning to code (e.g. python, Ansible)

 - Running VMs

 - Writing (books)

 - Running Linux distributions.

 

No need for a dedicated GPU obviously as that would raise the cost for no practical reason. 

I would like 16gb - 32gb for the VMs, a good CPU, and a 15" display. 

 

I've looked around and found some fairly decent ones on places like micro.center (thanks Linus for bringing my attention to that), but they all seem to have dedicated GPUs, which isn't a negative other than the unnecessary cost. 

 

Thanks!

[Bombastinator]

30 minutes ago, jokerfmj said:

Hey, all. 

 

I'm looking to purchase a new laptop and hoping to get some recommendations as I have been out of the computer parts game for about 7 years (work provides my laptops, but it is time for a personal machine). Not exactly current!

 

It will be used for:

 - Learning to code (e.g. python, Ansible)

 - Running VMs

 - Writing (books)

 - Running Linux distributions.

 

No need for a dedicated GPU obviously as that would raise the cost for no practical reason. 

I would like 16gb - 32gb for the VMs, a good CPU, and a 15" display. 

 

I've looked around and found some fairly decent ones on places like micro.center (thanks Linus for bringing my attention to that), but they all seem to have dedicated GPUs, which isn't a negative other than the unnecessary cost. 

 

Thanks!

Need a budget.  It’s not that hard to find a laptop north of $usa4k.  Coding is potato.  Other parts of that aren’t though.  So for that bit the best interface stuff (keyboard, mouse,screen) would be the winner which means m1.  Apple laptops have their own distros (because totally different cpu) though l, so that may take those out of the running immediately.  Something with no dGPU probably.  I would normally say ryzen because more cores, but I was told recently that that isn’t the limiting factor I thought it was so your criteria are screen, keyboard, and mouse, in a device with a more powerful CPU but no dGPU.  I suspect build quality isn’t a giant deal but it might be. 

[jokerfmj]

13 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Need a budget.  It’s not that hard to find a laptop north of $usa4k.  Coding is potato.  Other parts of that aren’t though.  So for that bit the best interface stuff (keyboard, mouse,screen) would be the winner which means m1.  Apple laptops have their own distros (because totally different cpu) though l, so that may take those out of the running immediately.  Something with no dGPU probably.  I would normally say ryzen because more cores, but I was told recently that that isn’t the limiting factor I thought it was so your criteria are screen, keyboard, and mouse, in a device with a more powerful CPU but no dGPU.  I suspect build quality isn’t a giant deal but it might be. 

Build quality always matter. I haven't owned a PC I haven't built for over 20 years (outside of work machines) because of build quality (and obviously price advantage, at least it used to be).

 

 - Budget is about $1,200... I would spend more, but I love my wife more than my technology. Haha. 

 

 - Mac's are out of the running because of the Linux stuff otherwise I would probably hop on that train. 

 

I'm going to have an external keyboard most likely, laptop keys just don't do it for me. So that isn't a huge deal, although having a decent keyboard (like the Lenovo P series) wouldn't hurt. 

[Bombastinator]

It does always matter, but sometimes it can matter more than power.  College laptops are an example of this.  They get thrown in backpacks and left on the floor, in someone else’s dorm room, etc..  

that’s a healthy number for an iGP machine. External keyboard means it will live most of its life on a single desk which means build quality is actually less important than average.  You can do with a plastic enclosure and a flexible deck.

At that level the Choices is for cpu are likely 12700/12900 of some sort, or some ryzen APU with zen3 in it and 8 cores or more.  (5xxx & 6xxx series apus do NOT always have zen3 in them) 

Edited August 27, 2022 by Bombastinator

[jokerfmj]

30 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

It does always matter, but sometimes it can matter more than power.  College laptops are an example of this.  They get thrown in backpacks and left on the floor, in someone else’s dorm room, etc..  

that’s a healthy number for an iGP machine. External keyboard means it will live most of its life on a single desk which means build quality is actually less important than average.  You can do with a plastic enclosure and a flexible deck.

At that level the Choices is for cpu are likely 12700/12900 of some sort, or some ryzen APU with zen3 in it and 8 cores or more.  (5xxx & 6xxx series apus do NOT always have zen3 in them) 

Awesome feedback, thank you. 

 

So if I go Ryzen (I've always preferred AMD to Intel, underdog bias I guess -- and I loved my Opteron 165) make sure I get a Zen3? Is that due to only Zen3s having the integrated graphics or it just being a better architecture than the Zen2?

 

I also don't want to skimp on build quality, as it does make a difference, but not a deal breaker.

[hishnash]

7 hours ago, jokerfmj said:

- Running Linux distributions.

 

No need for a dedicated GPU obviously as that would raise the cost for no practical reason. 

I would like 16gb - 32gb for the VMs, a good CPU, and a 15" display. 

I suppose the question is are you willing to go to ARM64 (this has an impact on the VMs your going to be running) if so then the 14" M1 Pro would be a really good option, but for know you will just have one linux distro that is rather bleeding edge...   (you could pick up a discounted M1 MBA but that has a smaller screen than your target). 

From a perf perspective for the task you mention it would dominate the rest of the market, there are som limitations right now worth taking a look https://github.com/AsahiLinux/docs/wiki/Feature-Support if the currently supported features is a limitation for you.  of course you can duel boot into macOS that is not bad as a dev env as well. 

 

[rikitikitavi]

5 hours ago, jokerfmj said:

So if I go Ryzen (I've always preferred AMD to Intel, underdog bias I guess -- and I loved my Opteron 165) make sure I get a Zen3? Is that due to only Zen3s having the integrated graphics or it just being a better architecture than the Zen2?

AMD hasn't been an underdog for a very long time... except the past year when 12gen Intel became a much better bargain than AMD.

 

No reason to get Zen2, unless it's dirt cheap. Afaik, main selling point was indeed improved graphics, so 5700G is unmatched by the current Intel. Afaik, it's only topped by the higher tier M1 SOCs.

 

It is rumoured that this fall AMD releases Zen 4... so wait to get the freshest or get better deals on the older hw.

 

BTW, in case of you been always stationary and just used to the 'smaller footprint' of laptops - try tiny pc form factor, like Minisforum (they are the size of Mac Mini). Given you don't need dGPU, this might be a nice compact option for you, that still can have a beefy CPU and abundance of RAM. Also, in case you change your mind with Mac - there is rumoured update to the Mini lineup too.

[jokerfmj]

1 hour ago, hishnash said:

I suppose the question is are you willing to go to ARM64 (this has an impact on the VMs your going to be running) if so then the 14" M1 Pro would be a really good option, but for know you will just have one linux distro that is rather bleeding edge...   (you could pick up a discounted M1 MBA but that has a smaller screen than your target). 

From a perf perspective for the task you mention it would dominate the rest of the market, there are som limitations right now worth taking a look https://github.com/AsahiLinux/docs/wiki/Feature-Support if the currently supported features is a limitation for you.  of course you can duel boot into macOS that is not bad as a dev env as well. 

 

I'm likely going to be using multiple distributions of Linux depending on what I'm doing currently. Ultimately I'll be building out something "custom" in Arch though (at least that is the plan). So I think an M1 is out. 

[jokerfmj]

5 minutes ago, rikitikitavi said:

AMD hasn't been an underdog for a very long time... except the past year when 12gen Intel became a much better bargain than AMD.

 

No reason to get Zen2, unless it's dirt cheap. Afaik, main selling point was indeed improved graphics, so 5700G is unmatched by the current Intel. Afaik, it's only topped by the higher tier M1 SOCs.

 

It is rumoured that this fall AMD releases Zen 4... so wait to get the freshest or get better deals on the older hw.

 

BTW, in case of you been always stationary and just used to the 'smaller footprint' of laptops - try tiny pc form factor, like Minisforum (they are the size of Mac Mini). Given you don't need dGPU, this might be a nice compact option for you, that still can have a beefy CPU and abundance of RAM. Also, in case you change your mind with Mac - there is rumoured update to the Mini lineup too.

Good point on the underdog thing, but I have been a fan since the 90s and they were the underdogs for so long. Then Intel came out with their tick-tock update strategy and hit AMD hard for a while. I was also a fan of Radeon, then AMD bought them, so it just fit. 

 

I need the laptop. I'll be mobile, but mostly around different parts of my house. Occasionally maybe outside of the house. Great thought though!

[Bombastinator]

9 hours ago, jokerfmj said:

Awesome feedback, thank you. 

 

So if I go Ryzen (I've always preferred AMD to Intel, underdog bias I guess -- and I loved my Opteron 165) make sure I get a Zen3? Is that due to only Zen3s having the integrated graphics or it just being a better architecture than the Zen2?

 

I also don't want to skimp on build quality, as it does make a difference, but not a deal breaker.

Zen3 continues the stability and general laid backness of the zen progression.  It’s also so much faster than zen2 that a5600 is as fast as a 3700 in multithread.  Fewer hiccups, fewer problems with memory.  The big issue is some of the G stuff has misleading numbers.  There are 3xxxG chips that are zen+ and 5xxxG chips that are zen2. If someone showed up in the marketing department of AMD with a cattle prod and just started poking people I would laugh loudly.

[igormp]

On 8/27/2022 at 1:24 PM, jokerfmj said:

Hey, all. 

 

I'm looking to purchase a new laptop and hoping to get some recommendations as I have been out of the computer parts game for about 7 years (work provides my laptops, but it is time for a personal machine). Not exactly current!

 

It will be used for:

 - Learning to code (e.g. python, Ansible)

 - Running VMs

 - Writing (books)

 - Running Linux distributions.

 

No need for a dedicated GPU obviously as that would raise the cost for no practical reason. 

I would like 16gb - 32gb for the VMs, a good CPU, and a 15" display. 

 

I've looked around and found some fairly decent ones on places like micro.center (thanks Linus for bringing my attention to that), but they all seem to have dedicated GPUs, which isn't a negative other than the unnecessary cost. 

 

Thanks!

You could take a look at LG's Gram, it has a 32gb model.