New to PCS and Linux

[Deleted member 41971]

Hi,

I am looking for a new laptop and would really appricate advice with regards to this, I would like to run linux but am concerned about the potential for hardware incompatability so would need advice.

I am looking at the vortex but also the octaine 17.3 inch/17.3 inch defiance, I would like to use it for gaming, streaming and the like, I have looked at the thread for linux compatibility which is very informative, the main worry is what should i be looking for to make sure everything works well, I understand things would need to be tweaked so am looking into this, the concern is I would like to have confidence that my purchase would work to its potential.

Also, regarding the octaine and defiance, is there any overheating issues etc as there are a few examples on the forum, i would like a 17.3 inch screen but understand for example the vortex is well regarded.

I would also like to run mint as a starting point but again, any advice would help

thanks

 

[Oussebon]

Just to be 100% clear.. you intend to buy a laptop for gaming exclusively on Linux?

Are you sure your games of choice are compatible with Linux? Many titles will run but many will not.

 

[Stephen M]

I have run a variety of Linux distros on PCS machines, including the Octane and Mint should be fine. I do not game but know there will be limitations and it will be worth checking whether the games you wish to play are OK with 'nix. There is software such as WINE or PlayonLinux but I would never want to rely on them.

 

[MfromF]

Sorry to say, but gaming and Linux is not a word couple I would combine in my every day speech. Maybe google a bit about gaming on Linux.

For a start with Linux Ubuntu might work fine for you. When you take the latest 19.10 you will likely not have mouch trouble.

 

[Deleted member 41971]

thanks for the replies and info,

from the research I have so far done gaming seems more possible than before, yep I know not all games play well so there is an option to duel boot down the line with win 10 just for games. Main thing is hardware compatibility and any heating issues.

Also, yep, I have played around on a VM with ubuntu and mint and also manjaro etc on current machine.

 

[Oussebon]

If you already have a steam library, you could use something like

Quick n' Dirty Steam Linux Compatibility Checker - How many of your games run on Linux?

to check which of your games are compatible.

I just analysed my Steam library and just under 30% apparently have Linux support.

Which games are you planning to play? Have you actually checked they're compatible and/or what work needs doing to make them run?

if it's just generic gaming, a range of titles and you're not sure where the mood will take you, linux would be unwise. It would make more sense to just fork out the Windows tax.

In general the laptops are compatible with Linux, the most common issues are things like keyboard backlights not being configurable. With the Vortex which has gsync you'll want to satisfy yourself gsync definitely works fine on Linux in a laptop (specifically). But hardware working fine is little good if the games don't!

 

[markh]

Re the more general question of laptop / Linux compatibility, I have the Vortex IX and Ubuntu 19.10 runs very well on it, and it seems with the latest distro messing about with nodemodeset and Nvidia drivers is a thing of the past - the 19.10 installer detects your hardware automatically and installs the correct driver. You can then choose to upgrade it to the latest version of your driver if you want.

 

[markh]

Also Gsync does work in Linux

 

[astiak]

As someone who games exclusively on linux, it certainly is possible.

Steamplay and lutris have made huge strides in getting many windows games working using wine to facilitate this.

One thing worth noting is, the performance will definitely be less than you would get on windows as we are gaming using libraries which translate D3D to vulkan, so your purchase with linux in mind, certainly wont be working to its full potential. It is also worth bearing in mind, while many games are playable a lot of tweaking is required at present for some games, and certain games will not work at all, especially those with anti-cheat or DRM measures in place (so most multi-player games).

There are a lot of native linux games but if you're after AAA titles, these are few and far between.

If your sole purpose is gaming, I'd certainly look into the games you wish to play and how compatible they are. Google your games appended with the words lutris or protondb to see if they are compatible. Even then, your mileage may vary from the reports you find on your games.

 

[Deleted member 41971]

many thanks for the info,

thats a few questions answered as yep I was thinking of gsync and also good to hear there is more progress with the nvdia drivers in linux etc, regards to gaming, i will be using a machine for other media tasks so a dual boot with windows for games maybe an option if needed, I have checked compatability etc. By full potential I meant as long as the machine will run linux and not be completly incompatible then thats a good start.

Just to ask, has anyone had any experiences with the 4k screen for watching videos etc, is there any major differences in detail or is a full hd screen fine. also, is there any overheating issues with the octaine or defiance and what is the build quaility for a pcs laptop in general?

thanks for the advice

 

[Oussebon]

4k on a 15.6" screen is a bit of a waste, too small to really let you appreciate the detail, and it would also be worse for gaming too.

4K laptops are gorgeous, but they're not worth it yet

An increase in resolution comes with trade-offs

www.techradar.com

Article from 2015, and tbh not much has changed. Unless you need 4k for your work e.g. photo editing, then it's not worth it.

 

[Mnemonic]

I have an old Defiance II from PCS. I absolutely love it, and it runs Linux very well (for the most part). However, when I first purchased it, installing Linux wasn't exactly straight forward - many things needed to be done to get everything working. Today, however, I can basically install the latest versions of Kubuntu (19.10) or Manjaro KDE without having to jump through any hoops.

A couple of videos of my Defiance II (from many years ago):

It's currently running Kubuntu 19.10, and I still find it a very satisfying mobile workstation to work on.

The only thing I don't like about it is it's a "muxless" laptop (meaning the video outputs (HDMI/MiniDP) are wired directly to the dGPU). This makes it absolutely impossible to use my Defiance II with an external monitor without the Nvidia GPU powering up.

 

[ubuysa]

The only thing I don't like about it is it's a "muxless" laptop (meaning the video outputs (HDMI/MiniDP) are wired directly to the dGPU). This makes it absolutely impossible to use my Defiance II with an external monitor without the Nvidia GPU powering up.

But if you're using an external monitor with it then you have access to mains power and can plug the charger in to the laptop, the dGPU power drain is then negated. No?