Looking at the specs sheet, this stood out:
Fingerprint reader (Windows-only)
Great! It’s good to see they are also contributing upstream!
If you’re not rich or willing enough to contribute to this, the ASUS TUF Advantage (2023) is a very similar all-AMD gaming laptop, a good fit for Linux, at roughly half the price on sale. I’ve been using it for a few months now. Zen3+ cores instead of Zen4 but 32GB RAM and an RX7600S, but with only 1920x1200 pixels at 165 Hz, instead of 1440p.
Just make sure to install a distro with a recent kernel version:
- Pop!_OS (best “just works” distro with recent kernel)
- Fedora 39+ or derivative (such as Nobara)
- Archlinux or a derivative like EndeavourOS or Garuda
Linux Mint will not work out of the box so if you insist on Linux Mint, you will have to install a newer kernel yourself.
It’s good but not strictly necessary to install asusctl and supergfxctl on it for stuff like limiting battery charge to 80% and turning off the dGPU when working away from wall power.
Nobara is better than pop_os
For a gaming laptop it lacks sex appeal. I’m not asking for rgb keyboard, but maybe something that doesn’t look like an office issued accounting computer.
I actually love the fact that it DOESN’T have some tacky leet gamer design like nearly every other gaming laptop
I’m with you. I was in the market for a new laptop earlier this year and it was surprisingly hard to find something that didn’t look like it was designed by and for a bunch of teenagers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that if that’s what you enjoy, but it’s thoroughly not my style.
You want to make sex to your laptop?
If God didn’t want me to shag my laptop, why did he make it so damn sexy?
