I’m a desktop PC guy. For over 3 decades I have built my own PC’s from new and used parts, starting with 286’s in the 1980’s. First for MS-DOS and then for Windows. Now Windows 11 has convinced me to buy and/or build a couple of PC’s to run Linux instead of Windows. Except I have never even dabbled with Linux so I have no real clue what I need hardware wise.
My goal is to avoid costly mistakes. I have always built higher end PC’s as a means of saving money because of the extended lifespan better initial performance tends to yield. For instance, built my current PC setups back around 2012 with i7 processors when they first came out and a bunch of RAM. They still run fine for my needs but are incompatible with Windows 11. 13 years isn’t a bad run in my opinion, as I avoided having to replace them sooner if I had bought lower performance options back then.
I want to also try running some AI and I have heard that Lenovo as a brand tends to be one of the most compatible with Linux and some models for AI as well. At some point I may want to play with AI graphics rendering. I don’t want to buy less than what I need and have to buy again sooner because of that kind of mistake.
I want the option of dual booting, but I have heard Windows 11 does not play nice and it will be difficult to ensure it doesn’t wipe out my Linux partition. I have also heard that it is better to have a separate physical data drive formatted to NTFS that both Windows and Linux can access, depending on which OS is running. Is this true?
I don’t think a laptop is where I need to be starting out with Linux. Is this wrong thinking?
Any corrections, suggestions, recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
If your goal is to ditch Windows and get a smooth Linux experience, go for hardware that plays nicely with the kernel out of the box. ThinkPads (T or X series), Dell and Framework laptops are great picks.
On the desktop side, an AMD Ryzen will give you a rock-solid, hassle-free setup. For an easy transition, many folks start with Linux Mint, Ubuntu LTS (personally recommended), or Fedora Workstation. You can test them from a USB stick first to make sure everything works before installing.
You’ve already got the background to make this move feel natural again. Welcome to the community!
ThinkCentre Neo 55s Gen 6 (AMD) Small Form Factor $839.00
Processor
AMD Ryzen™ 7 250 Processor (3.30 GHz up to 5.10 GHz)
Operating System
Windows 11 Pro 64
Graphic Card
Integrated AMD Radeon™ 780M
Memory
64 GB DDR5-5600MT/s (SODIMM)(2 x 32 GB)
Storage
1 TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLC Opal
Display
Supports up to 3 independent monitors
AC Adapter / Power Supply
200W
I’m not sure of the small form factor, I have always used full size towers. Otherwise do you think this one would be a good choice for my first try with Ubuntu? Thanks!
That’s excellent yes!However, unless you have something specific in mind I think 32GB RAM is the max needed on desktop. Most people use Ubuntu with 8 GB and 16 GB of memory.
The spec sheet also lists Ubuntu as compatible:
Strong choice. I have Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny’s in my home lab, I have nothing bad to say about them:
I also found success using Linux on $200 Beelink mini PC’s. There are a lot of options:
@hydn I think that your advice is good; however if our friend wishes to over build his system to get another incredible 1-2 DECADES of impressive use, then why not stuff as much memory, CPU and disk capacity as possible in order to last as long as possible?
I’d also urge that the components are as balanced as possible for the types of workload that you are using and intend to use in the same future.
As a fellow system builder, I have been very pleased with four Supermicro mother boards around the house. These are older models but have served me well.
The last system that I bought (not built) was a Protectli Vault V1211, a sealed, fanless, small form factor system that I installed OpenWrt for a temporal access point.
I’ve been working a lot of overtime lately during the busy season. And while I haven’t had much time to follow through with my computer upgrade plans, at least I will have a budget for the purchase now.
The Lenovo website is disappointing as I can’t find any listings for preloaded Linux desktops, although I have read they make them.
But they have this THINKSTATION P3 Tower listed on Amazon for $2,127.74. It has an Intel P9 cpu and while pricy, I don’t have to load it and it should serve me for years to come with enough power to hopefully run some AI local:
Is there any downside that anyone sees to this choice?
I strongly discourage buying PCs from Amazon except from the official manufacturer’s store. So, for example, I purchased a Dell for someone’s office earlier this year, but it’s from Dell’s Amazon store/account.
This is Lenovo and Dell on Amazon. It looks like that link you posted is also from Lenovo’s store but says unavailable. I find, the stores on Amazon listings to be like that a lot as well as often errors on specs, etc. So just be careful, buy items with reviews, and copy and paste the SNs and cross-check specs.
Beyond that, prepare for either used, tampered, or refurbished units being sold as new.
$2 is a very large budget, especially with a focus on Linux. You should also consider System76 and Framework:
I think you get a better bang for your buck for Linux-focused hardware.
Thanks so much Haden! I had not heard of those choices.
The Framework seem pricy, but I have not seen other AMD Ryzen AI CPU builds to compare it to. As I say, “You never get more than you pay for.” - sometimes you get less, but never more. Buy once, cry once. I would rather buy more than I need instead of having to spend the same money twice because I didn’t buy enough to start with. I have built/assembled every desktop I have ever had since my first 386sx, so the assembly shouldn’t be a problem for me.
I’m contemplating their mid-grade configuration with around $500 in custom configuration choices. Some I probably won’t ever use, but I don’t want to need something I didn’t get and have to add it later should a need for it arise. I want to build and forget about it, use it an not tinker with it:
Configuration $2,496.00
System: Ryzen™ AI Max+ 395 - 64GB
Storage: WD_BLACK™ SN850X NVMe™ - M.2 2280 - 1TB
CPU Fan: Noctua - NF-A12x25 HS-PWM
Power Cable: AC Cable - C13 - US/CA
On second thought, I reconfigured to max out 6 of the USB-A ports as well. Better too many than to have to find a USB-C cable to adapt some old school devices I might want to plug in someday.
Quite some time ago I had a friend of mine scope out parts, buy each component at a solid sale price, build me a custom system, and I paid him a modest fee, and he built a similar system for himself too. For those who can do this, it’s a good way to get a bit more for your money, especially if you can be patient, waiting for parts on sale to get the unit you want at an affordable price, with good price/performance.
jk!