Oh yeah, you aren’t going to fill that niche unless you move into something outside the Linux-first group. Even my System76 Lemur draws 65W.
I’d love to hear if you find something else out there. Sometimes I need to order field gear for very remote jobs, and more recommendations are always welcome. I hate only using those ginormous toughbooks.
I got a Titan with expanded drives. I increased the RAM size myself which was inexpensive at the time. I wanted a laptop capable of large CAD projects and other nonsense that I have to do for work.
The PSU brick is a 19.5 V supplying 230 W. I have a dock which supplies power over USB-C, but that seems to act only as life support. The computer needs a lot of juice. However, it it pales in comparison to my desktop computer requiring a 1kW psu to boot. Your frame of reference may be different from mine.
Hardware integration is fine, but not perfect. I have had trouble with their built-in core priority scheme which seemed to struggle with eco mode. I tend to leave it docked at one of my workspaces though, so I leave it on high CPU mode.
With my docks, I run 2 screens in Ultra HD quite easily in addition to the laptop maxing at 2560x1440. This includes when I do something stupid like compile code with a CAD drawing on another screen while watching shows in a browser with a million tabs open.
I run into weird challenges with the hardware that might be only specific to me. E.g., I hate black metal laptops because I do a lot of field work. Summer means burnt wrists. But, this comes with the territory of a laptop targeted for gamers. This may be relevant depending on how far in the outback you are with that solar panel!
The speakers suck, but that’s more of a laptop problem than a this-laptop problem.
The company was responsive when I had questions. I had an SSD die (not their fault), and they supported well to help me buy a replacement from a US vendor to reduce cost of shipping it back to Spain.
The Ryzen 9 5900 laptop had just been released by them when I bought it. The timing was right for me. I don’t know your needs, so I can’t help with that. Of course, looking for Linux-first hardware you will be limited by the slower lifecycle and availability due to demand.
This was not the “perfect” laptop for me when I bought it, but it was the one that ticked enough boxes to be “good enough” in my budget. I am still happy with my choice.
I smell bullshit with the AI thing, but that is just branding I suspect. The specs look similar enough and match my use case. What I call a CAD box or CUDA box somebody will use for AI.
I know you are avoiding US manufacturers, and I’m not here to convert you on that. However, I recommend looking at the System76 computers, since they still seem to be what many upstart Linux-first shops chase. It will give you an idea of what you should look for as good options elsewhere.
I run a Slimbook as an American. I chose it because it was hard to find a powerhouse laptop with ANSI keyboard layouts. The keyboard was the only reason I did not go with Tuxedo. It’s fine. Not good, not great. I think my previous System76 had better integration with the hardware. However, I like the aluminum shell on the Slimbook more for daily abuse.
I did not have to pay exorbitant taxes to import. But your mileage may vary.
I don’t know why it does this, but I have similar troubles. I use
kdeconnect-cli --refreshinstead of rebooting though.