Choosing new notebook

Why do I even consider buying a new notebook

When was the last time you were excited about a new notebook that just hit the market? I don’t remember, but it must have been years. The hardware is not moving forward in leaps as it used to be; it’s barely crawling. At least not in a direction that is interesting for me. On the more positive note — Framework picked my interest a few years ago, an upgradable notebook sounded like something we were promised at the end of the last century, but was never delivered to us. 

Over the years, I used notebooks from many producers, including Olivetti, Acer, Asus, HP, Dell, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Toshiba, and possibly others. From all of them, I had the best experience with the ThinkPads. Currently, I’m running a 6th-generation X1 ThinkPad. It’s a little over five years old, and it started to overheat a lot. I’ve already tried to clean all the dust from the cooling, replace thermal paste, and even changed the fan, but each of these operations cooled the computer just by a degree or two. So it came to me, looking for a new device — and I hate it!

Of course, I’m trying to get the most bang for my buck. I need to do research on the current options (and there are too many of them). Compare it with my needs — there are fewer of them every time, but they are more specific. I also need to end up with something I can afford. And then, just a month later, after I buy something, there will be a new device, much closer to my needs — I just hate it. 

How will it be used?

The current market is pushing us to use all the online services, and telling us that we basically just need a terminal, because everything happens elsewhere (in the cloud). But I like to keep my data and don’t want to give it to some services… Despite the general assumption, I’m not connected to the internet nonstop, so I require a computer that will have enough power to run things locally — some CPU and RAM will be needed. Disk space is cheap and can be upgraded at any time, so disk space is not a significant concern.

I’m also used to travelling with the computer everywhere, which means it must run from batteries for some time (longer than my current 5 hours, preferably) but also be light (1.2 kg is a good base measurement). 14’’ fits everywhere, so that’s also a reasonable top limit. Nice warranty and service would be nice, I’m used to using these devices for 4–12 years. There are exceptions, of course. For example, I have a Toshiba Portégé M700 from 2008 as a backup notebook. Linux support for the hardware is crucial, as it’s the only operating system I’m using (OK, my employer’s notebook has Windows 11, but I had no say in it). My goal isn’t to play games on it; I’m not willing to make enough time for it, put money into it, and I have a Steam Deck anyway.

Other consideration

When I was using Windows, I preferred Intel processors, as Windows is more focused on them. But now I’m more inclined towards AMDs. It was said many times, and it might be true, who knows — the x86 era might be coming to an end. In the server space, we already see a significant shift towards ARM. RISC processors are being adopted as we speak. So it might be reasonable to assume that this is the last x86 notebook I’m getting, and it should last even longer and have more power as it will need to handle all the legacy stuff, one day. I don’t see any need to invest in “AI” on my side, so CPUs with AI cores are probably a waste of money for me. It would be nice to have a Czech QWERTY keyboard, as I never get used to writing with diacritics and struggle to remember their locations on the keyboard. I would also prefer not to pay for a Windows licence, as I won’t have any use for it.

Candidates

• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 13th generation — Newest version of my current machine. It’s the lightest of them all, familiar, and the warranty can be prolonged to 5 years. However, it has an Intel CPU, and it’s extremely expensive.

• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 12th generation — Second newest X1. Similar to the 13th generation, and a little cheaper.

• Lenovo ThinkPad X13 4th gen — As close to X1 with AMD CPU as you can get. Size and weight are similar to my current X1, but it’s new and has AMD, and it’s still expensive.

• Framework 13’’ Ryzen5 AI 300 series — Fully repairable hipster among the notebooks, AI CPU.

• Framework 13’’ Ryzen5 7040 series — Fully repairable hipster among the notebooks, with just a regular AMD CPU, just the battery life could be better.

• System76 Lemur Pro 14’’ — Just made for Linux.

• System76 Darter Pro 14’’ — Just made for Linux.

• TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 - Gen10 — Just made for Linux, and it also can have 5-year warranty.

Final decision?

Looks like the 2024 version of Framework is the winner. I can buy it without RAM and storage and add them from cheaper sources. This means that even with locally sourced 96GB of RAM and 2TB disk, it will be the second-cheapest option. The fact that I can buy all the components and replace them if/when needed supports the longevity. And I can decide what ports it will have (3x USB-C, 1x USB-A, plus extra HDMI when required), I’m not sure if I will need RJ-45 (network) as it’s in my docking station.