Notebook / Laptop compatibility list

@vermaden

I'm not sure what to do, really. Already checked a lot of models. Sony and HP have some hardware problems, so I don't want to buy something on which I can't run FreeBSD and just to waste a time with them ... money, too :)

Can you please tell me what do you think about this model.

Dell LATITUDE E6510 (Intel® Core™ i5-540M, NVIDIA® NVS 3100M 512MB gDDR3, 256 SSD, 8GB RAM...)

Here is a link http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/l...e_bnrank=1&baynote_irrank=0&~ck=baynoteSearch.

You said that you have E6500.

Thanks in advance if you have some advice.
 
korso said:
@vermaden

I'm not sure what to do, really. Already checked a lot of models. Sony and HP have some hardware problems, so I don't want to buy something on which I can't run FreeBSD and just to waste a time with them ... money, too :)

Can you please tell me what do you think about this model.

Dell LATITUDE E6510 (Intel® Core™ i5-540M, NVIDIA® NVS 3100M 512MB gDDR3, 256 SSD, 8GB RAM...)

Here is a link http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/l...e_bnrank=1&baynote_irrank=0&~ck=baynoteSearch.

You said that you have E6500.

Thanks in advance if you have some advice.
Click to expand...

The 'Optimus' feature is only available on Windows, not even on Linux, FreeBSD *MAY* be able to use either Intel or either nVidia graphics, but for sure not 'Optimus', there is a chance that You will be able to use one of these GPUs, or nVidia only but I do not know.

If You need E6400/E6500, then use Dell Outlet: http://dell.com/us/dfb/p/latitude-laptops

I wrote E6400/E6500 instead of E6410/E6510 also because they use i3/i5/i7 CPUs whose need GEM/KMS support in the kernel which FreeBSD currently does not have (there is a Foundation project to achieve this).
 
Thank you very much on your effort and explanation. Things are clear now.
For "Optimus" I read couple of texts from the internet and this is ok.
But for i3/i5/i7 CPUs I have no idea that those are not compatible with FreeBSD kernel.

I'll see what gonna do with my laptop exploring :)

Cheers!
 
Been eyeballing the Lenovo X220 which comes out next months to run FreeBSD + desktop for development. Looks like I may have to wait. Going to either hit up a used lappy for the interim or hang out with the penguin until everything settles with the modern processors. Looking forward to getting back to running FreeBSD on a laptop.
 
@finickydesert

After the GEM/KMS on FreeBSD project completes and merges to CURRENT/STABLE it willl be supported, currently You will be forced to use x11 with vesa driver.
 
I have a ThinkPad X60 and am quite happy. I am just waiting for working SMP suspend/resume for i386 (I have Core Duo, I might upgrade to a X61 motherboard for Core 2 Duo). ThinkPads generally work well with FreeBSD, just don't get the brand new ones.
 
Hello,

I have a MSI A6200-461us laptop with the following specifications.

Code: 
Intel Core i3-370M "Arrandale"
Intel GMA HD video
Realtek ALC662 audio 
4 GB of ram
320 GB hard drive swapped out for a 640 GB
Atheros AR9285 wireless chipset
Realtek 8101E ethernet chipset

FreeBSD 8.2 works very well on this particular laptop.

I have a Core i3-370m with uses the Arrandale architecture. The laptop appears to run flawlessly.

I have not had any issues with the wireless chipset. It does appear that some laptops have had issues see the following link http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=22815

Suspend/resume is not setup on my laptop "yet". I have not tried to set it up so I can neither confirm or deny if it functions on this laptop.
 
Suspend/Resume works on my Thinkpad T61 as of FreeBSD 8.2/amd64. This is with an Intel GMA card.
Only minor quirk is that I need to restart moused on resume.

Strangely enough, on FreeBSD 8 the "BIOS beeps" and brightness controls stopped working. Both of which worked on FreeBSD 6 and 7. I can work around the latter with xbacklight though ...
 
cheme said:
Hello,

I have a MSI A6200-461us laptop with the following specifications.

Code: 
Intel Core i3-370M "Arrandale"
Intel GMA HD video
Realtek ALC662 audio 
4 GB of ram
320 GB hard drive swapped out for a 640 GB
Atheros AR9285 wireless chipset
Realtek 8101E ethernet chipset

FreeBSD 8.2 works very well on this particular laptop.

I have a Core i3-370m with uses the Arrandale architecture. The laptop appears to run flawlessly.

I have not had any issues with the wireless chipset. It does appear that some laptops have had issues see the following link http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=22815

Suspend/resume is not setup on my laptop "yet". I have not tried to set it up so I can neither confirm or deny if it functions on this laptop.
Click to expand...
Do GMA drivers for FreeBSD work with GMA HD? Last time I heard, they didn't.
 
pkubaj said:
Do GMA drivers for FreeBSD work with GMA HD? Last time I heard, they didn't.
Click to expand...

There is a FreeBSD Foundation funded project to achieve that but from what I know its 'in the works' now.
 
vermaden said:
There is a FreeBSD Foundation funded project to achieve that but from what I know its 'in the works' now.
Click to expand...

I've been trying to find any info or ETA, but I found nothing. I've been also unable to find any repo to check the code. As I need to replace my old laptop (very old one with an nvidia card) I would like to know whether I should keep with nvidia or if I can buy an intel-card based laptop.

Does anyone know when a beta will be released, where to find additional info or if there's any repository ?
 
Gusi said:
I've been trying to find any info or ETA, but I found nothing. I've been also unable to find any repo to check the code. As I need to replace my old laptop (very old one with an nvidia card) I would like to know whether I should keep with nvidia or if I can buy an intel-card based laptop.

Does anyone know when a beta will be released, where to find additional info or if there's any repository ?
Click to expand...

I hear ya. I just acquired a x220 which is modern intel based. I would love to know if there is a site I can keep an eye on this as my plan is to run FreeBSD on the laptop when the video driver becomes available.
 
korso said:
NVIDIA® NVS 3100M has Optimus technology :(. Probably it's not working with FreeBSD.
Click to expand...

My Lenovo T510 has the NVS3100M Optimus. FreeBSD with the NVIDIA amd64 driver works fine as long as you disable Optimus in the BIOS and force it to use the NVIDIA GPU instead of the Intel GPU. Obviously there's a power consumption penalty for this, but it works.

This post is proof that it works :)

sim
 
Postscript: I remember reading that not all systems allow the Optimus to be controlled in the BIOS, so please check before splashing out!

sim
 
As of July 2011, does anyone have recommendations on relatively new laptops that work well? I've scanned some of the referred sites in this thread, but they seem to address mostly older models.

Thanks
brad
 
@vermaden:

The Dell e6500...what wireless chipset did you select? As far as I can tell, the "Dell Wireless" options are the same Broadcom chipset that I have been wrestling with on a Macbook Pro (to no avail!)

I'm wondering if the Intel option there is the way to go for better support.

Any info you can provide would be appreciated!
 
b7j0c said:
@vermaden:

The Dell e6500...what wireless chipset did you select?
Click to expand...
I own E6400, but that's mostly size difference (14" vs. 15"), here is my wireless card:

Code: 
iwn0@pci0:12:0:0:	class=0x028000 card=0x11218086 chip=0x42358086 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Intel WiFi Link 5300 AGN (5300AGN)'
    class      = network

I'm wondering if the Intel option there is the way to go for better support.
Click to expand...
Don't know, but wireless works flawlessly for me, does not disconnect etc.

b7j0c said:
Any info you can provide would be appreciated!
Click to expand...
Don't know if that would help, but I have integrated Intel GMA X4500 graphics card in that notebook, there is also nVidia Quadro option, but you will have to ask other forum members if it's supported by the nVidia binary blob.

The built-in card reader does not work if that matters ;p
 
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