I'm looking for a laptop which is well supported by Linux (obviously) but also

has high build quality

has a high end current gen cpu

supports min 16g ram

supports nvme

So basically most modem laptops, but one that is well supported by Linux.

Budget is not a concern.

Unfortunately the current high end laptops are usually not well supported by linux, because there are no drivers available.
RAM is not an issue, but otherwise you need to check if the given hardware is really supported (video, network, bluetooth, ....).

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Look at the Asus GL731G.
I recently bought one with the 17" screen, 16G memory, intel I7-9750H cpu (6 core, 12 thread), 500G nvme ssd, and it has worked flawlessly for me with Fedora. Has HDMI, 3 USB3, ethernet, wifi, bluetooth, 4 speaker audio with headphone jack. The only thing I really found missing was the built-in camera but that was not an issue for my use since a usb camera is cheap and it also works in linux -- and you don't have to sit in front of the keyboard.

It is a gaming rig and really durable. I have had it running with all procs at 100% for over a week and the temp has never gone above 72C

I have also used various Asus laptops over the past years and have never had a problem with any of them.

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Recently bought a Dell XPS 15 and I am less than satisfied. Most things work however I can't get the sleep function to work. I have tried numerous ways to get it to work properly but it is just not well supported. And for a laptop, that IS a problem.

Another flaw in the Dell XPS 15 is the trackpad that is not wel constructed. I tried to repair the problem using a Youtube video and it now works so-so.

This is NOT what I expected of a top-of-the-line laptop I paid about € 3000 for and if I had the time to cope with all the hassle I would have returned it. But I don't so I'll just try to get along with it in Windows (ouch!) and I keep my 5 year old Thinkpad running Linux around to get work done without distraction.

Half a year ago I made the mistake of buying a cheap Thinkpad. The AMD APU (processor/GPU combo) has a lot of power and I was impressed. However battery life was mediocre and the power draw was so large that I could not even finish a 1 hour long video call. Also it did not have keyboard backlight, a feature that seemed not that important but turned out to be very much needed. So now I don't use it anymore because it is just not fit for the job.

Now I just want a performance machine that I can trust to work when I need it (so no Windows please) and I am even close to returning to Apple when they come out with a good new Macbook Pro running an ARM processor.

Check out native Linux laptops from Zareason, Thinkpenguin, and System76.

I've never purchased from System76, but I've had good experiences with the other two.

I have seen numerous complaints about Dell machines. It also seems the newer ones set up the machine with bios raid and linux cannot even see the drive until raid is disabled. I have been highly satisfied with all the Asus laptops I have used over the years and I will stick with them unless things change.

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This has been one of the issues. It feels like Wintel of yesteryear has transformed into today's WinDell..

I even wrote a blog post about my issues with the Dell XPS 9500.

I use a Dell Latitude 7490 and it works great with Linux Mint 20. All the function special keys (brightness, volume, etc) work great right out of the box. I didn't have to install any special drivers. I highly recommend this laptop. The only drawback is the battery life is not the greatest, but I dont know if that;s a Linux thing or if it would be better with Windows.

I have a Librem 14 on order, don't expect shipping until December now, so can't give a first hand review. Hoping it is all folks say it will be though.

Nothing wrong with wanting to run Linux on high-end hardware. It can certainly handle it.

So long as you don't try to buy brand-new gear, i.e., one that has literally just been released, 'hot-off-the-press', you should be OK. 6 months old is fine.

You must understand that unlike Windoze, where manufacturers/suppliers provide drivers for everything the instant it hits the shelves, Linux drivers are usually reverse-engineered from their Windoze counterparts. Furthermore, this work is often being carried out by folks that are not making a living from what they do....much of this development takes place in any spare time when the 'day-job' has finished.

It takes time.....anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on complexity, naturally enough.
It's not like the other side of the coin, where MyCrudSoft staff, for instance, are on a regular take-home salary for what they do.

If you respect this small limitation with the Linux kernel, the world's your oyster....


Mike.