Yes, I know, this is yet another "which computer should I buy", and I have personally answered quite a few similar questions. This time, I need help from you guys.
Keep in mind that I need a laptop, not a desktop PC, no matter how small it is. I need to be able to not only carry it around but also use it while being carried around.
Here are the requirements:
a. Runs *nix as a physical OS (not in VM).
b. Runs Altium Designer smoothly for small-mid size designs (<100 parts on SCH, <1000 pads on PCB) in a commercial, 3D optimized VM.
c. Runs pre-2010 games on high or very high settings (specifically, Half Life 2 franchise, Left 4 Dead 2 as well as Portal 2).
d. Has at least Broadwell CPU, though I would much prefer Skylake or Kaby Lake.
e. As light weight and thin as possible, IPS/OLED display and solid building quality are a must, no cheap gaming PC shit.
f. No budget limit. I don't care even if it's $2k+, but I don't feel comfortable to pay too much for superfluity.
Here are some of my thoughts:
1. To satisfy A, all low cost computers (Hassee, Clevo and its rebranded ones, Acer, Asus and their ilks) are eliminated since they tend to use some cheap obscure branded chips that doesn't have Linux drivers.
2. To satisfy B, no AMD GPUs are taken into consideration unless it is a Mac. VMWare doesn't like AMDGPU driver, and latest Linux kernel and X doesn't like fglrx.
3. To satisfy C, no AMD either since Source engine has some issues working with AMD fglrx 13+ and AMDGPU. The solution, "gl_finish 1" command option is not available on L4D2 and HL2 franchise, though it works for Portal 2 and TF2.
4. To satisfy C, Intel GPUs are also okay as long as it comes with eDRAM and has at least 48EUs. 72EU is preferred, but so far I don't know if any <$1.5k laptops come with an Iris 580/580P processor. If I am to spend any more, I would like to have an nVidia GPU.
5. To satisfy E, 2kg is the max weight I want to carry with me since I don't use a backpack.
In addition, no Vaio branded ones. One Vaio Z model fits exactly what I need, i7 dual core, PCIe SSD, Iris 550 GPU, ultra thin and light, but I do NOT want to have another Vaio considering their poor quality or my bad luck with my current Vaio Z.
Also, no tablets or convertibles, I've played enough with these toys, and I now want a real laptop that does have a real keyboard and preferably, no touch screen.
Finally, HDD/ODD bays are optional, but SSD slots is a must, preferably PCIe x4 m2 slots.
Here I have a list of candidates, welcome to add some more if you know some other ones that fit my requirements:
1. Macbook Pro 13 inch: dual core ridiculously high frequency i7, Iris 550, downside: touch bar and price as well as IO ports.
2. Macbook 12 inch: best portability, reasonably long battery life, reasonable CPU power, downside: very bad GPU performance, single USB-C port.
3. Alienware 13R3: OLED display, super powerful GTX1060 GPU, quad core i7, serviceable, downside: heavy, OLED burn-in, short battery life.
]4. XPS 13: 3.5GHz turbo boost i7 with very long battery life, comparable to Apple building quality, downside: poor GPU, as bad as 12-inch MacBook.
5. Razer Blade Stealth: same i7 CPU as of XPS13, external GPU possibility, 4k LCD option, downside: poor integrated GPU, large LCD bezel.
6. Lenovo X260/T460/T460S: legendary building quality, FHD (not the 2.5k/5k rubbish), serviceable, downside: poor integrated GPU, very thick.
7. Lenovo T460P: just enough GPU, powerful quad core CPU, high quality, serviceable, downside: as expensive as much thinner and lighter competitors.
I know number 2 is a stupid idea, but it just looks irresistibly beautiful. My personal ranking: 7, 3, 1, 2.
I would like to ask your opinion on which one should I choose, and if you have other recommendations, please add it down below.
tl;dr:
Update: new candidate list:
1. Alienware 13 R3, i7 6700HQ, GeForce 1060, $1799+$160
2. ThinkPad P50, E3 1505M v5, Quadro M2000M, $1507
3. ThinkPad P50s: i7 6600U, Quadro M500M, $1182
4. ThinkPad T460P: i7 6820HQ, GeForce 940MX DDR3, $1182
5. Precision 15, E3 1505M v5, Quadro M1000M, $1829+$160
Final decision: MSI GS63VR with:
i7 6700HQ
GTX1060
32GB DDR4 2400
512GB NVMe SSD
15.6'' 1080p IPS