this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2026
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Is Linux on a laptop with an Intel Processor + an NVidia GPU still the absolute fucking nightmare it was 10 years ago? (pawb.social)
submitted 22 hours ago by VinesNFluff@pawb.social to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world
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Title. I remember having a laptop with an intel iGPU and NVidia dGPU back in the day, and trying to use Linux on it was -- Yeah not really a thing. It meant spending a whole day trying to configure the driver, then you could do optirun command, but depending on the application, it didn't matter how hard you tried or how good you smelled, that shit just wouldn't work.

It's been a long long time. Gaming on Linux has gotten better and better, but I've been using AMD stuff exclusively since ~2018

Still, getting a laptop with an AMD dGPU is... Does anyone other than Framework even make them? Either way I tried and couldn't find any to buy in my country at all.

So I'm eyeing a laptop with an NVidia GPU and an Intel processor. .... But it worries me that I would buy it and find Linux doesn't work on it. I categorically refuse to use Windows on a personal machine ever again, so I'll just do without if NVidia+Linux is still as fuckt as it was back in the day.

In my current machines I use CachyOS, but yeah.

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[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 24 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I can't answer the laptop issue specifically. I have two desktops with Nvidia in it. And it runs fine apart from one of them being out of date of the official drivers. It's not nearly the hassle it was a decade ago. AMD is always easier generally. But these days Nvidia is pretty stable as well. Especially if you have a modern 20+ series card supported by their current drivers

[–] VinesNFluff@pawb.social 18 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

What made Laptops hard was the whole "two GPUs, and the dGPU switches off to save battery" thing that required the installation of a specific daemon (I think it was called bumblebee or something?) and running games with a specific command to make it happen.

The laptop I was eyeing has a low-end 50 series card.

[–] MirrorGiraffe@piefed.social 7 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah therev was some version of it called Optimus as well I think. I installed kinoite on my old xps9570 and handed it to my brother and he's been gaming on it so the dedicated card surely works. Can't remember exactly what I did but I think I had to start steam with a specific param or something.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

[–] hoshikarakitaridia@lemmy.world 7 points 20 hours ago

I second that Optimus sucks a bit still. That said, I have an older laptop with a 1060 mobile and that one runs smooth af.

For like 80% of the hardware I would assume things work without much hassle.

For the 20% there are more or less reliable workarounds.

But the only thing you need to know: these 10 years Linux' drivers issues really have improved in a major way. If you ask whether it's worth it to try again, I would say yes. Not a guarantee but a new roll of the dice.

[–] Eldritch@piefed.world 3 points 21 hours ago

Interesting. Today I learned. The last new laptop I bought for myself was in the late 90s at the local micro center. Sporting an AMD k6-2. My current one has an AMD iGPU. I'll have to keep this in mind if I ever get lucky enough to find a good deal on a used laptop with a dedicated or discreet GPU.