I got a Titan with expanded drives. I increased the RAM size myself which was inexpensive at the time. I wanted a laptop capable of large CAD projects and other nonsense that I have to do for work.
The PSU brick is a 19.5 V supplying 230 W. I have a dock which supplies power over USB-C, but that seems to act only as life support. The computer needs a lot of juice. However, it it pales in comparison to my desktop computer requiring a 1kW psu to boot. Your frame of reference may be different from mine.
Hardware integration is fine, but not perfect. I have had trouble with their built-in core priority scheme which seemed to struggle with eco mode. I tend to leave it docked at one of my workspaces though, so I leave it on high CPU mode.
With my docks, I run 2 screens in Ultra HD quite easily in addition to the laptop maxing at 2560x1440. This includes when I do something stupid like compile code with a CAD drawing on another screen while watching shows in a browser with a million tabs open.
I run into weird challenges with the hardware that might be only specific to me. E.g., I hate black metal laptops because I do a lot of field work. Summer means burnt wrists. But, this comes with the territory of a laptop targeted for gamers. This may be relevant depending on how far in the outback you are with that solar panel!
The speakers suck, but that’s more of a laptop problem than a this-laptop problem.
The company was responsive when I had questions. I had an SSD die (not their fault), and they supported well to help me buy a replacement from a US vendor to reduce cost of shipping it back to Spain.
The Ryzen 9 5900 laptop had just been released by them when I bought it. The timing was right for me. I don’t know your needs, so I can’t help with that. Of course, looking for Linux-first hardware you will be limited by the slower lifecycle and availability due to demand.
This was not the “perfect” laptop for me when I bought it, but it was the one that ticked enough boxes to be “good enough” in my budget. I am still happy with my choice.
I smell bullshit with the AI thing, but that is just branding I suspect. The specs look similar enough and match my use case. What I call a CAD box or CUDA box somebody will use for AI.
I know you are avoiding US manufacturers, and I’m not here to convert you on that. However, I recommend looking at the System76 computers, since they still seem to be what many upstart Linux-first shops chase. It will give you an idea of what you should look for as good options elsewhere.
Oh yeah, you aren’t going to fill that niche unless you move into something outside the Linux-first group. Even my System76 Lemur draws 65W.
I’d love to hear if you find something else out there. Sometimes I need to order field gear for very remote jobs, and more recommendations are always welcome. I hate only using those ginormous toughbooks.