Re:Putting Linux on my RTX Spark laptop because I don't have...
by esperent on Tuesday October 20, 2026 @11:22PM
(#50175678)
> If you don't specifically need a huge amount of GPU-addressable RAM
Well, even when I bought the Ge66 I would have loved unified memory for Blender but it's now even more important since the graphics card manufacturers are being so stingy with it and I want to run local models in addition to graphics apps and games.
TBH I think the "separate memory for GPU model" is dead, it's just taking a long time for the industry to catch up. So I'm going to live with my laptop for a few more years until it does.
I think the ones to watch on this area for non-Apple devices is Qualcomm. They just need better iGPUs and Linux support and they'll have genuine Apple M competition.
Although, the thing is, for the AI tasks advertised, the MacBook Pros have faster memory, so token decode runs faster.
Then by using a Mac you also scuttle the issue of "My platform has a low rate of adoption" that Windows on ARM has had. That issue will get better over time but in the present it's still an issue.
As for the dedicated GPU gaming laptop market, you'd be surprised how it's evolved since the release date of your MSI Ge66. I mentioned the 2026 Zephyrus G16 specifically because it is a laptop with very few compromises, including heat and noise. If you don't specifically need a huge amount of GPU-addressable RAM, and you're just looking for good performance in games and graphics-intensive applications, it is a clearly better buy than these RTX Spark systems. As a bonus, being an X86 system you'll have a much easier getting Linux going on that one.
So, yes, it's good that there is another MacBook Pro alternative, but I think the issue remains that it's unclear who exactly the buyer persona is going to be. I think a lot of people in the venn diagram are going to just go with a MacBook Pro.
This part is more speculation on my part, but if Apple brings out the M7 Pro/Max chips on the rumored 2027 schedule, I think they will really blowpast RTX Spark at a time when it will take Nvidia years to have an equivalent answer.
It will also be curious to see if AMD can catch back up Medusa Halo launching next year. If that is anything close to RTX Spark it will sidestep the Windows on ARM issue entirely and look like a pretty attractive alternative. Hopefully AMD actually gets it put into a wide selection of laptops this time around.
https://www.techpowerup.com/340216/amd-medusa-halo-apu-leak-...