Can you recommend me a model/brand laptop that is current 2025 that is budget, DURABLE and can run Linux. Most of what i see in the store feels very plasticky and prone to breaking. Even the more expensive models bent very easily from the plastic.
For build quality I can recommend dells and lenovos business lines. They usually play well with linux, too.
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I’d look at a lenovo thinkbook or a bit of an older lenovo thinkpad.
But most laptops should work fine.
System76 has fantastic products. I really like their new Pangolin laptop. 16 inches high res display and highly customizable. Check it out.
Durable and cheap usually are mutually exclusive. If you add to the total lifetime of the product into the computation, instead of just looking at the initial buy-in price, you will find that the “expensive enterprise laptop” is actually a good price due to availability of spare parts and long term firmware support.
Framework laptops seems like an interesting choice but I have no experience with them.
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Based on your description, Framework laptops are everything you’re looking for. Durability of major laptop manufacturers is abysmal. But anecdotally, my Framework 13 which I got soon after the first model came out has been going strong for about 3 years now, and it’s easily upgradable and repairable if something does go wrong. Great linux support too (official support for Ubuntu and Fedora). If you’re looking for a more budget option, Framework 12 is probably the way to go.
the CPU is awful, I wouldn’t recommend anyone buy that e-waste
Why exactly? Obviously if you’re doing CPU-intense tasks all the time, you’re going to notice, but for browsing the web, word processing, sending email, and watching videos it sounds just fine based on reviews of laptops with the same processor I’ve seen. And OP is looking for a budget option.
I also expect that there will be new motherboards coming out in the future with more powerful processors that you can swap in if your needs change.
Because the 12 isn’t budget imo.
Framework 12 i3-1315U, $550 starting (needs ram & storage), 11,524 Passmark
Framework 12 i5-1334U, $700 starting (needs ram & storage), 13,396 Passmark
Thinkpad E15 Gen3 5700u, $250-350 used, 15,629 Passmark, has quartely bios updates (see picture)
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Well of course a used laptop is cheaper than a new one. That doesn’t mean the 12 isn’t a budget pick. The Thinkpad is $1k new and likely has lower durability than the framework with a completely plastic frame and based on the consumer reports article I linked. OP explicitly mentioned that durability is important.
Of course if quarterly bios updates are crucial and you don’t mind buying used, it sounds like it could be a fine choice, but OP didn’t mention either of those things.
The i5 model comes out a hair under $1k after adding storage + drive & tax.
You can get that same CPU in new $400 laptops.
Yes, overall the Framework will likely last longer, but is it long enough to justify the markup in this price point?
Like at least Framework 13 is a much better value compared to others in its performance/price bracket, so much so it makes the 16 look bad.
Yeah I wouldn’t recommend getting the 12 with the i5. I would go for the i3 which is around $800 altogether. Not the cheapest you can find by any means, but OP said durability is important and I think by that metric at this price point, it would be very difficult to find something close to the 12.
True, but OP didn’t mention performance as a major selling point and in my experience, for most laptop use cases, processor speed simply does not matter these days (within reason).
@Ape221 I do think more info about your exact budget and use case would be helpful
What dsitro do you plan on using?