Full-time mobile workstation user

[Syscrusher]

Greetings, Community. This web site popped up in a search and seems to have solid technical information, so I've signed up. I was previously active on a similar site, but they shut down.

 

I'm a software developer using a high-end mobile workstation (Dell Precision 7780) as my daily driver for work, and I haven't owned a desktop computer in 20 years. My job involves building engineering and simulation apps using Unreal Engine, Blender, and other 3D tools -- essentially, game development tools for non-game applications.

 

In 2024 I've finally managed to migrate from Windows 10 to Arch Linux on my workstation. Linux has been my preferred o.s. since the late 1990s, and I've been a sysadmin on the company's virtualized IT systems for over 20 years. That said, the Linux desktop environment, power management, and sound subsystems are a new learning curve because virtual servers don't usually have (nor need!) a graphical desktop on Linux.

 

Current system:

• Dell Precision 7780
• CPU: Intel Core i9-13950HX, 16+8 cores
• RAM: 64 GB Non-ECC
• GPU: Nvidia RTX 5000 Ada, 16 GB VRAM
• Display: LED panel 3840x2160 17"; second monitor 3840x2160 24"
• Storage: 3 ea. 4 TB NVMe SSD, 1 ea. 2 TB NVMe SSD

 

My previous machine was an excellent Dell 7740 which has now been handed down to my spouse (who eagerly snarfed it up!). The main reason for upgrading was that my 3D applications needed more than 8 GB VRAM. The 7740 is a fine machine and still has 6 months of extended warranty, so choosing a Dell from the same product line as the upgrade was an easy decision.

 

Dell Pro Support has been excellent for the 4-1/2 years I've interacted with them. The 7740 had some initial hardware problems which eventually were traced to a tiny piece of protective packaging plastic (from Dell's upstream heatsink supplier) that had gotten stuck between the CPU and its heatsink. That thermal problem cooked the original motherboard and a replacement, plus system RAM, but Dell covered the whole thing under onsite service warranty.

 

As a technical pro, I appreciate that Dell publishes full service manuals and doesn't void the Pro Support warranty if you install third-party hardware or do your own repairs. Understandably, they won't service or replace things they didn't sell, but your Dell hardware is covered (at worst they may ask you to remove third-party components and re-test to confirm a Dell component failure).

 

I also really appreciate that Dell doesn't insist on supporting only Windows. I don't mind Windows existing or even that it has market dominance, but I resent paying for an OEM Windows license I don't want or need. My system came with an Ubuntu preload, no "Windows tax," and their tech support accepts Linux as a supported o.s.

 

In case I sound too much like a Dell fanboy, I will also mention that I've had good experiences in the past with IBM Thinkpad (prior to the Lenovo acquisition; haven't owned one since then), MSI, Apple, and HP. Generally, my opinion is that all the major brands have some very good machines and some mediocre ones, and a lot depends on whether you're buying a business-grade or consumer-grade model.