After Testing This Linux Laptop, I Understand Why Macbooks Are The Superior Choice

Tuxedo InfinityBook Max 15

pros and cons

Pros

• Sturdy aluminum chassis
• Brilliant show pinch 300Hz refresh rate
• Solid productivity performance

Cons

• Variable artillery life
• Make judge you prime nan correct keyboard layout
• Laptop tin get pricey

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Tuxedo Computers is simply a German institution that's been making computers preinstalled pinch Linux for complete 2 decades, and I've had nan pleasance of test-driving several models. When nan institution asked maine to effort their latest hardware, the InfinityBook Max 15, I couldn't opportunity walk connected nan laptop, which starts astatine $1,800.

Also: Ready for a Linux laptop? I urge a Tuxedo to beginners and pro users alike

This Linux laptop impressed maine immediately. It has a coagulated build, a superb screen, and nan saccharine small Tux icon successful spot of nan Windows logo for nan Super key. 

Although it has its quirks, I recovered nan laptop to beryllium nan correct equilibrium of shape and function. No, it's not a powerhouse, but if you want a well-crafted aluminum instrumentality pinch capable juice to get you done nan time (and you're a Linux user), it could beryllium correct up your alley.

What I loved 

The first point that struck maine was nan chassis, which is made of matte achromatic aluminum housing. As soon arsenic it's successful your hands, you cognize it's 1 well-built machine. The hinge is tight (but still opens easy enough), and nan 4.1-pound weight isn't capable to make you wish you had a manus motortruck to haul it around. It's surely heavier than my 13-inch MacBook Pro, but not nan bulkiest laptop I've used.

The show is rather nice. We're talking astir a 15.5-inch surface astatine 500 nits of brightness and a 300Hz refresh rate. For me, nan show is connected par pinch my MacBook Pro (especially astatine afloat brightness), and besides has little glare -- a large plus.

Also: These are nan absolute champion Linux distros for programming

Although nan velocity of nan InfinityBook Max didn't rustle maine away, it was nary slouch. I installed Ollama AI, pulled a mates of models, and ran done nan accustomed tests. My guidance to this was alternatively lukewarm. I had expected sizeable speed, but nan midrange GPU struggled pinch AI tasks. It's not unusable, but it's not connected par pinch immoderate of nan machines I've utilized pinch high-end GPUs. 

You tin moreover create your ain powerfulness profile.

Jack Wallen\ZDNET

When I turned to nan accustomed productivity tasks, nan InfinityBook Max 15's capacity improved significantly. I installed DaVinci Resolve 20, and it ran for illustration a champ. In fact, DaVinci Resolve ran amended connected nan InfinityBook than it did connected my MacBook Pro. 

Although it couldn't support up pinch my iMac M3 Ultra pinch 96GB of RAM, it held its own. I surely wouldn't want to render thing longer than 15 minutes connected this laptop, but a shorter clip will do conscionable fine.

Some considerations 

I had 1 awesome concern: nan artillery didn't past astir arsenic agelong arsenic I'd hoped. During my first testing, I had nan capacity floor plan group to "Default," which is afloat performance. 

When I group nan floor plan to Cool and Breezy, I recovered it delivered overmuch amended performance. When I changed to Powersave extreme, artillery life was nary longer an issue. 

By Default, I was fortunate to get six hours of artillery life; connected Cool and Breezy, I was capable to compression different 4 hours retired of nan battery. On Powersave extreme, however, my encephalon ran retired of juice earlier nan artillery did. I'd been utilizing nan laptop for astir 12 hours earlier it conked out.

Also: This elemental Linux tweak fixes crashes automatically - and it costs maine nothing

My different interest was nan sound. Although nan InfinityBook Max didn't sound arsenic tinny arsenic immoderate laptops, it didn't present overmuch power. When listening to Rush's "Tom Sawyer" connected YouTube, it lacked punch and depth. But for watching videos successful a quiet room, it was fine.

Although nan trackpad wasn't arsenic silky-smooth arsenic nan MacBook Pro's, it functioned very well. Tuxedo moreover had gestures group up for nan trackpad, which was a bully touch.

I did person a nit to prime pinch nan keyboard, but not pinch nan mechanics -- nan cardinal action is fantastic, pinch each 1 emotion sturdy and easy to press. In fact, nan InfinityBook Max keyboard was acold superior to nan keyboard connected my MacBook Pro. 

The problem pinch nan keyboard is that Tuxedo ever seems to nonstop maine a non-US keyboard, truthful I person to conjecture wherever immoderate of nan characters I request are. I get it, nan institution is based successful Germany, but it's thing to see if you're buying 1 for yourself. That said, erstwhile I became accustomed to nan layout, I recovered nan keyboard rather nice.

ZDNET's buying advice

Would I urge nan Tuxedo Computer InfinityBook Max 15? That depends connected your needs. If you're looking for a hard-core gaming laptop aliases 1 for section AI, this instrumentality could work, but I would propose bumping up nan RAM and spec'ing it pinch nan champion GPU your fund tin afford. (The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 is nan champion action available.)

If you amended those 2 elements, you'll person a beast of a instrumentality that tin do astir anything. Of course, maxing retired some RAM and GPU will costs you a sum full of $3,605 USD, which is pricey for a laptop, sloppy of operating system. 

Also: 8 things you tin do pinch Linux that you can't do pinch MacOS aliases Windows

I really enjoyed my clip pinch nan InfinityBook Max 15. Would I switch it retired for my MacBook Pro 13? Probably not, but that's mostly because I overmuch for illustration nan smaller shape factor.

Tuxedo InfinityBook Max 15 tech specs

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 255H (16 cores, 22 threads, up to 5.1 GHz).
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 aliases RTX 5070 (8GB GDDR7).
• Display: 15.3-inch "Omnia" display, 2560 x 1600 (16:10), 300Hz, 500 nits, 100% sRGB.
• Memory: Up to 128GB DDR5 5600MHz/6400MHz (two slots).
• Storage: 2x M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSDs for up to 8TB.
• Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Ports: 2x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort and 5x USB
• Battery: 99Wh Battery and USB-C Charging With 140 Watts
• Cooling: Low-profile cooling strategy that keeps laptop quiet and cool nether ray tasks and dissipates up to 165 watts from nan 2 processors astatine afloat instrumentality speed.
• Base price: $1,801.07