Hardware Recommendations

This page aims to make buying recommendations for problematic hardware.

PLEASE NOTE: Old or unavailable hardware is to be removed, and the list should be short. Best case would be one device that is good, cheap, and available in all countries. If this doesn't exist, there may be different recommendations for different countries and/or different price categories. Every price is to be provided with a date in the form YYYY-MM-DD. Mentioned devices should have great out-of-the-box experience. If there are no devices with great out-of-the-box experience available, there might also be devices mentioned that require as little tweaking as possible. Tweaking steps are to be mentioned in these cases. Feel free to add categories to further distinguish between different features.

You may find a more extensive list of hardware that is known to work here.

Problematic Hardware

Your should be wary not to buy the wrong stuff.

WiFi Sticks

Many models provide no drivers, and will probably never work.

Bluetooth Sticks

Many models provide no drivers, and will probably never work.

Printer/Scanner

Many models provide no drivers, and will probably never work.

GPUs

• Just buy AMD, and you will be fine. Nvidia privides drivers, but they don't work out of the box, and are known to make problems. However, Nvidia is not overly problematic, you're probably fine if you already have one, or can get a very cheap one. Just don't blame Linux if you get problems. You are warned.
  • If you want FOSS drivers, AMD is your only option. Don't even think about gaming on Nouveau, as long as you don't want to buy a 3090 to play Tetris.
• If you want no problems, don't buy the newest GPU right after it launched (that's also a good idea if you want to save money). But you're probably fine, if you wait a couple months, there is absolutely no need to buy old garbage. Drivers just need a little bit of time to get good.
• If you buy very old GPUs, look for Vulkan support.

Gaming Laptops

If you don't want to do gaming on your laptop, many devices should be ok, the problem is basically just WiFi and Bluetooth. But it gets messy if they have two GPUs, or other special components.

• Manufacturers with good support. You can't do anything wrong if you buy one of those (as long as the performance is good enough for you):
  • System 76
  • Tuxedo
• Specific recommendations for a gaming laptop:
  • Premium:
  • Good value:
  • Cheap:

Less problematic Hardware

You're probably good with just buying anything, and your chance of picking a device that straight up doesn't work, is low. But you might want to have a look at our recommendations, just to be sure, especially if you want special features, like RGB, or a mainboard with WiFi, etc.

Bluetooth Headphones

Most Bluetooth headphones should be fine. But there are incompatible models.

Noise Cancelling Over Ear

• Premium: Sony WH-1000XM4 | EU | 250€ | 2022-03-10
• Good value:
• Cheap:

Headsets

• Premium:
• Good value: Logitech G933 | US | 29$ | 2022-03-10
• Cheap:

Mainboard

Mainboards usually just work for most features. Sometimes, features like fan control, Bluetooth, WiFi, or RGB are not supported out of the box. All devices in this category should have full support. Please mention all features that you tested, and that are working.

AMD

• AM3
• AM4
  • MSI Tomahawk Arctic B350

Intel

• Sandy Bridge

USB audio converter

• Cheap: Sharkoon Gaming DAC Pro S V2 | EU | 30€ | 2022-03-10 | Problems: Slight hissing when playing no audio

USB microphones

• Good value: Samson Meteor Mic | EU | 45€ | 2022-03-10

Mice

If you just want something that works, buy whatever you want. Everything will work. Problematic features are just stuff like changing DPI, lift-off distance, or RGB. Mice in this category should have a flawless sensor, and a pleasant way to change settings. From my personal experience, settings are usually stored in the mouse, so it is sufficient to boot Windows, and change stuff there, or boot a VM and pass through the mouse. After that, the settings are kept in Linux. RGB support is desirable.

• Steel Series Rival 300: Flawless Sensor | Settings are stored on the mouse. | I did not test RGB.

Keyboards

If you just want a standard keyboard, buy whatever you want. Everything will work. Problematic features are just stuff like special makro buttons, or RGB.

Hardware with RGB support

Hardware in this category is unproblematic, other than for RGB support. If you don't care for that, just buy whatever you want.

RAM:

• DDR3:
• DDR4:
• DDR5:

Fan:

Generally unproblematic hardware categories

• Monitors
• Headphones/Speaker with audio jack
• CPUs