digital_descartes

Around 2020, I got the aforementioned laptop. At that time, I was using Windows, and generally, my IT knowledge was quite poor. Then I had a break from using it due to issues with computer overuse, and after returning from treatment (2021), I started using other laptops. This one ended up in a closet. Around 2023 I got a my beloved ThinkPad T470.

After some time, I dug this laptop out of the closet and wanted to install Linux on it. I managed to do it, but I couldn’t install the drivers for the dedicated graphics card. Because of that, I didn’t have HDMI or the dedicated card itself functioning. I was installing proprietary drivers, which generally caused issues with the kernel. So, the laptop just sat there for a long time.

At a certain point, towards the end of 2025, I realized that I actually needed a more powerful machine than the ThinkPad T470. So I dug out this old laptop, and at the urging of the LLM I use daily, I tried to put it together. With its help, I finally managed to set up those drivers because it turned out that my previous failure to install them was simply because I hadn’t enabled the ‘contrib’ repository.

It was a success! What’s more, it’s quite a beast now. I threw in a 1 TB SSD, 16 GB of RAM, bought a 200W power supply, and raised the TDP to 45W in UMAF. I must say I am proud of this computer, and I also tweaked a lot of things within the system itself. This laptop has also taught me a lot; before this, I briefly had a PC with an Athlon, which introduced me to playing around with motherboard settings.

What is the purpose of my post? To give hope to people with Nvidia GPUs or laptops with dedicated cards that it is indeed possible to set them up (on Debian especially, cause it's kinda difficile there) :)"

See the screenshot for the full specifications; I recommend taking a look

I forgot to mention, I've been using Linux since December 2022

I'm planning to switch to RISC-V by 2030, and since this is new to me (I’m an old AMD64 (and i386) veteran), I wanted to ask what your thoughts and predictions are regarding performance, stability, and usability as a creator of all kinds of content, whether it’s music, movies, 3D, or watching cat videos on YouTube. I’m also planning to buy a new, fresh computer, maybe a laptop from around 2027/2028. Is that a good idea, or am I biting off more than I can chew? To sum up, I’m asking for your opinions, advice, warnings, and thoughts. Feel free to write not only answers to my questions but anything you consider important in the context of the RISC-V and Linux marriage in the near future