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Good head-to-head reviews of handhelds that can run bazzite (lemmy.ca)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world
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All of the major review websites for gaming hardware conspicuously did not include the smaller handheld OEMs in their head-to-head rankings/comparisons. Unfortunate it is only these smaller OEMs that support external GPUs.

I know that a bunch of ayaneo and onexplayer devices can run bazzite, can you folks recommend any (relatively ) unbiased reviews sites that can provide head-to-head comparisons that include the major OEMs and the smaller OEMs too?
I've been out of touch with the PC review scene for a while now and idk who is trustworthy and would still bother with the smaller brands.

I'm looking to pick up a new bazzite handheld that I can dock to an eGPU.

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[–] 2 points 10 months ago* (6 children)

Like @strayce@lemmy.sdf.org my handheld supports an eGPU and can run bazzite. However it's another mainstream unit. Personally, I got my handheld to be a hand held to play around the house using its built in screen. The onboard graphics have been more than capable, although I'll admit that I play slightly older games.

If you're looking for a less mobile setup and/or are more budget conscious, a used PC is probably going to be way better bang for your buck than a hand held with an eGPU. My gaming PC still packs a (used) 1070ti and shrugs off most games at 1440. Sure, I can't max graphics in everything but with moderate settings I can still have very solid and stable FPS.

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  • [–] [S] 5 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    I was trying to avoid exactly this tangent with people judging the setup I want.

    I'm not looking for a less mobile setup, and I'm not especially budget conscious. I want a gaming PC that can pump out frames to my superultrawide screen on my desk, and I want a gaming PC that I can throw into my backpack and do some light gaming on an airplane, and I want a development workstation that I can take to my in-laws and do a bit of coding while I'm visiting them.
    I don't want 2 (or 3) devices, because I don't want to manage extra devices that I only use occasionally, and I'm willing to pay a little extra for the convenience, even if I was convinced that 2 or 3 devices would be cheaper.

    What I want are reviews comparing the relatively beefy ayaneo/onexgamer devices that seem to do what I want out-of-the-box, vs the big-name devices that I see lots of reviews for, so I know which one I actually want.

    What device do you have, and do you have firsthand experience with it attached to an eGPU? Or is this based on specs?

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    No judgement meant, but without understanding your use case it's hard to make a good recommendation.

    What you asked first: I have an Asus Ally X. I'm truly just like @strayce@Strayce@lemmy.sdf.org in that my purchase choice was influenced by the ability to use it with an eGPU. From what I've read, using an AMD eGPU with an Ally X is a recipe for frustration, but Nvidia eGPUs are fine. I never actually pulled the plug as my use case for the device changed after I started using it. It can absolutely be used as a full fledged PC, since it actually is one, and I've taken advantage of that a few times.

    Musings on my pursuit of a convenient single device solution follow. You're welcome to stop here. I'm not here to try to convince you of anything, only to share my own struggles. Maybe you'll even be able to help me with them.

    I've been chasing the promise of a convenient all-in-one device for a while now. Tablet form factor devices (surface pro, iPad, etc) are good as tablets, but propping them up on your lap with a keyboard is awkward. I've found that this limits where you can realistically use them. Sure, you can use a tray/lap table setup, but if you need to haul it around with you it starts to lose convenience. I've always fallen back to using these devices as tablets. It seems like using a handheld as a computer replacement would face the same hurdles when you're away from your desk and add another one: the need for an an external display.

    As for why I didn't buy an eGPU for the Ally X, the most frequent time and place I use the Ally X is on the couch, next to my spouse as they watch TV, after my kids are asleep. I quickly realized I was self-selecting which games I play on it. I'm actively avoiding entire genres like real time strategy, which I personally enjoy a lot, because those games greatly benefit from a mouse/keyboard setup. I want a fast/convenient setup and break down. I don't want to have to worry about gathering and stashing accessories. There's also the reality of running on battery and heat dissipation. Keeping the Ally X in 13 watt "silent" mode results in 20 watts of actual power draw, very low fan noise, and ~4 hours of battery life. Its 17 watt "performance" mode is still fairly quiet and lowers battery life to ~3 hours. My spouse finds turbo mode too loud and you're looking at 1.5 hours of battery life. Noise aside, playing while plugged in diminishes the convenience for me.

    Despite a few false starts, I've still found myself stuck in the camp of portable device + laptop + desktop - although my desktop sees pretty infrequent use these days.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 10 months ago

    that does kinda ring a bell wrt nvidia vs amd eGPUs. i feel like there was another gotcha but they were able to make it work. I'll have to watch/read the walkthroughs again.

    the other reason I'm interested in those other OEMs is because they offer shit like 64g ram models. I dont often need it, but sometimes I'll be working on a hobby project where having a lot of ram is nice.

    basically I'm looking for a desktop gaming PC / dev workstation, because thats where I spend 95% of my time.
    but I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of gaming performance and a bit of money, to be able to play some lighter games while on business trips, and to work on my hobbies while visiting the in-laws for a week. My inlaws have a mouse and keyboard, and i dont need a mouse and keyboard for the kinds of games I'd play on an airplane. i want to have all my files available offline, without constantly having multiple devices online and syncing.

    I also have been chasing after the convenient 1-device dream for a long time, and I've always thought that portable consoles and tablets were too compromised of an experience (although the surfacebook gave me pause when it came out) - but some of these portable gaming PCs actually make me hopeful.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    Oh I remember why the egpu was an issue: I want to run bazzite, and Nvidia GPUs are still beta in bazzite. Plus they are still expenses due to AI, so I'm specifically looking for AMD egpus

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (1 child)

    I didn't spend a ton of time digging in, but I think the thing that gets the mainstream handhelds with AMD integrated graphics are the custom drivers. Maybe if a less mainstream device uses less custom components it'll have better compatibility?

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