Hi Everyone,
So, I am here with an interesting experience. I got my first Laptop, HP Omen 15. Also, this is my first NVIDIA device.Interesting start for 2022, isn't it? First of all, my new laptop's inxi -Faz
✦ ╰─λ inxi -Faz
System:
Kernel: 5.15.12-zen1-1-zen x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.1.0
parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
root=UUID=e99e1554-282d-482c-af98-1b2c5cb9c3d5 rw rootflags=subvol=@
quiet splash rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=1
resume=UUID=52c4c4e3-15a4-4169-a025-60eb990956f7 loglevel=3
Desktop: Cinnamon 5.0.7 tk: GTK 3.24.31 wm: muffin vt: 7
dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: HP product: OMEN Laptop 15-en1xxx v: N/A
serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
Mobo: HP model: 88D1 v: 75.31 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: AMI
v: F.06 date: 05/05/2021
Battery:
ID-1: BAT0 charge: 19.2 Wh (27.7%) condition: 69.4/69.4 Wh (100.0%)
volts: 12.1 min: 11.6 model: HP Primary type: Li-ion serial: <filter>
status: Charging cycles: 3
CPU:
Info: model: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H with Radeon Graphics bits: 64 type: MT MCP
arch: Zen 3 family: 0x19 (25) model-id: 0x50 (80) stepping: 0
microcode: 0xA50000B
Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 8 tpc: 2 threads: 16 smt: enabled cache:
L1: 512 KiB desc: d-8x32 KiB; i-8x32 KiB L2: 4 MiB desc: 8x512 KiB
L3: 16 MiB desc: 1x16 MiB
Speed (MHz): avg: 2913 high: 4275 min/max: 1200/3200 boost: enabled
scaling: driver: acpi-cpufreq governor: performance cores: 1: 2645 2: 3120
3: 4275 4: 2514 5: 2235 6: 3549 7: 2948 8: 2592 9: 2189 10: 2395 11: 2871
12: 3057 13: 2912 14: 2874 15: 3045 16: 3401 bogomips: 102206
Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm
Vulnerabilities:
Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
Type: l1tf status: Not affected
Type: mds status: Not affected
Type: meltdown status: Not affected
Type: spec_store_bypass
mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
Type: spectre_v1
mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Full AMD retpoline, IBPB: conditional,
IBRS_FW, STIBP: always-on, RSB filling
Type: srbds status: Not affected
Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
Device-1: NVIDIA GA106M [GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile / Max-Q]
vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: nvidia v: 495.46
alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:2520
class-ID: 0300
Device-2: AMD Cezanne vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: amdgpu v: kernel
bus-ID: 06:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:1638 class-ID: 0300
Device-3: Quanta HP Wide Vision HD Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo
bus-ID: 1-3:2 chip-ID: 0408:5425 class-ID: fe01 serial: <filter>
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.21.1.2 driver: loaded: modesetting,nvidia
display-ID: :0 screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.0x11.2")
s-diag: 582mm (22.9")
Monitor-1: eDP-1 res: 1920x1080 hz: 144 dpi: 142
size: 344x193mm (13.5x7.6") diag: 394mm (15.5")
Message: Unable to show advanced data. Required tool glxinfo missing.
Audio:
Device-1: NVIDIA vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:228e class-ID: 0403
Device-2: AMD Raven/Raven2/FireFlight/Renoir Audio Processor
vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_rn_pci_acp3x v: kernel
alternate: snd_pci_acp3x,snd_pci_acp5x bus-ID: 06:00.5 chip-ID: 1022:15e2
class-ID: 0480
Device-3: AMD Family 17h HD Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 06:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3
class-ID: 0403
Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.12-zen1-1-zen running: yes
Sound Server-2: JACK v: 1.9.19 running: no
Sound Server-3: PulseAudio v: 15.0 running: no
Sound Server-4: PipeWire v: 0.3.42 running: yes
Network:
Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: r8169 v: kernel port: e000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel bus-ID: 03:00.0
chip-ID: 8086:2723 class-ID: 0280
IF: wlo1 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
Device-1: Intel AX200 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
bus-ID: 1-4:3 chip-ID: 8087:0029 class-ID: e001
Report: bt-adapter ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: <filter>
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 953.87 GiB used: 9.47 GiB (1.0%)
SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Samsung
model: MZVLB1T0HBLR-000H1 size: 953.87 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B
logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter>
rev: HPS0NEXF temp: 30.9 C scheme: GPT
Partition:
ID-1: / raw-size: 75.2 GiB size: 75.2 GiB (100.00%) used: 9.47 GiB (12.6%)
fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5 maj-min: 259:5
ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 883 MiB size: 881.3 MiB (99.80%)
used: 580 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p7 maj-min: 259:7
ID-3: /home raw-size: 75.2 GiB size: 75.2 GiB (100.00%)
used: 9.47 GiB (12.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5 maj-min: 259:5
ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 75.2 GiB size: 75.2 GiB (100.00%)
used: 9.47 GiB (12.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5 maj-min: 259:5
ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 75.2 GiB size: 75.2 GiB (100.00%)
used: 9.47 GiB (12.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5 maj-min: 259:5
Swap:
Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 17.58 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
priority: -2 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p6 maj-min: 259:6
ID-2: swap-2 type: zram size: 15.06 GiB used: 2.5 MiB (0.0%)
priority: 100 dev: /dev/zram0
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: amdgpu temp: 43.0 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
Processes: 394 Uptime: 26m wakeups: 2 Memory: 15.06 GiB
used: 3.46 GiB (23.0%) Init: systemd v: 250 tool: systemctl Compilers:
gcc: 11.1.0 clang: 13.0.0 Packages: pacman: 1265 lib: 311 Shell: Zsh v: 5.8
running-in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.3.11
- So, first of all, I booted into windows 10, because it is necessary to get registered for Warranty, and also because Omen software center is available only for windows.
Well, I had to spend 3 straight hours, downloading and updating on a 100 mbps connection, just to get to latest version of windows. Because for some weird reasons, windows updates in a way such that first, I had to update to windows 10 21H1, then 21h2 then to windows 11. I got the justification on why I am using Linux.
Now, I had windows 11 on my laptop. And I felt uncannily at home. Windows 11 has copied a whole lot of UI from Linux. The best example is sliders. I can bet windows got inspiration from Linux. And that slide to increase volume / brightness, it was not there in windows 10, but is in windows 11, though it has been for years in Linux. Also. fan is almost always on, and still temperature is not very cool on windows, even on idle. I don't know why so much load even in idle. This leads to decrease in battery life too.
Only benefit I saw of windows is that it has Omen control center, that is necessary for the laptop fans to work properly, and control keyboard back lights easily.
-
Now, I booted in Garuda Linux Cinnamon Edition, and saw the beauty back. So, I had almost no experience with NVIDIA. I booted using NVIDIA drivers. And I don't know how, but it worked flawlessly ! I really wasn't expecting that. I hadn't thought that I had to do absolutely nothing. And I got 144 Hz, the max display option, by default. And an option to switch between hybrid / integrated / nvidia mode. It is really easy and flawless experience.
Everything else, like camera, mic, keyboard, touchpad, speakers, blutooth, wifi etc. worked fine too without any single issue, except CPU sensors / fan . it was as a whole a lovely experience, and completely newbie friendly.
Regarding fan, only issue I felt was that RPM is not shown in Linux kernel, 5.15. But it is already fixed in 5.16. Also, sensors don't show temperature of individual cores. But I guess it is okay. Also not shown in windows, at least I couldn't find how to. So its not an issue at all. -
Also, Linux has some really cool pro over windows. Besides around 5 - 10 % percent more performance and better battery life, it is interesting to note that Linux is able to predict battery life, which was not able in Windows 10 / 11. And fans were maintaining windows equivalent temperatures at much lower RPM and noice.
Things I want to improve to get improved in Linux is,
- Three and four finger gesture support by default. At least it is not present in Cinnamon right now. I will make sure to add this.
That's all.
So, I hope that very few of you will actually read it completely
And yeah, here are some benchmarks
https://browser.geekbench.com/user/418253
All windows benchmarks are done with charging on and fans max out, though Linux never reached even third of max RPM. I was afraid that Windows may otherwise harm hardware. Me never trust proprietary software.
I will edit and add new experience, if any.
And Happy New Year Everyone. Stay safe and stay happy.