New Laptop - Dell Precision 7530 - i5-8400H - P2000 - and tips on installing Linux Mint 20.1 Cinnamon

I scored on EBay a laptop for ~$250.  Picked up a Dell Precision 7530 Workstation running an 8th Gen Intel i5-8400H processor.

Single word to describe the 7530 --> customizable.  This is a business model designed for easy configuration changes and replacement of components by professional IT staff.

Overall, impressive machine.  Many go for more at least $350-500 depending on configuration and components.  I opted for mid-tier P2000 (higher end versions use the P3200 6GB GPU).  I also opted for the mid-tier i5 instead of i7.  So $250 is an acceptable price.  If you got a similar configuration with Windows OS then $275-300 would be reasonable.

Update 7/24/23 - Selling the Dell

It's too over-powered for what I need.  My older 4th and 6th Gen HP's are bottom spec machines but still serve me fine.  It was premature of me to buy a 3rd laptop and I'll wait a few more years before buying a new machine...but then again my old 4th gen HP might last me 11 more years!

The 6th gen though will have to be replaced in 2025 when Windows 10 is EOL.  I could try extend it a bit, but at that point its not worth the risk and newer machines are not that expensive.

Three Reasons why the Dell 7530

A. i9/P3200 vs. i5/P2000 - overkill

Top of the line would be the i9 with P3200 GPU and max out on the RAM and HDD's.  That would be overkill as my research indicated the i5 and P2000 will perform about the same due to limitations of the motherboard and architecture.

B. Lots of Spare Parts

Another reason to choose a 'business' laptop like the Precision 7530, there are a lot of spare parts due to big companies unloading all their old tech.  You can confirm this by looking up all the auctions for Dell 7530's.  There are tons of listings whereas regular personal use laptops like my HP's barely have any listings as they didn't sell as many as the Dell 7530's.

The 7530 was released June 2018 making it about 5 years old as of May 2023.  Still more than decent specs for what I need and beats my older i3-4010u (4th gen) and i7-6700hq (6th gen).

C. Why the 7530 and not a modern Gaming Laptop?  Value Prop - 40% the cost

The most compelling thing about the 7530 with a P2000 GPU is its a fraction of the cost of an entry level modern gaming laptop that easily cost $600-900 for a basic RTX 3050.  While the Gaming laptop is configured and setup ready to go out-of-the-box.  The 7530 with some work can be a competent contender at a fraction of the cost.

I. My Specs

Here are the specs:

• Brand - Dell
• Model - Precision 7530
• Processor - Intel - i5-8400H (8th Generation)
  
• Ram - 32GB - 2x 16GB DDR4 SDRAM
  
• Hard Drive - m.2 NVME 256GB
• Screen - 15"
• GPU - nVIDIA - Quadro - P2000 - 4GB
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
  

The ports on this are numerous:

• USB 3.1 - 2x
• USB C - 2x
• SD Card
• Sim Card (internal on motherboard)
• HDMI out
• DVI out?
  
• Ethernet in

The motherboard internal expansions are also numerous:

• m2 PCIe slots x3
• 1 slot can be converted to run a 2.5" SATA.  Requires a special adapter from m.2 --> PCIe.  This also will only fit on Dell Precision Models w/ smaller internal batteries (some models have larger batteries to take up the space where the 2.5" SATA would fit.
   
• Ram slots x4

What mine lacked

• I didn't have the m.2 --> SATA converter.

II. Installing Linux Mint 20.01 Cinnamon

My 7530 didn't come with an OS so I wanted to confirm everything worked by installing Linux Mint.  This was intentional as I was focused on the GPU, RAM and Processor.  HDD's are relatively cheap and likely would prefer buying new replacements.

It took several days of frustration trying to get Linux to install as the Dell BIOS is very picky with UEFI and unfortunately for me, I had to keep it enabled for it to finally run.

Tools I used for Linux Install:

• Sandisk Extreme 3.0 - 64GB - USB Flash Drive
• Linux Mint 20.01 Cinnamon
  

I used another Linux laptop running Linux Mint 20.01 and used the 'USB Image Writer' to create the Linux Mint Boot Disk.

To Access BIOS on a Dell Precision 7530:

At startup screen you'll see the Dell Circle Logo and immediately press F2.  In top-right you'll see a message that it'll go to BIOS.

III. My BIOS settings that got Linux to Install:

• Settings
• Boot Sequence
• UEFI - checked
• Advanced Boot Options
• Enable Legacy Option ROMs - checked
• Enable Attempt Legacy Boot - checked
• System Configuration
• SATA Operation
• AHCI - checked   <-- this is for m.2 drives.
  
• Secure Boot
• Secure Boot Enable
• Secure Boot Enable - Unchecked

Troubleshooting #1 - Dell won't boot from HDD (m.2 SATA)

This issue confused me and finally after researching its due to UEFI being required.  On older laptops, I normally disabled UEFI but for this particular laptop you need it enabled.  This means only certain flavors of Linux can install and Ubuntu seems to be supported by Dell for the Precision 7530.

I successfully tested installing both Lubuntu 20 and Linux Mint 20.01 Cinnamon.

Troubleshooting #2 - USB media wont work

Some Multiboot Linux USB keys don't work well like YUMI.  You are better off creating new stand-alone Linux ISO images.

IV. Configuring Linux Mint

This is optional and more a reminder for me of what additional apps and how I installed them.

Linux App List (Optional)

1. Hardinfo - Benchmarking Tool (evaluate performance of CPU, GPU, etc)
2. KDiskMark - HDD Speed Benchmark Tool
   
3. GParted - Partition Editor
4. Wine - Windows API
5. Dosbox
6. VLC

NVIDIA Drivers for P2000 Quadro (Recommended)

You will get prompted in the System Reports an option to install the nVidia drivers for the P2000.  After installation, you can then select Performance Mode that'll run on the P2000 GPU.

V. First Impressions - Excellent for the Price $250!

I'm more impressed at how far Linux has come.  While its tough at times to get it to install, if you keep trying you eventually will get it to work.  The UEFI requirement is something new to me, but in the long term it might be best Linux does support that security feature.

The Dell Precision 7530?  This thing feels substantial and premium.  It reminds me of how laptops used to feel like before they started cost cutting and cutting corners.  Everything about this feels like it was made out of higher quality parts and components.

Access to the motherboard was easy with 7 small screws and getting to the various RAM and m.2 NVME modules is straightforward.  All-in-all for $250 this would be an outstanding Linux rig, but longer term this will become a Window PC and hopefully I can leverage the P2000 for some basic gaming.

VI. Upgraded to Linux Mint 21.2

Linux as always is quite effortless in terms of upgrading and after playing with Linux Mint 20.  I went ahead and upgraded to Linux Mint 21.2.  I had to first upgrade to 21 then upgrade again to 21.2.

I don't see much difference in 21.2 other than it seems closer to Windows 10.  But that might be the point?  To entice more users to switch over.

VII. Dual Boot and state of my laptop fleet?

The 3 slots for m.2 PCIe are giving me some ideas.  I could dual boot this monster to handle both Windows 10 and Linux Mint 21.  I see no reason having several computers and instead, this one laptop can serve me on both OS.  I'll check out ordering a bigger m.2 NVME for Windows as Linux Mint 21 runs just fine on the existing 256GB.

As for my laptop fleet?

1. Dell Precision 7530 - i5-8400H - Dual Boot (Windows/Linux)
2. HP AB292NR - i7-6700HQ - Windows 10
3. HP 15F010DX - i3-4010u - Linux

I feel that would be ideal as I sometimes need Windows.

VIII. Upgrades Budget for Windows OS - $85

I’ll need to get the following to unlock the potential as the gaming choices for Steam are limited.

• 1TB m.2 NVME SSD - $40
• 32GB USB Drive (for Windows ISO) - $10
• Windows 11 - $35

Total cost due primarily to Windows OS will be $310 to get the Dell 7530 become a dual boot rig.

 

VIIII. Useful Linux Commands

To grant read-write access to files.

• Go to Terminal
• Go to Home Directory
• cd /
• dir  --to show list of folders & files
  
•  Go to directory you want
• cd usr/share/games/endless-sky/data
• Pick file you want to change permissions
• sudo chmod 777 ships.txt -- anyone can do anything
  
• Enter password