CPU selection for FreeBSD

[England]

There is a ORIGIMAGIC N2 with a Ryzen 5 6600H 6 core, 12 thread mini PC with a RADEON 660M graphics that I can purchase. Can FreeBSD be loaded on this mini computer? I would be very interested to know for sure.

 

[blackbird9]

Ive ran freebsd on 2 or 3 different mini-pc's, they all worked. Only problems are things like what ethernet, wifi or sound chip they used and whether fbsd has the drivers. I've only tried intel-based machines though (I had one machine where linux didn't work with the realtek nic too). Unless you can find someone who has tried that same machine all you can really do is suck it and see. I'm not sure what the status of radeon drivers is with X11 either, I always stick to bog standard intel graphics, at least the intel stuff usually works.

 

[SirDice]

The CPU is rarely an issue, it's the iGPU (integrated graphics) that might be problematic. Can you run FreeBSD on it? Probably, most likely. Being able to run a desktop environment (X, wayland, etc) is quite another question.

 

[RetroComputingCollector]

The CPU is rarely an issue, it's the iGPU (integrated graphics) that might be problematic. Can you run FreeBSD on it? Probably, most likely. Being able to run a desktop environment (X, wayland, etc) is quite another question.

What about using vesa.ko? Sure it's slow but it supports literally every VBE-compliant card which would mean every graphics card for the past few decades.

 

[SirDice]

Sure, vesa(4) or scfb(4) (EUFI) boot should always work. Not ideal though.

 

[mer]

Ethernet device can be an issue; RealTek 2.5G devices may not be supported by the kernel but by the realtek kmod port. I ran into this mucking with OpnSense on a device Installed fine, but you had no network available to add the package, giving you chicken and egg. "I need the network up to add a package that lets me use the network device". There are ways around this like a USB to ethernet device that gives you network to load the correct pkg.

vesa/scfb will usually work, but not optimal for the user experience.
I have no experience with AMD compatibility.

 

[Erichans]

There is a ORIGIMAGIC N2 with a Ryzen 5 6600H 6 core, 12 thread mini PC with a RADEON 660M graphics that I can purchase. Can FreeBSD be loaded on this mini computer? I would be very interested to know for sure.

Can't say for 100%. However, AMD Ryzen 5 6600H shows it's from Jan 2022, using zen 3+. Even though 'zen 3+' does not reflect the actual GPU that is used, that is 'Radeon 660M'; the age suggests that it would be ok.

Moreover, Ryzen 6000 series Wikipedia entry shows:

Rembrandt (Zen 3+/RDNA2 based)

Given RDNA2, categorising the graphics generation, further solidifies, that in my estimation, you'll be good.

If, by chance, the Xorg modesetting(4) driver (the standard and automatically loaded by default) happens to not work, you should instead try amdgpu(4) as the Xorg driver, contained in x11-drivers/xf86-video-amdgpu

 

[blackbird9]

I agree with EricChans, the likelihood is that it will work fine. To test it you could either install freebsd on a usb drive or take out the ssd and replace it with another to try it out. Then if there are any major problems you can put the original disk back in unaltered and send it back to to the seller as "unsuitable". Or even easier try running ghostbsd on it which comes pre-configured with the GUI etc, that would give you a quick test to check the graphics, network etc are working.

A simple, elegant desktop BSD Operating System | GhostBSD

www.ghostbsd.org

 

[England]

Many thanks for all your comments. Appreciate it. It appears an AMD product may not be the way to go. However, I will look at it closer and ask a few more questions. The chap was using it specifically for gaming.
Since I am a newbie at this I am not sure what EricChans is suggesting. I would be cleaning off Windows I presume when I install FreeBSD. How would I try running ghostbsd on the mini PC? I read the URL attached (simple elegant desktop.......) but I miss the procedure required? Please advise. I am a bit confused here.

 

[mer]

How would I try running ghostbsd on the mini PC? I read the URL attached (simple elegant desktop.......) but I miss the procedure required? Please advise. I am a bit confused here.

GhostBSD I think you can create a bootable "live Image". That means you plug the USB device into the target, boot into the USB and the OS comes up on the USB but also uses/sees the hardware on the target system. If the GUI comes up then GhostBSD can recognize and use the hardware on the target system.