Solved What are your hardware recommendations for a FreeBSD desktop in 2023?

subnetspider said:
From what I can find online, the i7-11370H is 10nm Tiger Lake with Iris Xe graphics, while the i5-11400 is 14nm Rocket Lake with UHD 750 graphics.
Both are 12th Gen Intel integrated graphics, but I'm not 100% shure if both are supported by graphics/drm-510-kmod ...

[...]
Click to expand...
I think you "advanced a generation to far". At 11th generation Core - Rocket Lake finds your i5 11400, that has UHD 730 graphics (ark intel - i5 11400; see also entry point: intel processors). graphics/gpu-firmware-kmod/ mentions both rocket lake and its successor 12th generation Core - alder lake; so it looks you have a good chance getting your i5-11400 iGPU working.

Next in line after graphics/drm-510-kmod/ is graphics/drm-515-kmod but it doesn't seem to get issued for (the kernel in) 13.x-RELEASE/STABLE.
 
_al said:
I use
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$ uname -a
FreeBSD freebsd6 13.2-RELEASE FreeBSD 13.2-RELEASE releng/13.2-n254617-525ecfdad597 GENERIC amd64
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$ drm_info | grep "Driver\|Device"
├───Driver: i915 (Intel Graphics) version 1.6.0 (20200917)
├───Device: PCI 8086:9a49 Intel Corporation TigerLake-LP GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics]
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$ sudo camcontrol devlist
<WDC WD10SPZX-08Z10 05.01A05> at scbus0 target 0 lun 0 (ada0,pass0)
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$ sudo nvmecontrol devlist
nvme0: WDC PC SN530 SDBPMPZ-256G-1101
nvme0ns1 (244198MB)
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$ neofetch
OS: FreeBSD 13.2-RELEASE amd64
Uptime: 1 hour, 5 mins
Packages: 1072 (pkg)
Shell: bash 5.2.15
Resolution: 1920x1080
DE: GNOME 42.4
WM: Mutter
WM Theme: Adwaita
Theme: Adwaita [GTK2/3]
Icons: Adwaita [GTK2/3]
Terminal: gnome-terminal-serv
CPU: 11th Gen Intel i7-11370H (8) @ 3.302GHz
GPU: TigerLake-LP GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics]
Memory: 8058MiB / 16128MiB
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$ pciconf -vl
hostb0@pci0:0:0:0: class=0x060000 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0x9a14 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3835
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = '11th Gen Core Processor Host Bridge/DRAM Registers'
class = bridge
subclass = HOST-PCI
vgapci0@pci0:0:2:0: class=0x030000 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0x9a49 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3a5b
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'TigerLake-LP GT2 [Iris Xe Graphics]'
class = display
subclass = VGA
none0@pci0:0:4:0: class=0x118000 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0x9a03 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x380d
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'TigerLake-LP Dynamic Tuning Processor Participant'
class = dasp
pcib1@pci0:0:6:0: class=0x060400 rev=0x01 hdr=0x01 vendor=0x8086 device=0x9a09 subvendor=0x8086 subdevice=0x7270
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = '11th Gen Core Processor PCIe Controller'
class = bridge
subclass = PCI-PCI
none1@pci0:0:8:0: class=0x088000 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0x9a11 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x380d
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'GNA Scoring Accelerator module'
class = base peripheral
none2@pci0:0:10:0: class=0x118000 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0x9a0d subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3807
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tigerlake Telemetry Aggregator Driver'
class = dasp
xhci0@pci0:0:20:0: class=0x0c0330 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0ed subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3829
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 xHCI Host Controller'
class = serial bus
subclass = USB
none3@pci0:0:20:2: class=0x050000 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0ef subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3830
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP Shared SRAM'
class = memory
subclass = RAM
iwlwifi0@pci0:0:20:3: class=0x028000 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0f0 subvendor=0x8086 subdevice=0x0074
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Wi-Fi 6 AX201'
class = network
ig4iic0@pci0:0:21:0: class=0x0c8000 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0e8 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3822
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP Serial IO I2C Controller'
class = serial bus
none4@pci0:0:22:0: class=0x078000 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0e0 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3825
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP Management Engine Interface'
class = simple comms
ahci0@pci0:0:23:0: class=0x010601 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0d3 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3819
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP SATA Controller'
class = mass storage
subclass = SATA
pcib2@pci0:0:28:0: class=0x060400 rev=0x20 hdr=0x01 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0bc subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3812
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
class = bridge
subclass = PCI-PCI
pcib3@pci0:0:29:0: class=0x060400 rev=0x20 hdr=0x01 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0b3 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3814
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
class = bridge
subclass = PCI-PCI
isab0@pci0:0:31:0: class=0x060100 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa082 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3806
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP LPC Controller'
class = bridge
subclass = PCI-ISA
hdac0@pci0:0:31:3: class=0x040100 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0c8 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x380a
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP Smart Sound Technology Audio Controller'
class = multimedia
subclass = audio
ichsmb0@pci0:0:31:4: class=0x0c0500 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0a3 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x380d
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP SMBus Controller'
class = serial bus
subclass = SMBus
none5@pci0:0:31:5: class=0x0c8000 rev=0x20 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0xa0a4 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x380c
vendor = 'Intel Corporation'
device = 'Tiger Lake-LP SPI Controller'
class = serial bus
nvme0@pci0:1:0:0: class=0x010802 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x15b7 device=0x5008 subvendor=0x15b7 subdevice=0x5008
vendor = 'Sandisk Corp'
class = mass storage
subclass = NVM
vgapci1@pci0:2:0:0: class=0x030200 rev=0xa1 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x10de device=0x25a0 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3a5b
vendor = 'NVIDIA Corporation'
device = 'GA107M [GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile]'
class = display
subclass = 3D
re0@pci0:3:0:0: class=0x020000 rev=0x15 hdr=0x00 vendor=0x10ec device=0x8168 subvendor=0x17aa subdevice=0x3908
vendor = 'Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.'
device = 'RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller'
class = network
subclass = ethernet
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$ acpiconf -i 0
Design capacity: 45000 mWh
Last full capacity: 46020 mWh
Technology: secondary (rechargeable)
Design voltage: 11520 mV
Capacity (warn): 4600 mWh
Capacity (low): 1380 mWh
Cycle Count: 0
Mesurement Accuracy: 0 %
Max Sampling Time: 0 ms
Min Sampling Time: 0 ms
Max Average Interval: 0 ms
Min Average Interval: 0 ms
Low/warn granularity: 264 mWh
Warn/full granularity: 3780 mWh
Model number: L20C3PC2
Serial number: 2989
Type: Li-Ion
OEM info: Celxpert
State: discharging
Remaining capacity: 100%
Remaining time: unknown
Present rate: 0 mW
Present voltage: 12337 mV
[lanin@freebsd6 ~]$
for work and home and have no problems with it (except I can't use nvidia and I use intel gpu)
Click to expand...

Can you use external monitors without the NVidia driver?
 
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Reactions: _al
Erichans said:
I think you "advanced a generation to far". At 11th generation Core - Rocket Lake finds your i5 11400, that has UHD 730 graphics (ark intel - i5 11400; see also entry point: intel processors). graphics/gpu-firmware-kmod/ mentions both rocket lake and its successor 12th generation Core - alder lake; so it looks you have a good chance getting your i5-11400 iGPU working.

Next in line after graphics/drm-510-kmod/ is graphics/drm-515-kmod but it doesn't seem to get issued for (the kernel in) 13.x-RELEASE/STABLE.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I mean Gen12 graphics (Intel Iris Xe / UHD 7X0), not 12th Gen. :)
 
cracauer@ said:
Can you use external monitors without the NVidia driver?
Click to expand...
I tried. The external monitor works, but not in X. When I run X, everything works on the laptop monitor, but only X and wallpaper are displayed on the external monitor. And that's only when nvidia is not being used. If I specify the nvidia driver for the second monitor / screen, X crashes : "Segfault - Caught signal 11" (probably because of the wrong xorg.conf).

I would not like to go offtopic (it is better to discuss this in a separate thread) :-/
 
For a slightly different and perhaps unexpected take on this, have a look at Vermaden's page on his W520 setup here:-
vermaden.wordpress.com

FreeBSD 13.1 on ThinkPad W520

I created whole FreeBSD Desktop series … but I never created an article describing how I run FreeBSD on my own daily driver – the Lenovo ThinkPad W520 from 2011 – the last one wit…
vermaden.wordpress.com vermaden.wordpress.com

This is a very nice setup on older, mature hardware which is nonetheless powerful enough to meet the needs of many modern desktops. Probably the best article I've read on running freebsd on older thinkpads! This approach also has the advantage of being very affordable, and saves another perfectly good machine from landfill :)

To quote Vermaden:- "The very nice thing about ThinkPad W520 under FreeBSD command is that EVERYTHING works."

Definitely worth a look before you splash out on supermicro and xeons ;-)
 
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Reactions: _al
I could add to my previous append... if the W520 is too large a box, something similar can be achieved with the X200/X201/X220 series. I personally use an X201 fitted with 16GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. I have the accompanying docking station which I have fitted with a 2TB HDD which I use for backup storage. Setup is similar to Vermaden's howto. I just mention this to make you aware that the W520 is not the only option amongst older thinkpads, although the W520 is probably the most powerful box out of that series of machines (before lenovo switched to chiclet keyboards). As for the X201, just as he says for the W520, "everything works".
 
Update:

I went and ordered the Core i5-11400 with an Asus B560 board and 32 GiB RAM (much overkill I know ^^), the hardware arrived 2 days ago and everything works™.
I just had to change the GPU driver in /etc/rc.conf from amdgpu to i915kms, generate a new xorg.conf with Xorg -configure and after a reboot I've been using it ever since.

When idling, the system draws about 33 W, slightly more than the 30 W I was aiming for, but perfectly acceptable. With the screen off, it goes down to 32 W.
When watching YouTube videos, the system stays around 43-46 W with peaks of 73-76 W, maxing out at 103 W under full load.

Thanks to the Noctua NH-D15, the system is virtually inaudible, keeping the i5-11400 below 55 °C (131 °F) at all times even at 100% CPU load while remaining virtually silent.
The be quiet! power supply and the Fractal Design R5 case probably also help to keep noise levels down.

Boot times are okay too, from pressing the power button to the login screen it takes ~32 seconds (25 seconds from bootloader).
I'm planning to replace the old Intel DC S3500 120GB SSDs with some new M.2 NVMe SSDs that should make booting and launching programs even faster.

All in all I'm very happy with how my first "real" FreeBSD desktop turned out, it even keeps running from standby without any problems. :)
Now all I have to do is install a Linux browser with Widewine DRM support, set up my Brother printer/scanner and get Obsidian and Yubico Authenticator running.

Thank you all for your ideas and replies
 
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