Asus FX505DY AMD Tuf Gaming Laptop Ryzen 3550H

31 March 2019, 17:17:31

For all using google to find a way to install linux on this particular hardware:

Asus used a WD Black series NVME in many of the $699 builds being sold as of three weeks ago when this product was RTM. Asus chose a very tricky NVME that does not play well with linux.

If you are looking to install Artix linux please as preliminary make sure that secure boot is disabled. If not done power on the laptop, as soon as the screen energizes press and hold F2. Go to advanced and security. Set to secure boot to disabled. Save and exit. Now, insert a usb with artix loaded. (If not done already google "rufus usb" an use it to install Artix gremlins 2/2019 ISO to a usb stick). Now, on powerup press and hold the escape key upon screen getting power and select the first of the two new usb entries. Once loaded and you may need to press enter at one spot where it pauses, this will only happen once. interrupt the booting once you see a menu appear on your screen. Pressing the "e" key will interrupt and allow one to edit the boot instructions. This is text but easy to use. Press down arrow until we are on the line that starts with:

Linux

scroll to the end of that line (it may actually bring you down to the next line and this is fine)

at the end please add the following:

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nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=5500

Making sure that that the second quotation mark is still on the end of that line...
Once in place and validated press the F10 key to boot

Credit:
https://community.wd.com/t/linux-support-for-wd-black-nvme-2018/225446/8

You will not have a fun time booting any linux on this hardware until that parameter is sent to the kernel at boot time. Common indications are that boot hangs looking for a filesystem or LVM. Replacing this NVME is optimal . Samsung 960-evo-pro is economical at time of writing and offers better performance while not getting as hot as the 970 series. Personally I used F2FS, samsung's own FS for nand devices. Amazingly fast.

Regardless, Artix works very well on this hardware and offers better fps than all other distros that I have tried. AND it comes with a functional gui installer. The stock NVME will worrk as long as one adds that line to the kernel boot.

If you install Artix and wish to not enter this each and every time you boot:

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sudo nano /etc/default/grub

change line that reads:

Quote

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet "

or similar to:

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GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet nvme_core.default_ps_max_latency_us=5500"

Notice the quotation mark at the end.

ctl+o to save
ctl+x to close

now:

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sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

You should be able to reboot without manually entering the line needed to deal with your WD black series NVME.

Thanks to nous:

https://forum.artixlinux.org/index.php/topic,914.0.html

Performance can be improved by adding:

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processor.ignore_ppc=1

To ones kernel boot line as exampled above. I advise reading the linked thread as it may not apply to all cases. While building software and compiling my FX505DY ignores my wishes for screen not to be dimmed and I go on battery power via indications on and off sporadically even though its plugged in. This qualified for me so I added the parameter. My unigine heaven test score doubled.

I would recommend staying with stock Artix-5.04 kernel. I upped to 5.05 and am seeing performance degrade.
This can be installed via basic upgrade. After installation completes and rebooting takes place: Open terminal application >

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sudo pacman -Sy && sudo pacman -Syu

. You are now (as of 3/31) on 5.04.

As a safe linux user you have read this to the end before making any decisions. I would post benchmarks but I am on 5.05 and currently building 5.04 for reinstall. Once done I will post a heaven screenshot. Anyways as a FX505 owner I would recommend Artix. The installer will guide you through dual booting along side windows or setting up Artix as your primary os. Options for LVM and encryption are also within the installer. In the next few days I hope to put together a how to for newcomers based on this new ISO. I just want to play with a couple more kernels before I do.

Okay, kust played around and found that zen kernel is the way to go if you are after fps. Have to admit I was a little jealous on quadcricket's rig so I followed in suite and in testing paramers only I did not do extreme profile.

Re: Asus FX505DY AMD Tuf Gaming Laptop Ryzen 3550H

Reply #1 – 31 March 2019, 20:53:12

Real quick...

If you do install Artix on this hardware you will need an ethernet cable for the first part. This is due to Realtek not open sourcing their driver. This holds true for wireless to. Actually wireless just doesnt work until we install the vendor driver. Although the kernel comes with r8169 for ethernet you may find that you bounce between Mb/s and Kb/s on your downloads. If you are open source only and refuse to utilize proprietary drivers this is your chance to turn back. If you wish to continue we will look to AUR for licensed software.

Solution

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sudo pacman -S yaourtix-git dkms

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sudo yaourtix -Sy

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sudo yaourtix -S r8168-dkms

(You may need base-devel and a few other packages for building. If errors come up on this use pacman to install the missing dependencies)

and to fix wifi we

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sudo yaourtix -S 8821ce-dkms-git

If you search these packages you may see other package options available. We choose dkms options so that when the kernel upgrades our proprietary drivers will get rebuilt against the new kernel and installed at the same time during upgrades.

Upon rebooting you should have quality ethernet, functioning wifi (the driver litters dmesg and may give you issues still. I need to kill rf and enable it again at times on boot to get auto association to work) and you should have blutooth as well.