According to reports on August 1st， as of today in 2025， Linus Torvalds continues to rely on the AMD RX 580， released in 2017， as his primary desktop graphics card.
This graphics card， built on the Polaris architecture， has demonstrated remarkable performance within the Linux community， largely due to mature and comprehensive open-source driver support. This robust support is a significant factor behind Linus’s continued preference for this aging hardware.
Phoronix observed that in Linux kernel version 6.17， the AMD DSC technology introduced a black screen issue. Linus personally intervened， identifying the problem and reverting the relevant patches to ensure the smooth progression of kernel development.
Linus’s mention of “still the same old Radeon RX 580” in his communications subtly underscores his strong inclination towards stability and proven functionality over the latest hardware.
While the RX 580 would struggle with modern gaming or intensive AI workloads， it remains perfectly adequate for compiling the Linux kernel， especially when paired with Linus’s AMD Threadripper system. His shift to Threadripper CPUs several years ago to accelerate Linux kernel build times has proven to be a remarkably wise decision.
Regarding his laptop setup， Linus has also returned to the Intel ecosystem. He had previously used an Apple M1 MacBook for a brief period. While he did not disclose the specific model， he confirmed that it utilized Intel’s integrated “i915” graphics.
Linus has consistently shown a lack of interest in platforms that restrict hardware access or complicate kernel development， a sentiment famously captured in his 2012 public outburst directed at NVIDIA: “NVIDIA， Fxxk You.”
Although NVIDIA has since released some driver source code and improved its support for the open-source kernel， it is evident that Linus fundamentally favors the open and more developer-friendly nature of AMD hardware.
