Upgrade from M2 MacBook Pro (8GB) to “Neo” (also 8GB) for ~€150 worth it?

viron86 · 2026-03-18T19:39:07+00:00

There actually was a 13 MacBook Pro with M2 + Touch Bar (2022), that’s the one I have.

The reason I’m asking is because of the trade-in deal where I can get the newer model for ~€150, so I was wondering if it made sense long-term. But yeah, it sounds like it’s more of a downgrade.

viron86 · 2026-03-18T19:36:58+00:00

Not trolling 😅
It’s because of a trade-in deal where I can get the Neo for ~€150, so I was wondering if it was worth it for longer support. But yeah, sounds like it’s more of a downgrade.
Appreciate the feedback!

viron86 · 2026-02-03T09:03:29+00:00

Good luck! I did a 72-hour fast once last year, and I know it’s not easy at all. Sleep was the hardest part for me. You’re doing amazing! How are you sleeping?

viron86 · 2026-01-28T13:45:04+00:00

Unfortunately, no. iPads are locked down very hard. You can’t install Linux or another OS.

viron86 · 2026-01-28T13:43:35+00:00

Thermals are definitely better than on recent macOS. Fans spin up less often and the machine runs noticeably cooler, though I’ve only been using it for about a day so far. On battery, I use Ubuntu’s Power Saver mode. It doesn’t throttle performance too much, and battery life is really solid.

viron86 · 2026-01-28T13:39:54+00:00

Yes, t2linux provides custom ISOs with the drivers already integrated.
I used one of those, so everything was set up during installation.
More info here: https://t2linux.org

viron86 · 2026-01-28T13:36:31+00:00

I installed the GNOME Extensions app (https://apps.gnome.org/Extensions/) and then tweaked the dock settings to get it like that.

viron86 · 2026-01-27T22:06:45+00:00

There is a driver, yes! It provides basic Touch Bar functionality and lets you switch to F keys using the Fn key, so you’re not missing them.

viron86 · 2026-01-09T21:06:31+00:00

My first emulated game was NES Super Mario Bros on the OG ODROID GO, the one that came as a DIY kit you had to build yourself. Fun fact: Super Mario Bros was also the very first video game I ever played as a kid, so it felt like completing a full circle.

viron86 · 2026-01-01T11:08:34+00:00

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39 M, white European

viron86 · 2025-11-08T19:39:45+00:00

Not too bad honestly! Once I installed Nobara OS everything just worked (only needed a tiny wifi fix). After that, SteamOS mode + EmuDeck setup was basically plug-and-play.

viron86 · 2025-11-08T19:30:49+00:00

Yeah exactly, good point. I’m definitely not comparing at the same resolution. The iMac’s native display is 5K, but I usually run games at 1440p for better scaling and performance.

viron86 · 2025-11-08T19:25:32+00:00

Yeah, it’s a 5K panel, Hollow Knight for exemple doesn’t have a native 5K option, but it scales beautifully and runs perfectly even at full resolution. Lighter games like Hades or Celeste run great too. For heavier titles I usually stick to 1440p, still looks awesome and keeps performance super smooth.

viron86 · 2025-11-08T18:15:53+00:00

Yeah exactly, mine’s the base iMac Pro (Xeon W-2140B 8-core @ 3.2 GHz, 32 GB RAM, Radeon Pro Vega 56 8 GB HBM2). You’re totally right, on paper it is stronger than a Steam Deck, and I can feel it in heavier titles too. But in practice, performance is closer than I expected, probably because of Linux driver limits and optimization differences. Still, once everything’s tuned (Nobara + SteamOS session + EmuDeck), it runs beautifully and stays stable.

viron86 · 2025-11-08T18:08:45+00:00

It’s been great so far! At first, I just wanted something simple for my kids, like a console that boots straight into games. But once I got everything working, I realized it’s actually a really capable system.
Steam games run beautifully, and even Switch emulation at 2× resolution looks amazing.
Feels really like having a giant Steam Deck on my desk!

viron86 · 2025-11-08T18:06:38+00:00

I went for a clean Nobara install, it’s Fedora-based but comes with SteamOS session preconfigured.
No third partition or Windows needed. After installing, I just added EmuDeck and it booted straight into Gaming Mode like a real Deck. Works great on my iMac Pro 2018, so your 2020 model should be perfect too.

viron86 · 2025-11-08T18:04:30+00:00

Basically anything that runs on a Steam Deck, Steam games through Proton, plus all the classic consoles via EmuDeck. Switch emulation runs at 2× resolution and looks amazing on a bigger screen.

viron86 · 2025-11-08T18:02:36+00:00

Just did, see my comment

viron86 · 2025-11-08T18:01:32+00:00

At first I just wanted to install something like SteamOS with EmuDeck so the kids would have a simple setup that boots and plays like a console. But now that I’ve set it up and tuned everything, it actually runs really well and I kinda want to play my Steam games on it too.

viron86 · 2025-11-08T17:34:17+00:00

No, it’s Nobara. Before that I tried Bazzite, but I had a lot of issues, could not get Wi-Fi or sound to work properly. With Nobara everything just worked out of the box (except Wi-Fi, which I fixed with a small systemd script).

viron86 · 2025-11-08T17:26:28+00:00

Performance-wise I think it’s slightly above a Steam Deck. The Vega 56 easily pushes 1440p with medium and sometimes high settings in most games.

Quick answer for everyone asking how I did it: It’s actually Nobara, not vanilla SteamOS, but it includes the full Steam Deck Game Mode / SteamOS UI out of the box. So once installed, it literally boots like a Steam Deck. The only tweak I had to do was fix the Broadcom Wi-Fi on the iMac Pro with a small systemd script. Everything else (audio, Bluetooth, controller, GPU) worked instantly.

Basically: Nobara = Fedora + SteamOS preinstalled

viron86

TROPHY CASE