Basically, I could send you my configuration file (and lock file) and you could run a single command to get a system that looks/runs identical to mine.

Yeah, I’ve only ever heard bad luck when it comes to prime and laptops. Usually, like you mentioned, due to limitations imposed in the BIOS.

The best thing I ever did was configure prime offloading so basically everything but games runs on my integrated graphics.

Still borked my graphics a few times setting that up, but I’m on nixos so it wasn’t a big deal.

But before: