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Out for a brand new desktop from a true Linux vendor? System76 have a little something special announced today with their new Thelio Mira desktop powered by AMD Ryzen and NVIDIA.

Thelio Mira can be configured with up to 128GB RAM and up to two NVIDIA RTX Quadro 8000 GPUs (traditional RTX / GTX GPUs also available). On the CPU side you're looking at either an AMD 3rd gen Ryzen 5 3600 or a 4th gen chip up to AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and you can configure the storage up to 36TB in total. System76 mention that with all the power and how much you can expand it the size is only "slightly" larger than the base Thelio model.

"Thelio Mira rounds out the System76 desktop line with capacity for large, high performance GPUs and additional memory," says CEO Carl Richell. "Thelio Mira fits nicely between the base Thelio and HEDT Thelio Major models providing a new option for customers to design the perfect desktop for their needs.”

Just like their previous Thelio models it's handcrafted into their Denver facility where rigid aluminium is cut, powder coated, and moulded into a light, durable chassis that looks as slick as ever - it's also Open Hardware Certified. The Thelio casing just looks so classy, I really do hope that one day System76 will do just the cases because I would happily get one. Just look at this beauty:

Going into a little more detail about the crafting going into it, here's what System76 said about it:

As with all Thelio desktops, the Thelio Mira is meticulously engineered to maximize performance and prevent throttling. Large-blade fans blow cool air up into the system. Meanwhile, copper pipes in the heat sink use phase-change cooling to move heat away from the CPU. Hot air is then expelled out the exhaust port. This bottom-up cooling system keeps your desktop running smoothly under high loads. Chassis-specific thermal engineering yields quiet and effective cooling in perfect balance, and large 140mm fans move air more effectively at a lower RPM, producing quieter acoustics.

Thelio Mira also provides easy access to the motherboard for upgrades and repairs thanks to the 360 degree access design. By unscrewing the lid and lifting the top, one has access to everything in the system with no obstructive wires or loose parts. Any wires ever needed are already provided inside the system. The screw bay on the top bar houses enough screws to install the maximum number of 2.5” storage SSDs, and hot swappable drives slide in and out of the aluminum drive cage with ease.

The Thelio Mira goes lives today with a base price of $1,499.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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15 comments

Kithop Mar 11, 2021
It still baffles me that they're only offering various nVidia GPUs for their desktops - aside from the fact that no one seems to have much stock of anything, this is right up my alley of 'I would like to replace my aging desktop with something that supports Linux out of the box better'. I used to have a 1st and 2nd-gen Mac Pro tower, and those cases were amazing to work in by standards of the day.

Even if the Radeon options were just greyed out for now with 'out of stock', it's just so odd to push for openness everywhere else in the system...and then only offer nVidia's binary-blob-driver cards as GPUs.
dibz Mar 11, 2021
Even if the Radeon options were just greyed out for now with 'out of stock', it's just so odd to push for openness everywhere else in the system...and then only offer nVidia's binary-blob-driver cards as GPUs.

Honestly I find it kind of strange the hate nVidia receives over their closed drivers recently. For a long, long, time ATI could've cared less about linux and while nvidia's drivers were closed they offered very good support (at least for my consumer desktop cards, I do understand that not-those cards weren't supported as well).

I've been a linux guy a long time so I get the whole frowny-face about it, but I mean like, ATI hasn't been friendly for all that long either. To the degree that I've used my nvidia cards for a long time, so long in fact that when I bought them the ATI/AMD support was still utter garbage in linux.

Not to derail too much, but I wish those System76 cases were available standalone; maybe without the giant "watermarking". Such a nice look compared to the energy-drink-reject look of so many desktop cases today.
Kithop Mar 11, 2021
I didn't really have any huge issue with either the old radeon or even proprietary fglrx drivers back in the day, and it's not that nVidia's are broken or unworkable (unless you like to keep up with kernel development)... but AMD invested a ton into mainlining the amdgpu drivers, while nVidia still refuses to release the firmware that would allow nouveau to enable reclocking.

Any other system builder targeting Windows, sure, nVidia is more popular. But for a Linux-first integrator pushing for openness, it's just odd to me to not even offer the equivalent hardware that doesn't require a binary blob. I'm not even saying not to sell or even default to nVidia if that's what they want, but I suppose there might be a way to sweet talk them into letting you order a GPU-less system and then BYO card.
Dorrit Mar 11, 2021
There's something wrong with the images they post on their site.
According to one of the photos the CPU fan is blowing to the inside of the case (you can clearly see the exhaust side facing inwards).
But according to one of the animations hot air is blowing out from the CPU exhaust grill.
KohlyKohl Mar 11, 2021
Replaced my Thelio order with this. Bigger case and open hardware certification is worth the extra $.


Last edited by KohlyKohl on 11 March 2021 at 8:44 pm UTC
dibz Mar 11, 2021
I didn't really have any huge issue with either the old radeon or even proprietary fglrx drivers back in the day, and it's not that nVidia's are broken or unworkable (unless you like to keep up with kernel development)... but AMD invested a ton into mainlining the amdgpu drivers, while nVidia still refuses to release the firmware that would allow nouveau to enable reclocking.

That's true, AMD certainly does deserve some good will. As far as AMD goes, the big issues at least I had had to do with multi-monitor support "back when". Still, I don't see why it has to be a scale that tips in one or the others favor; Nvidia has provided solid drivers for linux for a long time even if AMD has (fairly recently) raised the bar.

Any other system builder targeting Windows, sure, nVidia is more popular. But for a Linux-first integrator pushing for openness, it's just odd to me to not even offer the equivalent hardware that doesn't require a binary blob. I'm not even saying not to sell or even default to nVidia if that's what they want, but I suppose there might be a way to sweet talk them into letting you order a GPU-less system and then BYO card.

We can only guess really. GPU-less certainly seems like a reasonable ask to me.
KohlyKohl Mar 11, 2021
Any other system builder targeting Windows, sure, nVidia is more popular. But for a Linux-first integrator pushing for openness, it's just odd to me to not even offer the equivalent hardware that doesn't require a binary blob. I'm not even saying not to sell or even default to nVidia if that's what they want, but I suppose there might be a way to sweet talk them into letting you order a GPU-less system and then BYO card.

I tried to talk them into shipping one without the GPU and they said they do not do that.

Going to try and sell the base GPU on Ebay to make a few dollars back.
zimplex1 Mar 11, 2021
I really just want that sexy case!
KohlyKohl Mar 11, 2021
I really just want that sexy case!

Agreed. I don't get all of these cases with bright LED lights all over them.
sgtnasty369 Mar 12, 2021
I didn't really have any huge issue with either the old radeon or even proprietary fglrx drivers back in the day, and it's not that nVidia's are broken or unworkable (unless you like to keep up with kernel development)... but AMD invested a ton into mainlining the amdgpu drivers, while nVidia still refuses to release the firmware that would allow nouveau to enable reclocking.

I am still waiting for a full AMD Ryzen/Radeon solution for laptop AND desktop. The closest is the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s.
vskye Mar 12, 2021
And the 3090 doubled in price.
scaine Mar 12, 2021
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Comes with a 1030, upgrade to a 3090 for only $3300 more... really? I honestly do hope that NVidia (and AMD too) are genuinely ashamed of what's happening to their brand here. This is just embarrassing.
ahoneybun Mar 13, 2021
It still baffles me that they're only offering various nVidia GPUs for their desktops - aside from the fact that no one seems to have much stock of anything, this is right up my alley of 'I would like to replace my aging desktop with something that supports Linux out of the box better'.

It's only because of the shortage or we would be offering AMD GPU's as well.
jordicoma Mar 15, 2021
Replaced my Thelio order with this. Bigger case and open hardware certification is worth the extra $.
Adding a cupple of options it goes 3000-4000$. It could be good being open hardware, but what we need for the linux desktop are good prices. People that wants to pay that much has already apple.
scaine Mar 15, 2021
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Replaced my Thelio order with this. Bigger case and open hardware certification is worth the extra $.
Adding a cupple of options it goes 3000-4000$. It could be good being open hardware, but what we need for the linux desktop are good prices. People that wants to pay that much has already apple.

Not sure I agree with any of that. If I spec this box to match the PC I bought last April, then take out the GPU, the price is about $150 more, sure, but then this has a more powerful 4th gen AMD cpu in it, and faster memory too. And that case! What's really bumping up the price here is the GPU, but that's largely out of System 76's hands.

As for wanting good prices - well, sure, I suppose we do. But I'm willing to pay extra for open hardware, not less. And those cases. My god, they're beautiful!
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