Ready for an all-AMD solution to your hardware problems? Not long after announcing their new Thelio Mira desktop, System76 believe they hold the AMD answer with the new Pangolin. The first System76 laptop that comes with both an AMD CPU and AMD graphics, along with it also being their first AMD CPU powered laptop in the line designed specifically for "everyday computing". This is the same unit they teased out late last year, with it now becoming available.
"Our customers have long been asking for a lightweight, versatile laptop fully powered by AMD," says Sam Mondlick, VP of Sales. "We believe the Pangolin answers this demand with its sleek lightweight design and easily upgradable components. It’s definitely a fantastic addition to our line."
| Operating System |
Pop!_OS 20.10 (64-bit), Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS (64-bit), or Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (64-bit) |
| Processor |
AMD Ryzen™ 5 4500U: 2.3 up to 4.0 GHz - 6 Cores - 6 Threads AMD Ryzen™ 7 4700U: 2.0 up to 4.1 GHz - 8 Cores - 8 Threads |
| Display |
15.6″ 1920×1080 FHD, Matte Finish |
| Graphics |
AMD Radeon™ Graphics |
| Memory |
Up to 64 GB DDR4 @ 3200 MHz |
| Storage |
1 x M.2 SSD. Up to 8TB total. |
| Expansion |
1× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2× USB 2.0 Type-A, MicroSD Card Reader |
| Input |
Multitouch Clickpad, Multi-Color Backlit US QWERTY Keyboard |
| Networking |
Gigabit Ethernet, Intel® Dual Band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 |
| Video Ports |
HDMI(w/HDCP) |
| Audio |
Stereo Speakers, 1× Headphone/Microphone Combo |
| Camera |
1.0M 720p HD Webcam |
| Security |
Kensington® Lock |
| Battery |
Li-Ion - 49 Wh |
| Charger |
65 W, AC-in 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz |
| Dimensions |
14.19″ × 9.42″ × 0.78″ (36.0 × 23.9 × 1.99 cm) |
| Weight |
3.65 lbs (1.65kg) |
This is the lightest 15" laptop that System76 has available, and since they're a Linux vendor you can expect obviously top-class support for your favourite operating system. System76 have their own Linux distribution with Pop!_OS, so you get plenty of enhancements out of the box like their seriously cool auto-tiling window system.
Not only is it one of their lightest, it's also now their cheapest. Pricing starts at $849, but price all depends on how you configure it. Swapping to the more powerful processor alone has the price jump to $1,048.
Check out the System76 Pangolin.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
"AMD Radeon™ Graphics" sounds badly generic somehow.
Totally, I'm sure it's fine for desktop use but as someone who plays games I don't think it's for me.
Does System76 solder in the RAM like Lenovo does now? Because that just horrifies me.
EDIT: Nope, RAM is fully upgradeable with two DDR4 slots. Sounds great.
Last edited by Hamish on 16 March 2021 at 11:03 pm UTC
sgtnasty369 Mar 17, 2021
I am assuming they mean RX Vega graphics.
This laptop does not have discrete graphics - only integrated. Whatever comes in the CPU is what you get.
Not a bad device. Bit pricey, but could be worth it for fully supported hardware and firmware updates.
Personally, I'm still waiting for them to have a keyboard with a trackpoint. I can't stand using touchpads.
So yeah, RX Vega graphics like I said.I am assuming they mean RX Vega graphics.This laptop does not have discrete graphics - only integrated. Whatever comes in the CPU is what you get.
Last edited by Hamish on 17 March 2021 at 1:14 am UTC
Does anyone know if its easy to replace/swap out the M.2 SSD? Are there extra bays for more cards?
Yes. System76 actually shows an open picture of it, and says how easy it is to access the common internals to replace if desired.
The Pangolin leaves you budget to spare on upgrades—now or in the future. Our laptops’ guts are fully accessible! Equip your AMD-powered laptop with up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of NVMe storage.
PublicNuisance Mar 17, 2021
Is it using Coreboot or some other open firmware?
No it's not. To be fair that is on AMD more than System76 in my eyes.
Of course there is no dedicated GPU but Vega graphics are quite capable. Nonetheless, for gaming I would rather wait for an hypothetical RX 6600M.
tuxintuxedo Mar 17, 2021
So maybe this is a good place to enquire; I'm a Linux enthusiast living in the United States and I have an ancient gaming laptop that I just as a software lab machine for development that I'm thinking of upgrading. I'm looking for a 17 inch laptop with a dedicated AMD gpu to take advantage of those open source drivers; I'm shocked by the lack of options. I see an MSI that fits my profile but the reviews say the fans are loud(I have a pet that may be a problem for). There aren't that many laptops out there with dedicated AMD gpus.If you are talking about the MSI Bravo (or something like that) I remember that according to tests it is as loud as any other model out there with a similar performance, or maybe even a bit more quiet. Of course it depends on the usage as well. And it seemed it had a better cooling solution than many other competitors. Because it is simply unavailable in my country, I ended up choosing an Acer Nitro with 4800H + Nvidia card. Using it with disabled Nvidia. For everyday use it is silent, for heavier tasks it ramps up the fans. I would expect something similar for the MSI model.
I am assuming they mean RX Vega graphics.
Does System76 solder in the RAM like Lenovo does now? Because that just horrifies me.
EDIT: Nope, RAM is fully upgradeable with two DDR4 slots. Sounds great.
No, they don't. I am going for the european version of System76 and that is TuxedoComputers but I like more the carbon magnezium and more compact(but better CPU performance) TuxedoComputers Pulse 15 Gen 1 . Tomorow I will order it as a work laptop
Last edited by mihaib on 17 March 2021 at 8:13 am UTC
It seems that AMD is already working on Coreboot support for their new chipsets. I'm not sure if it was covered here, but there is a post on Phoronix that linked to AMD hiring engineers for better GPU driver support on Linux, and improve Coreboot support.Is it using Coreboot or some other open firmware?
No it's not. To be fair that is on AMD more than System76 in my eyes.
"this role enables Coreboot technology on AMD products"
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMD-Hiring-More-Linux-2021
I am assuming they mean RX Vega graphics.
Does System76 solder in the RAM like Lenovo does now? Because that just horrifies me.
EDIT: Nope, RAM is fully upgradeable with two DDR4 slots. Sounds great.
No, they don't. I am going for the european version of System76 and that is TuxedoComputers but I like more the carbon magnezium and more compact(but better CPU performance) TuxedoComputers Pulse 15 Gen 1 . Tomorow I will order it as a work laptop
I went for the Aura 15. Should receive it soon I think. I don't remember why I opted for that one over Pulse 15 - maybe because of the USB-C monitor capability - I do use a USB-C dock at work.
As for Coreboot, apparently it’s far from usable on AMD, but being worked on. Jason Evangelho mentions this in his news piece about this laptop on Forbes.
Para-Gliding Mar 17, 2021
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