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.
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.
I can recommend the Dell G5 SE with some caveats. I've got the Ryzen 9 model running at idle around 45C. Running a demanding game was getting around 100C (maybe more). I'm on Fedora 33 with KDE. As long as you have a very recent kernel you should be okay. I've been running with 'nomodeset' as a kernel parameter. There is a subreddit mostly focused on windows, but has some good general info, too: https://old.reddit.com/r/DellG5SE/comments/jqgdky/setting_up_your_dell_g5_se/
Still the machine runs a bit hot, currently I can game and keep it under 70C for short sessions and 85 for longer sessions but I had to pick up a cooling device that the computer sits on top of. Also check out RyzAdj for managing the temps. https://github.com/FlyGoat/RyzenAdj/
Preinstalled Linux is no must for me.
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