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Linux vendor System76 releases the Pangolin, a full AMD laptop

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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.
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22 comments
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PublicNuisance Mar 17, 2021
Quoting: ShmerlIs 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.
omer666 Mar 17, 2021
Honestly, for the price it is a great computer. There are not a lot of Ryzen 5 or 7 in this price bracket that are premium built and Linux oriented.

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.
Purple Library Guy Mar 17, 2021
I don't really use my laptop to game. At least, not for what you'd call actual gaming . . . just easy time-waster kinds of things, which don't need much graphics power. This actually might be just the kind of thing I'll be in the market for soonish, since my existing laptop is showing signs of wear (since last time I clumsily knocked it off where it was sitting).
tuxintuxedo Mar 17, 2021
Quoting: PinballWizardSo 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.
mihaib Mar 17, 2021
Quoting: HamishI 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
Hooly Mar 17, 2021
View PC info
  • Supporter
Quoting: PublicNuisance
Quoting: ShmerlIs 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.
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.
"this role enables Coreboot technology on AMD products"
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMD-Hiring-More-Linux-2021
chr Mar 17, 2021
Quoting: mihaib
Quoting: HamishI 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.
damarrin Mar 17, 2021
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  • Supporter Plus
Soldering ram or other hardware decisions aren’t really up to s76 or tuxedo, it’s whatever clevo decides to make and sell to them. If they came out with soldered memory tomorrow that’s what we’d be getting regardless of whatever we or our linux vendors thought of it.

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.
dpanter Mar 17, 2021
Nice model, but skimping on the webcam in this day and age is a huge letdown, and I'd appreciate larger battery option in the 60 range. Still awesome!
Para-Gliding Mar 17, 2021
saddest feature: battery... only 49wh when Tuxedo and other lenovo reach ~60 to 70wh for the same weight.
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