Check out our Monthly Survey Page to see what our users are running.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Linux hardware vendor System76 [Official Site] (and now a Linux distribution maker too) have just announced their new Oryx Pro laptop and it's a beast.

They also made a rather amusing video to go along with it:

YouTube Thumbnail
YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Accept Cookies & Show   Direct Link

From what they told me, they've been able to make it more powerful than their last model while also making it thinner at 19mm, with a weight around 4.37 lbs. (1.98 kg.). For those interested in picking one up, they will be giving a choice between their brand new Pop!_OS 18.04 LTS (64-bit) or Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.

As for the rest of the specs, have a look at this:

  • Processor: 8th Gen Intel® Core i7-8750H (2.2 up to 4.1 GHz - 9MB Cache - 6 cores - 12 threads)
  • Display: 15″ HiDPI and IPS display options (4K display only available with the NVIDIA 1070)
  • Graphics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 or 1070 (plus Intel graphics to switch between)
  • Memory: Up to 32 GB Dual Channel DDR4 @ 2400MHz (8GB base model)
  • Storage: 1× M.2 SSD, 1× 2.5″ 7mm height drive. Up to 6 TB total (250GB M.2 base model)
  • Expansion: 2× USB 3.1 Type-C, 3× USB 3.1Type-A, SD Card Reader
  • Input: Multi-Touch Clickpad, Multi-Color Backlit Chicklet Keyboard
  • Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, Intel® Wireless-AC WiFi, Bluetooth
  • Video Ports: 1× HDMI output port (with HDCP), 2× DisplayPort 1.3
  • Audio: Stereo Speakers, Stereo Mic, Headphone Jack, Mic Jack, S/PDIF
  • Camera: 1080p HD Webcam
  • Battery: 4 Cell Polymer – 55 Wh

The minimum price is $1,599 and that will obviously go up depending on the configuration. It's available to pre-order now, with shipments expected at the end of May. You can find out more here if you're interested.

I think it's really great that a dedicated Linux hardware vendor is doing so damn well, considering most traditional stores don't offer anything outside of Windows 10. I certainly wouldn't mind one of their units one day, they always look really good.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Hardware
21 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
39 comments
Page: 1/4»
  Go to:

rea987 May 3, 2018
QuoteGraphics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 or 1070 (plus Intel graphics to switch between)

That's sounds like Nvidia Optimus; no thank you. Probably one of the worst investments that I made recent years.
Liam Dawe May 3, 2018
Quoting: rea987
QuoteGraphics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 or 1070 (plus Intel graphics to switch between)

That's sounds like Nvidia Optimus; no thank you. Probably one of the worst investments that I made recent years.
My last experience with it wasn't so bad, could switch quite easily in the NVIDIA control panel, but that was 2+ years ago now. Is it worse now somehow?

I have replied to their email to ask how they're doing it, if it's standard stuff or something new.
artvandelay440 May 3, 2018
Quoting: rea987
QuoteGraphics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 or 1070 (plus Intel graphics to switch between)

That's sounds like Nvidia Optimus; no thank you. Probably one of the worst investments that I made recent years.

Remember, Pop!_OS (distro developed and maintained by System76) has native, supported optimus switching. No fussing, it just works. I'm typing this on said Oryx Pro, and it works great.
wvstolzing May 3, 2018
As to 'looking good', I just took a peek at the website after quite some time; the new Gazelle sure looks quite a bit better than the ~5 year old model I have (gazp9). I'm curious how it feels under one's fingers, though. More sturdy, hopefully.

... and the movie is 'amusing' alright ... (I guess from the way she comports herself, she won't be satisfied at anything less than xmonad running on top of LFS.)

(Speaking of the Gazelle -- now there's space only for one 2.5" drive; on the other hand the mSATA port seems to have been replaced by an M.2 (SATA, I suppose?) port. I wasn't too happy with my Samsung 840 mSATA drive in that slot [awful heat dissipation; slowdown as a result of thermal throttling]; so this is probably an improvement.)
rea987 May 3, 2018
Quoting: liamdaweMy last experience with it wasn't so bad, could switch quite easily in the NVIDIA control panel, but that was 2+ years ago now. Is it worse now somehow?

For some reason, Nvidia Optimus systems perform poorer than they supposed to. I am not so sure why or how but I theorize that Nvidia Prime cannot fully prevent the interference of Intel GPU which results poor performance. That is why people go for alternatives like Bumblebee and Nvidia-xrun to completely kill Intel GPU to gain maximum performance from Nvidia GPU. As I use Linux for a decade, I don't consider myself a newbie; yet I failed to set Bumblebee correctly that resulted even worse framerate... If System76 offers some sort of a BIOS switch to disable Intel GPU, then it's all fine but if it relies on Nvidia Prime profiles, then it's waste of time and money. Honestly, I am eager to see the price level of recently announced ThinkPad E485 which offers AMD Ryzen CPU and AMD Vega GPU options.

https://www3.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thinkpad/edge-series/ThinkPad-E485/p/22TP2TEE485


Last edited by rea987 on 3 May 2018 at 8:13 pm UTC
Luke_Nukem May 3, 2018
I just wish I could get a laptop like this that wasn't 16:9 ratio. Sick of looking through a letterbox.
jasonridesabike May 3, 2018
This is the laptop that's bringing me back to Linux after 4 years of Mac OS. Super hyped.

It's slightly lighter than my MBP, severely more powerful, and infinitely more upgradable. Now I just have to wait until I make my next trip to the US or someone visits me >.<
Liam Dawe May 3, 2018
Here's what the System76 rep said about GPU switching to me:
QuoteOur GPU switching is similar in function to `nvidia-prime` provided by Ubuntu, but with tighter integration into the Operating System.
Scoopta May 3, 2018
I really don't like most of system76's stuff because they like Nvidia which means open source drivers are a no go. They also don't use coreboot both of which are things I like to see in a laptop.
gabber May 3, 2018
Quoting: jasonridesabikeThis is the laptop that's bringing me back to Linux after 4 years of Mac OS. Super hyped.

It's slightly lighter than my MBP, severely more powerful, and infinitely more upgradable. Now I just have to wait until I make my next trip to the US or someone visits me >.<
It's not like this is the first decent laptop that gets released..

there is for example this: https://www.pcspecialist.ch/notebooks/recoil-II-15/
you can choose no OS and save 100.- specs look comparable (battery is smaller) to the onyx pro. If you don't care about the support from system 76 you can even shave off another 200.-

For me the most important part is not paying for a windows license i am never going to use.
Oh and the fact I can get the Swiss keyboard, which you can't from S76 (I asked..)
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.