- System76’s Pangolin runs on an AMD Ryzen 8945HS
- It supports up to 16TB of storage, but adding two 8TB SSDs triples the price.
- It only has a six-hour battery life and no numeric keypad, a shame for a 16-inch laptop.
System76, a company best known for its Linux-based computers, has launched the latest version of its Pangolin laptop.
Designed to offer good performance and features at a reasonable starting price, the 16-inch Pangolin aims to appeal to Linux enthusiasts looking for a large-screen laptop.
However, keep in mind that getting the system you really want could skyrocket the cost.
Some compromises have been made
Powered by an AMD Ryzen 8945HS processor, the Pangolin supports up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 16TB of SSD storage across two M.2 slots. It features a 16-inch 2K display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate, and 100% sRGB color accuracy. Its integrated Radeon 780M graphics make it ideal for tasks such as content creation and professional workflows.
The Pangolin’s base price starts at $1,299, which seems fair, but adding upgrades can quickly increase the cost. For memory, the laptop comes with 16GB DDR5, but 32GB costs an additional $69, 64GB adds $199, and the maximum 96GB costs $279.
While the base model includes a 500GB SSD, upgrades range from $49 for 1TB to $1,745 for 8TB, considerably more than the laptop itself. Adding a second SSD for additional storage starts at $129 for 1TB and goes up to $1,825 for an 8TB drive. Full upgrade to 16TB storage with two 8TB SSDs more than triples the base price of the device.
OS options include the excellent Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from System76. Pop!_OS is pre-installed and offers encryption in the settings, providing additional security to users.
While the Pangolin looks good with its aluminum chassis and superior build quality, there are some compromises. It lacks a numeric keypad, which may be inconvenient for a 16-inch laptop, and battery life is capped at six hours, which might not be enough for all-day use.
Pangolin is available now through the System76 website, with configurable performance and storage options.
For those looking for a Linux laptop with good graphics performance and a large screen, the Pangolin is definitely a strong contender, but keep an eye on the overall price when configuring it.
