System76’s latest Linux laptop combines one of AMD’s most powerful 5000-series mobile processors with Nvidia’s mid-range RTX 3060. Priced at up to $3,442, Kudu is aimed at Linux users who have a lot of work to do, and quietly nods to those who like to play games from time to time too.
The 15.6-inch Kudu is the second most expensive entry in the System76 line of notebooks. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX octa-core processor with a base clock speed of 3.3GHz and boost up to 4.6GHz.
It’s worth noting that AMD announced its next generation of mobile chips, the Ryzen 6000 series, last month, and laptops should start shipping with those chips soon. Options in the Linux space are more limited, but for a quick comparison, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX has the same clock speed as its last-gen counterpart, but with higher boosts up to 4.9GHz and more graphics cores (12 vs. 8).
The RTX 3060 handles graphics as System76 directs the clamshell to content creation and multitasking. But System76 is potentially ready for some games after it’s done. Its 1920×1080 resolution screen has a 144Hz refresh rate and storage via two NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSDs that can be expanded up to 4TB, with sequential read and write speeds up to 3500MB/s and 3300MB/s respectively.
In addition, desktop-level DDR4-3200 RAM is up to 64GB across two channels. There’s even a “multicolor backlit”keyboard (although System76 didn’t provide images) so you can look the part.
However, you can find cheaper Windows-based gaming laptops with similar power. And in its base configuration, Kudu has 8GB of storage and just 240GB of storage, but it still costs $1,800.
Connectivity can be disappointing as there is no Thunderbolt 4 like System76’s Oryx Pro. Instead, Kudu comes with USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and A, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, Mini DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI, and two audio jacks. There is also Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
In addition to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) and 20.04 LTS, you can get Kudu with System76’s own Linux distribution, Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS. Either option will cost the same.