System76 Debuts Thelio - 'Open Hardware' Linux PC

Never heard of Colorado-based System76? Think of the company as the Linux alternative to boutique PC builders like Digital Storm, Maingear or Falcon Northwest. System76 specializes in preloading laptops, desktops and mini PCs with a Linux operating system, either Ubuntu or its own Pop!_OS distribution. But today marks a dramatic turning point for the company. Where before it traditionally customized systems inside a mass-produced chassis, the new Thelio PCs are a leap forward in originality, built from the ground up with an "open hardware" approach.

Before we get into the tech specs and the open hardware philosophy, it must be said Thelio looks like a stunner. It's handcrafted with black aluminum and real maple and walnut wood, and some very meaningful attention to detail has been applied on the rear exhaust grill: it displays the planetary alignment of the Solar System at the UNIX Epoch. The side paneling features etched mountain ridges inspired by the company's home of Denver.

Thelio will ship in three different models and sizes: Thelio, Thelio Major and Thelio Massive. The first two will include options for AMD Ryzen or Intel processors, and support for multiple Nvidia GeForce RTX Series or AMD Radeon graphics cards. Thelio Massive is Intel only, but is an absolute beast. Up to two Intel Xeon Scalable processors, up to 4 AMD or Nvidia GPUs, up to 768GB of ECC DDR4 memory, and a storage ceiling of 86TB via M.2 or U.2 NVMe and SATA drives. Read more at Forbes