Over the past years we’ve seen the Linux tech industry change a lot. Especially when you look at graphics card performance, the innovations and performance increases have been nothing short from astonishing. Anno 2012 things started to really change. We’ve seen a lot of gamers move into Unity3D, and be able through Valve Steam’s Greenlight.  Another trend we’ve seen is that all the stuff literally got smaller, we get to do more with less these days, and as such, a couple of years ago laptops started to get more advanced graphics processors in order to support decent gaming on those laptops.

Recently, System76  released their Ubuntu laptop series which you can configure with Core i3/i5/i7 and next to that it received the royal HD4000 treatment. However, the embedded Intel IGP is not the best solution for gaming laptops, but is way better than 2-years ago. Hence, performance/watt ratio is getting more and more efficient around these days.

System76 is a well-known Linux hardware vendor powered by Ubuntu. They combine hardware and software solutions together bringing you the latest and best experience in Desktop, Laptop and Server PC. Currently, they have released three different models in different segments. Take a look at their website, as that you can configure these laptops by yourself into several flavours.

14.1″ Lemur Ultra ($659)

15.6″ Pangolin Performance ($669)

15.6″ Gazelle Professional ($875)

[toggle title=”Gazelle Professional Specs”]

[/toggle]

Apple taught us that simple details enhance comfort, as such System76 follows the path which leads to perfection. Each one of their models, has slightly raised palm rests, carefully aligned, spacious touchpads and precise key spacing. Hence, there’s a spacious chiclet style keyboard complete with a 10 key keypad.

Powerful components launch applications instantaneously while high quality audio and stunning LED backlit displays provide an exceptional multimedia experience. Laptop speakers can sound great! THX TruStudio Pro speakers produce excellent sound so you hear your movies and music the way they were intended. True been told, I am sure if there is any Linux media player that officially support THX TruStudio technoloy though… So, don’t get too excited yet, because pulse-audio is a nightmare.
You’ve never seen color like this. The 15.6″ Gazelle Professional laptop features an ultra-sharp, full high definition 1080p LED backlit LCD and an optional 95% NTSC Color Gamut matte finish display. The amazing definition and color brings your movies and photos to life.

Performance wise, System76 laptops feature the latest Intel chipsets, CPU’s, graphics and wireless technology. The Intel Ivy Bridge platforms delivers unparalleled mobile performance and low power consumption. Intel’s SpeedStep technology provides processing power when you need it and energy efficiency when you don’t. Turbo Boost 2.0 automatically overclocks the CPU during heavy loads while Hyper-Threading delivers thread-level parallelism creating higher processing throughput and improved performance. Notice that you need a powerful processor for Ubuntu 12.10.

As for the output connectivity, you can use USB 3.0 in order to transfer music, pictures and videos from your devices into your Gazelle Professional at up to ten times faster than common USB 2.0. Furthermore, you can easily attach an additonal hard drive to the integrated eSATA port for backup and storage. Speaking of ports, you can find HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, eSata, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, Headphone and Microphone Jack. Last but not least there’s a convenient SD Card Reader that makes it trivial to move content from your camera or phone without cables.

Why System76?

Regardless of pricing, I have absolutely no reason to not recommend the Gezelle lapotp, this is probably one of the fastest Ubuntu mobiles your money can get you that actually allows you to play entry-level games; in this day and age of course… The important thing here is compatibility and these laptops operate out-of-the-box flawlessly. Additionally, System76 helps you upgrade and ensures future Ubuntu release compatibility. So no more ask question or googling for error (eg wifi) messages.

What about Desktop PC ?

If you are not a laptop-guy, there is an iMac-wannabe Linux solution. Ladies and Gentelemen, I present you the ultimate ubuntu desktop called Sable Complete: