System76 has released the Pangolin Pro (2026), a 16-inch Linux laptop powered by AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 that brings together two rare features in this class, OCuLink for direct PCIe expansion and a built-in 2.5Gb Ethernet port. It is aimed at users who want high-speed external GPU support, wired networking, and full hardware upgradeability in one machine.
The Ryzen AI 7 350 inside is an 8-core, 16-thread chip with boost clocks up to 5.0GHz, paired with integrated Radeon 860M graphics, part of AMD’s Ryzen AI 400 Gorgon Point platform. The standout addition is the OCuLink port, which provides a direct PCIe Gen4 x4 connection. This allows external GPUs or high-speed storage to run with far less bandwidth limitation than USB-based connections, making it a practical option for desktop-class expansion on a laptop.
The display is a 16-inch LTPS panel with a 2560×1600 resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate, while higher refresh panels appear in Redmi G Pro 32U 2026. It comes with matte finish to reduce reflections and covers 100% of the sRGB color space. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives more vertical room for coding, documents, and multitasking compared to standard 16:9 panels.
Memory and storage are fully user-accessible, a design approach that differs from systems listed in Best laptops for video editing under $2000. Two DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM slots support up to 96GB in dual-channel mode. Storage comes with two M.2 PCIe Gen4 slots, with total capacity reaching up to 16TB. Both can be upgraded after purchase, which is uncommon in this category.
Battery capacity is 80Wh, with up to 10 hours of runtime depending on usage. Compared to the previous generation, the battery is larger while overall weight drops slightly to 3.64 lbs (1.65 kg). This keeps the laptop portable without sacrificing endurance.
It comes with more ports than most thin laptops. The Pangolin Pro includes one USB4 Type-C port with DisplayPort support, one USB-C 10Gbps port, three USB-A 5Gbps ports, HDMI 2.1, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5 mm audio jack, similar port configurations are present in ASUS ExpertBook P5 G1. The addition of a 2.5Gb Ethernet portgives faster wired networking than standard Gigabit, which is useful for large file transfers and local servers.
Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, standard connectivity options found across systems listed in Best laptops. Other hardware includes a 1080p webcam with privacy shutter, stereo speakers, a single-color backlit keyboard, and a large glass touchpad.
The laptop is powered by either Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS pre-installed, offering a ready-to-use Linux environment. Hardware access is straightforward, allowing users to upgrade RAM and storage without restrictions. The base warranty is 1 year, with options to extend to 2 or 3 years.
Pricing starts at $1,699 for a configuration with 16GB RAM and a 500GB SSD. Higher configurations with 96GB memory and multi-terabyte storage increase the price depending on options.
Source: System76
