System76 has launched the Thelio Prime, an 11 liter desktop powered by AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors and optional dedicated graphics. Manufactured in the Denver facility of the company, the compact case combines aluminum with stainless steel and supports up to 96GB of DDR5 memory. The new Linux workstation starts at $1599.
The chassis measures 288 by 148.9 by 281.9 millimeters and allows for both vertical and horizontal placement using magnetic feet. System76 builds the enclosure using milled stainless steel, aluminum panels, and a smoked glass front section. Tool free magnetic side panels grant quick interior access. Inside, the chassis separates the CPU and GPU into 2 isolated thermal chambers, keeping heat generating components from warming each other during heavy computing tasks.
Buyers can configure the machine with AMD Ryzen 9000 desktop processors up to the Ryzen 7 9850X3D. Graphics options span from integrated Radeon graphics to discrete AMD or NVIDIA graphics cards up to the RTX 5070. Storage capacity tops out at 8TB across 2 M.2 solid state drive slots, split between 1 PCIe 5.0 slot and 1 PCIe 4.0 slot. Memory tops out at 96GB of dual channel DDR5. Power delivery relies on an internal 600W 80 Plus certified supply reaching at least 90% efficiency.
Physical ports are distributed across both ends of the machine. The front panel provides 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C port, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A port, and an audio jack. The rear panel adds 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, 4 USB 2.0 ports, a BIOS Flashback button, and an audio line out. Networking includes a 2.5 GbE Ethernet jack, Wi Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2. Factory installations include Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS featuring the COSMIC desktop environment.
