System76’s computers are great and built specifically for Linux, though they can be a bit expensive at times. Now, the company’s excellent Meerkat Mini tiny PC is getting a refresh with new Intel CPUs.

System76 has just announced a refresh of its Meerkat Mini PC, and it looks pretty good. The new Meerkat is configurable with up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, a significant leap from the previous generation. System76 indicates that this translates to a jump from 12 to 16 cores compared to what the last generation (powered by 13th gen Intel Core chips) topped out at, so in terms of pure raw power, it’s a lot better. System76 also says that we have a 62% increase in RAM speed—the press release doesn’t give us specifics, but the previous model came with DDR4-3200 RAM, and we have DDR5-5600 here, so that’s the reason why.

For graphics, we have Intel Arc graphics built into to the newer Intel Core CPUs. Although they’re essentially just integrated graphics, they sport the Arc branding and are probably adequate for lightweight games. This computer is not geared towards gaming, though, so that’s probably pretty good for day-to-day usage. System76 is also introducing its Open Firmware with the new Meerkat. Powered by coreboot, this firmware solution offers faster boot times and enhanced security. And of course, it’s open source, so you can see exactly what’s happening behind the scenes if you want to.

The System76 Meerkat Mini starts at $799, which is a bit of a steep pricing considering the previous model was considerably cheaper. Still, given all the upgrades we have here and the fact that the previous model was already a few years old, it might be reasonable. Check out System76’s website starting January 29.

Source: System76