System76 Meerkat mini Linux PC now available with up to Intel Core Ultra 7 255H Arrow Lake

Linux PC maker System76 has updated its Meerkat line of mini PCs for the second time this year. In January the company launched models powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 1 (Meteor Lake) processor options. Now those are gone. In their place are new Meerkat models with support for up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H Arrow Lake processor.

But while the top tier models get a significant speed boost, System76 is also introducing a new lower-cost model that brings the starting price down to $599.

You sort of get what you pay for though. All Meerkat models ship with at least 16GB of DDR5 RAM, at least a 500GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a choice of Pop!_OS or Ubuntu Linux. But only the higher-priced configurations have Arrow Lake chips.

Here are the starting prices at time of publication:

Intel Core 3 100U (Raptor Lake)/16GB/500GB for $599

Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (Arrow Lake)/16GB/500GB for $844

Intel Core Ultra 7 255U (Arrow Lake)/16GB/500GB for $1048

You can also pay extra for up to 96GB of dual-channel DDR5-5600 memory, up to an 8TB PCIe 4.0 SSD or up to a 4TB PCIe 5.0 SSD (if you opt for an Arrow Lake model).

Or you can bring your own memory and storage: both are user-replaceable and when you open the chassis you'll find:

2 x SODIMM slots for memory

2 x M.2 2280 slots

1 x PCIe 5.0 + 1 x PCIe 4.0 for Arrow Lake models

2 x PCIe 4.0 for Raptor Lake systems

1 x M.2 2242 M-Key slot PCIe 4.0 x4)

The Meerkat measures 117 x 112 x 54mm (4.6″ x 4.4″ x 2.1″) and features a decent set of features for wired and wireless networking and peripherals:

WiFi 7

Bluetooth 5.4

1 x 2.5 GbE LAN

2 x Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps)

1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20 Gbps)

3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (10 Gbps)

1 x USB 2.0 Type-A (480 Mbps)

2 x HDMI 2.1

1 x DC power input

There's also optional support for a second 2.5 Gb Ethernet port, but you'll have to pay an extra $49 for that feature.

Interestingly one thing the Meerkat mini PC doesn't seem to have is a dedicated audio jack. But with dual Thunderbolt ports and dual HDMI ports, there's still plenty of ways to connect audio gear.

via @system76

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