A while back, I did a review of System76’s Darter Pro 9. Overall, I thought it was a pretty well-built machine with some minor flaws to critique. But what I didn’t mention was in August last year, I purchased System76 Adder Workstation 3. This massive thing is a gaming machine and shines as a mobile desktop PC.

My experience with the Adder is a similar experience to my unboxing of the Darter Pro and yes, they also gave me a Pop!_OS t-shirt in addition to the other merch inside. This is all nice and all, but living with this computer has me conflicted at the end. Overall, I think if you are able to accept that this is basically a portable desktop you can plant somewhere. It now handles all of my daily driving needs and I recommend it, only if you can stomach a few caveats. So let’s dive in.

I was not sponsored by System76 to make this review (will likely be more evident later). I paid for this computer with my own money.

My Configuration

The Adder is billed as a customizable gaming laptop. One of the major selling points to buy a System76 computer is the hardware is fully user upgradable and repairable. I chose pay extra for 32 GB of DDR5 RAM (default 16 GB), a 1 TB M.2 storage (default was 500 GB), and upgraded to a Nvidia RTX 4060 Max-Q (instead of the RTX 4050 Max-Q). It also comes with 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake-S i9 Mobile with 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores. The new Adder Workstation 4 uses 14th Gen Intel CPUs instead, but will continue to use the Nvidia 40 series and other memory.

For ports, the Adder comes with 2 USB-C 3 ports, 1 Ethernet port, a Thunderbolt port, a HDMI port, a Kensington lock, a micro-SD card slot, a headphone jack, a microphone jack, 1 USB-A 3 port, and 1 USB-A 2 port. Overall, the vast majority of people will have enough ports to fit their needs, save for the glaring flaw of a USB 2 port. Thankfully, future models of Adder have also discontinued the trend of the USB 2 ports.

The screen is a 1080p, 144 Hz 15 in (38.1 cm) display and is more than sufficient in bright/outdoor conditions. The keyboard has a RGB back light and the brightness of the screen is sufficient for outdoor use or in sunny places. Like the Darter Pro, the Adder smudges quite a bit with your fingerprints, but doesn’t seem to be nearly as bad despite being the same material. You also get Bluetooth (which I never use), a webcam/microphone, and Wi-Fi 6E.

I think the most compelling thing about the Adder for end users is the computer’s customization. You can add a ton of RAM, it has lots of space for extra storage, and the ability to swap out parts is great. Compared to other gaming computers with the same price point, the fact you have the capability of replacing parts while remaining very price competitive is praiseworthy.

On price, with all of my upgrades to RAM (up to 64 GB, I did 32 instead of the default 16), storage, and the 4060, the full price was around $1863. It’s a steep price compared to its competition, but if you are willing to foot the effort or pay extra, you can get a machine with a better CPU and more storage/RAM. The compromises are a 1080p display, the sub-par webcam/microphone, and the dreaded USB-2 port (again, going away in the next version).

Why (Now, In This Economy, Support System76)?

The biggest question I want to clear up right now is “the why,”

System76 as a Company

On one hand, I want to support a company that makes a Linux laptop. System76 has contributed a lot to developing desktop Linux, has made some impact on the Linux app ecosystem, and will continue to so as they launch the Cosmic desktop environment. They offer a computer that’s fully upgradable and repairable. But on the other, the space is far too competitive and I wonder if I should have even bothered. This whole thing also causes me to question why System76 chose to roll their own firmware, desktop environment, and optimizations.

The thing is in the United States, a lot is riding on System76. The only other major Linux-focused laptop manufacturer in the US, Purism, is too busy shipping laptops with old hardware and refusing to refund people over unfinished Linux phones. International Linux laptop manufacturers who give back to development, like TUXEDO and Star Labs, are out of reach for anybody not in Europe or the UK (both charge hundreds of dollars in import fees, but it’s not their fault. Blame customs.).

Support My Needs!

The reason I chose to buy a computer now is I have very specific needs that only a gaming laptop (or a MacBook Pro, but who’s going to waste money on that?) is going to accomplish.

Mobile Content Creation

The first problem is I’m a content creator. First off, it means every other week of my life is consumed with recording slop videos for all of you on a regular basis. Previously, I never owned a good laptop this good. My workflow was always my desktop first in my home office and conducting personal work outside of the home was always done on my phone. I’m an advocate for desktops purely for control and customization.

However, there’s a problem—content creation. My phone and pathetic netbook ASUS laptop can’t edit videos effectively. This situation was so bad for me last year, I rushed out a video because I knew I was going away on vacation for a week and wouldn’t have time to or access to my desktop. One of the main reasons I bought this machine was because I need to have a portable editing machine and way to give the illusion of normal YouTube activities, even if I travel.

My Aging Desktop

The other reason is my aging desktop from 2016. My desktop is chock full of hardware no longer seeing security or feature updates. It has an Nvidia 1080 TI. a Intel i7 7700 Kaby Lake CPU, a 32 GB of DDR4 RAM. Nvidia won’t abandon the 10 series GPUs at least for another 2 years, but Intel is slowly killing off support for most CPUs made around the same time as my i7. Worse, ASUS has not given my motherboard an update since 2018. Avoid ASUS like the plague.

For these reasons, I chose to get a new laptop and I bring all of this up because of my previous hardware, I knew no matter how System76’s computer turned out, it would be a net improvement over my desktop. It’s a mobile workstation I can take places, has 7 years of improvements, and fully capable of handling my video editing and content creation needs. I will likely consider another computer one day, given Microsoft’s looming threats of an even more aggressive AI release of Windows. When whatever Windows 12 (if it’s even going to be called that) comes out, I will make a decision about upgrading, but in the mean time, chose to settle with the Adder Pro. Right now, my desktop has become my streaming/recording computer.

Merch

The included merch and stickers are identical to the Darter Pro 9 review. The Pop!_OS shirt I got is limited edition.

They also gave me a [Pop!_OS] t-shirt for free for some reason, which is far from one of the worst things I’ve worn in my life… The computer comes provided with a little welcome card, telling you to “unleash your potential” and a quick little message about where to get help online. They also gave a cardboard standout character named Melvin, which okay… but this is a questionable inclusion. Cardboard is easy damaged and I think Melvin here is going to be staying in his little frame. They also give various branded System76/Pop!_OS stickers, which used to be just individual, now they are 2 sheets together.

Using the Adder Workstation

First, I uninstalled Pop!_OS and rebuilt my Fedora setup using my scripts. Once again, I am firm believer in rolling release distributions and Pop!_OS is not. Despite replacing Pop!_OS, I have not seen any hardware failure or anything of the sort. If you are not a fan of Fedora, you can install Arch, NixOS, or whatever you want. If you use Arch, Fedora, or NixOS, each has community maintained packages for System76’s firmware controls and tools.

If you uninstall Pop!_OS or remove the default partition with Pop!_OS’s recovery image, there is a prompt in the BIOS that is hard-coded to this recovery image. However, removing the partition is inconsequential and makes this feature useless.

GNOME & KDE

When I first installed Fedora 39, the first interesting quirk was GNOME would never boot properly and only showed a black screen. As a result, I spent the first 3 months using KDE Plasma 5.27. I installed the proprietary Nvidia drivers and used the Wayland version. KDE was an interesting experience:

  • KDE handles display scaling better than GNOME does.
  • KDE has fixed their file manager portal from bugging out. Portals also work way better now.
  • Screen sharing will occasionally cause apps like Signal to crash. Some updates to Signal would fix it, but others broke it again.
  • Using Nvidia with KDE and Wayland will lock your frame rate to whatever your lowest frame rate of your monitors is. I use a 60 Hz monitor from 2009 in addition to the built-in display, so it immediately locked the frame rate at 60 FPS. I have no non-Nvidia devices to replicate this issue.
  • Nvidia causes a lot of interference with adding new monitors. Not directly a KDE problem as much as it is a Nvidia problem.

These problems eventually caused me to go back to GNOME, but they were admittedly minor. GNOME did magically start working, so I have no idea what happened to GNOME during Fedora 39 launch—it’s been stable since. GNOME overall handled screen-sharing, high frame rates, Nvidia problems, and the keyboard backlight better. An unusual aspect of the RGB is when using the keys, the lights are limited to a minimum 20%, but in GNOME’s keyboard backlight menu, you are able to control this more tightly.

Peripherals

The keyboard of the Adder has very little flex and feels great to use. Unlike the Darter Pro, the function keys are more traditionally aligned, support most standard laptop BIOS features like volume, brightness, etc, and controlling the RGB lights. There is also a BIOS webcam switch, but the webcam switch only disables the webcam, not the microphone, despite both being the same module. You’re probably going to want to keep it off because it’s 720p and performs horribly.

The laptop has a fine hinge and is able to be opened with one hand. The computer weighs around 5 lbs (2.25 kg), so this thing is fairly heavy, but that’s normal for most gaming PCs in this category. The touchpad is also slightly off center, but I was never bothered by this personally. The speakers lack the range for bass, but they will get the job done.

Fan Noise

The biggest problem with the Adder (and most gaming machines like these) is fan noise. Even mildly hardware accelerated activities like playing a YouTube video will cause the fans to occasionally rev up. If you are performing a more complex task, like gaming, using OBS, or video editing, it can be louder and much more distracting. Because of the close proximity of the built-in microphone, your Discord calls over your competitive video games will likely be drowned out by fan noise unless you use an external microphone.

Heat

If you use the Adder as a standard laptop, the Adder accumulates heat like nobody’s business. This is really problematic if you use the laptop on your lap and you can really feel that heat. It also shows because the cooling vents are on the bottom of the laptop, so be prepared for a blast of warm air on your thighs. It’s not that bad and you won’t feel this way when the laptop is on a desk, but you will feel that perpetual heat.

Battery Life

An important thing I want to discuss is battery life. Linux on laptops has an abysmal reputation with battery life. However, I have never seen anything like the battery drain in the Adder. Without any tweaks to Fedora and using the default systemd power profiles, the battery life is around 4 hours. I figured installing System76’s power management tools would help, but it actually made the battery worse, dropping it to 2 hours. I know graphics cards suck down battery like no one’s business, but this was something else entirely.

But when I started reading reviews for other similar computers, I found that many reviewers were complaining about the same issues with other high-end gaming laptops: ASUS, Razer, Alienware, and Lenovo, all using Windows 11. I can only surmise that this ridiculous battery drain is because of Nvidia, whose drivers are already really problematic on Linux. However. I was able to increase the 4 hour battery life using tlp and disabling the default power profiles. This bumped the battery up to 6-7 hours, which I will definitely take. I will also comment this soured my experience with System76’s power management tools, especially when tlp felt like a better way to optimize and save on battery.

sudo dnf in tlp tlp-rdw -y
sudo systemctl mask power-profiles-daemon.service
sudo systemctl mask systemd-rfkill.service
sudo systemctl mask systemd-rfkill.socket

I also tested disabling the Nvidia GPU using both System76’s tools and envycontrol, both of which did not increase the battery life significantly. I’m more than willing to chalk this one up to user error.

System76’s Firmware Shortcomings

I’ve talked about it before, but I really want to emphasize the benefits of System76 is its firmware. The fact that they support coreboot is commendable. However, System76’s firmware is one of the most problematic things about these computers. In my previous review, I mentioned System76 disables Secure Boot by default, actively discourages their users from using it, and cannot password protect their BIOS.

The first thing I want to discuss is desktop firmware security. Windows is making strides in pushing their user base to adopt TPM as a secure element and verified boot with secured-core PCs. I understand most users are resistant to TPM because of how heavy-handed Microsoft is with this, but the harsh reality is Linux is really bad at protecting the integrity of your boot processes. The good news is Linux developers like Lennart Pottering and openSUSE’s Richard Brown are in agreement and are moving systemd and openSUSE Aeon respectively to adopt TPM by default as well.

Related: Matthew Garrett’s talk to the Linux Security Summit in 2023 about TPM-based security on Linux.

System76 needs to be held accountable because when they assemble your device, they have configure your hardware in specific ways. One of the things that I believe is hurting System76 is the neutering of the Intel Management Engine. I’m going to tread carefully here, because the Management Engine is not documented well, but the Intel Management Engine is important to use core security features Intel and Microsoft are using as the building blocks to make your experience as an end user more secure. Intel Boot Guard requires the Intel Management Engine to run and is part of the criteria Linux hardware security certification.

A long video about the finer details and writing an exploit for the Intel ME by Peter Bosch

The reasoning System76 gives for disabling the Management Engine is it’s proprietary garbage that “provides many extraneous features that are generally not usable or useful to our users.” I have changed my mind on this matter and now condemn System76’s team for this shallow thinking. Secured-core PCs and Intel Boot Guard are both features that are critical to the future of desktop computing. What’s more frustrating is the documentation of TianoCore supports using Intel Boot Guard, which System76 doesn’t need to foot any extra effort in implementing it. In fact, it’s probably more effort to neuter the Management Engine.

I know this might seem minor (it probably is), but some of the most reputable laptop manufacturers like Dell (owner of Alienware) and Lenovo make respectable gaming machines that meet these security certifications and standards; System76 does not. While the Management Engine is proprietary trash that has the potential to get hacked, everything in your computer has the potential to get hacked. We need to encourage our Linux manufacturers to support strong security standards just like their Windows counterparts. We also can’t let paranoia against proprietary microcode like the Management Engine (that’s barely a threat to 99% of the population) sacrifice our security and device future-proofing in the process.

I have retroactively changed the Darter Pro review to reflect this decision. Like I said in that video, I don’t think most people will care, but I do and believe secure defaults are paramount to reviewing a device. There is also a page on System76’s site about reverting to the proprietary firmware, which requires disabling Secure Boot and probably TPM. Then the Intel ME can renabled, but there are still issues with developer controls with Intel microcode.

Performance

On something lighter, let’s talk about performance metrics. The Adder is more than capable of basic tasks for web browsing, development, and watching videos. I’ve also discussed DaVinci Resolve’s performance on discrete GPUs, where you must natively install Resolve rather than using a container. The Adder now handles my video editing, light AI processing, and basic C compilation.

I decided to push this thing for gaming performance. This thing can easily run the vast majority of games, but chose some of the toughest games in my library: Cyberpunk 2077, the Witcher 3: Complete Edition, and Control. In all 3 games, the Adder is able to hold at least 50-100 FPS on maxed settings without ray-tracing. Introducing ray-tracing is where things get more interesting. As a gaming laptop, the Adder hits a CPU bottleneck in most games, but is more than capable of handling any AAA game at max settings, provided you don’t use ray-tracing or other specialty features.

  • With Cyberpunk 2077, performance is all over the place with DLSS on quality mode. The frame rate goes between 54 and 70 fps. It’s noticeably worse with indoor areas as there’s a lot more scrutiny with detail. Certain locations like Megabuilding H10 (the starting apartment) are well optimized, others are not. Ray-tracing and DLSS are usable, but path tracing and DLSS frame generation are not.
  • In the Witcher 3: Complete Edition, I ran the DirectX 11 version with ray-tracing and a similar result. Using the DirectX 12 version, both with and without ray-tracing will crash upon opening the “world map” in the menu. However, the DirectX 11 version will get a solid 120 fps on maxed settings.
  • In Control, ray-tracing can easily cut down to about 70 FPS (down from 110), but was noticeably less taxing on the GPU than in CDPR’s games.

Final Thoughts

After spending 8 months daily driving the Adder, I have very mixed feelings. This computer has a few problems, but these problems may be beyond the control of System76. What makes it more complicated is this computer serves a different purpose to other laptops. The amount of customization is commendable and make it far more compelling for people with more niche use cases. However, I ask before you buy this:

  • Do you want a computer that you are able to add tons of RAM and storage to? Do you value the right to repair? If so, System76 blows their competition out of the water.
  • Do you like System76 as a company? Do you want to support the Cosmic desktop environment or their assistance with developing desktop Linux? If so, you can fund them by buying their laptops.
  • Do you value privacy/security? If so, do not buy from System76 as most Windows OEMs have a more secure experience (albeit sometimes a worse Linux experience). Privacy is mostly the same, even if you don’t have open firmware.
  • Are you a content creator who does a lot of video editing? Are you someone who likes to game, but frequently travels? Are you getting in on the AI hype train? These are the people who will make the best use of this machine. However, you might be better off buying another device.

My final verdict on System76 after the last year is if you value a repairable and insanely upgradable computer, they will have you covered in spades. If you have no interest in the nitty gritty of repair and upgrades, perhaps you are giving a recommendation to someone who isn’t a techie, steer clear of System76. “Normal” people who use System76’s machines miss out of serious security benefits and spend extra money on the ability to upgrade, which most will unfortunately not exercise.

I like this computer minus its battery life and security problems. I am the target audience as a content creator, but the laptop space is competitive. You are likely able to get a similar device from a competing laptop maker for less, sacrificing upgrade paths. In fact, you could probably go to your local Micro Center or whatever and purchase something like a Legion Pro or Alienware for a similar experience. It’s doubly hard for System76 to compete with the big players who don’t need to consider the Linux angle.

At this time, I only recommend buying this machine if you are an enthusiast or someone who wants to support the software work of System76. Unless you make use of those upgrade options, you’re probably better off spending your money elsewhere.

Summary

🚫 Not recommended, unless you intend to support System76 and Pop!_OS.

Pros

  • Good performance (content creation, gaming, general use)
  • User serviceable and repairable
  • 144 Hz display (1080p, but works great on GNOME/KDE Wayland)
  • Allows higher RAM and storage than most competitors when purchasing
  • Coreboot and TianoCore firmware

Cons

  • 30 day refund includes the days it took for your computer to ship to you
  • Collects fingerprints, but not as noticeable as the Darter Pro 9
  • Battery life is terrible (around 4 hours, but usually less, doubled if you set up tlp)
  • Bad webcam/microphone
  • 1 USB-2 port (The Adder Workstation 4 will replace it with a USB-A 3 port)
  • Really loud
  • Can get hot to use with extended use and lots of things running
  • Hardware security is much weaker than popular laptop manufacturers (insecure BIOS, no Intel Boot Guard because of neutered ME, and fails various HSM levels)

Other

  • Charger is heavy
  • Lots of merchandise in addition to computer (t-shirt is limited edition)
  • I didn’t test Windows. It’s very likely I will use my other M.2 slot for this or to test distros.
  • There are only 2 RAM slots. If you wish to upgrade the RAM, you will need to purchase 32 GB sticks to upgrade.
  • Parts claim warranty is void if removed, but System76 does not care.
  • F4 key is blank and 1 key apart from the other volume keys.

References:

Track Listing