Ready to ditch your Windows PC? I found a powerful mini PC that’s optimized for Linux

ZDNET’s key takeaways

This highly effective PC is out there now, beginning at $1230
The NX Gen3 PC was capable of run the gpt-oss:20b LLM with no hiccup
This Kubuntu-powered PC is almost definitely extra highly effective than your present PC.

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Any probability I can get to assessment a Linux-powered PC, I am thrilled to take action. It is not solely as a result of I get to expertise how a 3rd get together approaches the OS, but additionally as a result of it means there are extra avenues for shoppers to buy Linux methods.

In case you’ve ever heard of Kubuntu, you realize it is a spin on Ubuntu that focuses on the KDE Plasma desktop — a superb desktop UI. Kubuntu Focus, however, is an organization devoted to promoting laptops and desktops powered by the Kubuntu OS.

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After receiving the Kubuntu Focus NX Gen3, unboxing, and setting it up, I hit the ability and watched as Kubuntu loaded. In seconds, I used to be greeted with the onboarding wizard. In stark distinction to any Home windows PC I’ve reviewed, it took me lower than two minutes to have the NX Gen3 up and operating.

My expertise

Reviewing a Linux-powered laptop computer or PC is all the time a breath of recent air to me, as a result of I do know the OS very effectively (so I do know precisely what to anticipate) and it is nearly all the time a constructive expertise from begin to end.

The NX Gen3 was no exception.

The mannequin I acquired housed an Intel Extremely 7 255H, Arc T140 8 Xe CPU/GPU, with 32 GB of RAM and Mesa Intel graphics, which runs round $1,230. You possibly can spec a system as much as 96 GB of RAM, a 4TB drive, which bumps the value as much as $2,075.

Kubuntu Focus NX Gen3. — There are many vents to maintain this PC cool.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

In fact, it is KDE Plasma, so the desktop is superb. And, sure, it defaults to a darkish theme, which I instantly personalized. As quickly as I had that taken care of, I ran the obtainable updates (which took all of three minutes) and got down to do the one factor I all the time do when testing a brand new PC: pushing it to its limits.

How? Lately, that is fairly straightforward. I put in Ollama, pulled the llama3.2 LLM, and ran a question. I’ve develop into accustomed to gradual responses to Ollama queries on assessment machines, and at first I believed the NX Gen3 was going to offer me the identical outcomes. After a couple of seconds, nevertheless, Ollama spit out the reply to “What’s Linux?” far quicker than I believed. The truth is, I have never seen a small kind issue PC reply this rapidly to a neighborhood AI question.

Spectacular.

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I then determined to obtain a bigger LLM (gpt-oss:12b, which is 65GB). In fact, the pull took perpetually (due to its measurement, which is not any reflection on the NX Gen3. As soon as it was full, I ran the identical question (“What’s Linux?”), which was considerably quicker than the llama3.2 LLM. Whereas gpt-oss:20 was answering the question, I went about utilizing different apps and, to my shock, nothing was hampered by Ollama pummeling the CPU. The NX Gen3 did not bat an eye fixed.

Past the AI portion of my check, I went about doing precise on a regular basis duties (putting in apps, opening and utilizing apps, shifting home windows round, operating upgrades, looking… you realize the drill) and was not in in the slightest degree shocked that the NX Gen3’s efficiency was completely stellar. I’d put this tiny machine almost on par with my System76 Thelio (which is essentially the most highly effective desktop PC I’ve ever used).

I’d go as far as to say that the Kubuntu Focus NX Gen3 PC is highly effective sufficient for absolutely anything you want for common use. No, you are not going to mine large knowledge or launch a ship to Mars with this laptop, however for the typical human, the NX Gen3 gives approach above common efficiency.

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Even with a number of KDE Plasma window results operating (equivalent to Wobbly Home windows), I noticed zero lag, tearing, or pixelation.

It doesn’t matter what I did with the NX Gen3 PC, I got here away impressed. This tiny machine is a powerhouse and would serve anybody effectively. And, sure, KDE Plasma is a desktop surroundings appropriate for these new to Linux. So, whether or not you are new to the open-source working system or have been utilizing it for years, you possibly can guess the Kubuntu Focus NX Gen3 PC is as much as no matter activity you need to throw at it.

I didn’t hassle operating benchmarking assessments on this machine as a result of I are likely to choose my evaluations to be of worth to those that would truly buy such a machine to make use of day-after-day. Benchmarking is nice, however these numbers do not are likely to imply a lot to the typical consumer.

ZDNT shopping for recommendation

In case you’re available in the market to buy a brand new PC and also you need to lastly soar on board the Linux bandwagon, the Kubuntu Focus NX Gen3 is not only an excellent place to begin, however an amazing place to remain. This small-footprint laptop critically impressed me. It is highly effective, silent, straightforward to setup, and a deal with to make use of.

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In case you’re trying on the finish of life to your Home windows 10 PC, and available in the market for one thing higher than what’s on the cabinets of the large field shops, head over to the official Kubuntu Focus website and buy an NX Gen3 PC. You will not remorse it.