The 2026 Thelio Mira Custom is a Linux-first workstation featuring liquid cooling, AMD Ryzen 9000 processors, and modular construction designed for AI and professional workloads.
Key facts
- •The 2026 Thelio Mira Custom utilizes the AMD X870 motherboard with support for PCIe 5.0.
- •System76 claims the liquid-cooled design allows for sustained high clock speeds during multi-hour AI fine-tuning.
- •The chassis features tool-less magnetic panels and a bottom dust filter to simplify cleaning and upgrades.
- •The system offers 13 external USB ports, including 2 rear USB4 Type-C ports.
- •System76 manufactures its desktops and servers at its own facility in Denver, Colorado.
System76 has launched its 2026 Thelio Mira Custom desktop, a Linux-based workstation built on the AMD Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" platform. Designed for high-performance tasks like AI model inference and fine-tuning, the machine features an X870 motherboard, liquid cooling, and a modular chassis. The system is manufactured at the company's factory in Denver, Colorado, and runs on System76's Pop!_OS operating system.
By the numbers
Performance and AI Capabilities
The Mira Custom supports CPU configurations ranging from the 6-core Ryzen 5 9600X to the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X or 9950X3D. The system is optimized for AI workloads, with liquid cooling that System76 claims provides a 19% performance uplift and a 13-degree temperature reduction compared to previous air-cooled designs. Users can pair the CPU with discrete GPUs, such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, to handle local inference for models like Llama 3.1 8B or Mistral Small 3 7B.
Hardware and Connectivity
The workstation supports up to 192 GB of DDR5 RAM across four DIMM slots. Storage options include three M.2 NVMe slots—supporting PCIe Gen5, Gen4, and Gen3—alongside at least two 2.5-inch SATA bays. Connectivity is extensive, featuring 2.5 GbE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.2, and 13 external USB ports, including USB4 Type-C. The chassis is constructed from aluminum and steel with tool-less magnetic panels for easier maintenance.
Pricing and Configuration
The Thelio Mira Custom is available in a wide range of configurations, with starting prices at $1,699 and high-end builds exceeding $7,000. System76 also provides preconfigured Premium and Elite variants, though the Custom SKU is targeted at power users and developers needing specific hardware for compile farms or local AI rigs. The system includes full support for Nvidia CUDA drivers via Pop!_OS.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by ZDNET AI.
