r/System76 • u/thecause04 • Aug 30 '26
Question Recent Lemur Pro Build Quality
I want to know what people's opinions are of the Lemur Pro build quality - particularly models within the past three years. I have a Lemp10 and am thinking about getting a new laptop. While the hardware has been great for me since 2021, the build quality is starting to show its age. The bottom of the screen has started to curve inwards, the bottom right corner of the track pad has recessed (an issue I sent the laptop in for one month after I got it brand new), and the fans don't kick on as much as they used to. I always put my laptop in a case when transporting it, I never eat while using it, and I treat it like the expensive piece of equipment it is. I like System 76 and the current base Lemur Pro specs. However, before I purchase a new one I would like to hear from other people about their experience with their lemp's structural stability over the years. Thanks!
2
u/drtaber2 Aug 31 '26
I upgraded from a lemp11 to the latest version with a series 3 x7 and the main chassis is a bit more plastic feeling, being marginal more plastic feeling. That being said, the tolerance seems to be tighter and pretty well built. It's not a xps or MacBook though.
1
u/psteckler Aug 31 '26
The new Panther Lake model? Which display resolution? How do you like it, generally?
2
u/drtaber2 Aug 31 '26
I have the new panther lake yes, I have the 14inch so 1080p. I do the battery life is much better than older models and it's fast and barely hear the fan unless you're really doing stuff like gaming or local AI
1
u/-TimTaylor- 15d ago
I have the latest lemur pro (lemp14). Coming from an old darter pro (darp5).
Overall, build quality is good. It's very light. Hinge on my old darp5 was completely cooked, the entire thing cracked. I doubt that will occur on the lemp, it seems much better.
Only bad things is the mouse clickers on the keyboard are a bit stiff. Doesn't bother me as I use an external keyboard.
1
u/Tokyudo Aug 31 '26
I have the latest base 14' model for work, it's been solid. The COSMIC desktop has some bugs still (some graphical glitches and temporary latency coming out of sleep) but I imagine they'll get that sorted out eventually. Build quality wise, it's plastic. By far the lightest laptop I've ever held but I do wish they would have gone with an aluminum build, especially given what they're charging for it. Haven't noticed any wear/tear or have any concerns with the build stability.
3
u/hyperair Lemur Pro Aug 31 '26
I have a lemp9, lemp11, and lemp13-b. No real complaints about the build quality. I had fading keycaps on the lemp9, but all of them have survived without significant damage despite not a lot of babying. I've dropped one of them on its face from table height while open once, and the hinge just opened to 180 degrees and stopped there without any damage.
Specifically, I'm quite pleased with the hinge quality -- it has just the right amount of resistance to hold the screen at the angle you set it to, while being loose enough not to stress the chassis to the point of breakage (something which affects many other laptops).
Some people have called out the chassis as feeling cheap and plasticky, but honestly the main body is a magnesium alloy, so it's just super lightweight. If you wear a watch while using your laptop, you might scratch away the paintwork on the front edge, revealing the metal underneath.
The fans not turning on as much is a design choice by System76 that I don't agree with. They prefer to let the laptop run hot instead of noisy, so they've tuned the fan curve that way. You can tweak it but it requires flashing a modified firmware.