Argon One UP: Raspberry Pi-powered laptop with 14-inch display starts reaching customers

Raspberry Pi enthusiasts will most likely be quite familiar with Argon Forty's offerings. The company is a well-known entity in the realm of Pi cases and accessories, and has also recently released the Argon One UP CM5 laptop. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, the laptop has finally started shipping to backers.

Finally, a laptop shell for Raspberry Pi CM5 owners

The concept behind the Argon One UP is simple - the laptop shell sports a typical clamshell design with a keyboard, trackpad, and of course, a display. The Raspberry Pi CM5 (currently $129 on Amazon), sold separately, functions as the brain of the laptop once slotted into place. The whole motherboard is custom-built with an integrated active cooling system.

The laptop shell also sports M.2 storage, a 54 Wh battery, backlit keyboard, and other features listed below:

• 14-inch IPS display, 1080p at 60 Hz
• Dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports
• Dual USB-C ports with support for 40-pin GPIO module
• HDMi 2.0
• 2 MP front camera
• Dual mics, stereo speakers

Of course, the specs clearly indicate that the Argon One UP is not going to take on the MacBooks and XPSs of the world anytime soon. But for folks who want a Raspberry Pi-powered laptop, the One UP appears to tick a lot of boxes. The brand claims that the 54 Wh battery should be good for anywhere between 6 to 8 hours of usage, which is pretty mediocre at best. 

The One UP also features an all-aluminum chassis, which is neat. The folks who have already received their units appear quite satisfied with the system, although certain teething issues, especially with software, do exist for now.

Folks who missed the crowdfunding phase but are interested in purchasing the device can do so directly from Argon Forty's website, where the One UP retails for a cool $400. There appears to be no stock as of this writing, therefore potential buyers are advised to keep an eye out.