[HN Gopher] NovaCustom - Framework Laptop alternative focusing o...
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NovaCustom - Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
Author : CHEF-KOCH
Score : 23 points
Date : 2025-06-28 18:01 UTC (4 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (novacustom.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (novacustom.com)
| necovek wrote:
| This seems to have nothing similar to what Framework laptop
| offers.
|
| The main (only?) selling point for NovaCustom is open source
| coreboot firmware and disabling of Intel ME.
|
| I'd like to see Framework laptop with these features, but those
| two features do not make a Framework alternative.
| zamalek wrote:
| I took a poke around their website and it looks like you can
| purchase a motherboard. It seems this exists somewhere between
| the mainstream and Framework: a regular laptop with right to
| repair.
|
| NVIDIA, though? We are still a good few months, or years, away
| from attempting to seriously use NVIDIA and Linux in the same
| sentence without looking like a complete idiot.
| rpdillon wrote:
| I'm not sure what you're talking about here. I am a customer
| of System76 several times over. I just purchased a laptop for
| my 15-year-old that runs Pop_OS and has an NVIDIA card, and
| he has been doing both AI on it as well as high-end gaming,
| all is zero assistance from me in getting things set up. I
| also worked on self-driving cars and maintained fleets of
| hundreds of machines with H100s, all running Ubuntu.
|
| I don't feel like a complete idiot, but now you're making me
| wonder. What's your experience been?
| AlotOfReading wrote:
| My Linux system has a nasty little bug in the card audio
| ouput system that results in dropped audio when there's too
| much bus traffic. That's a direct result of Nvidia issues
| deep in the stack. And of course, Nvidia's automotive
| division is infuriating to work with.
|
| Good Linux support though.
| fsflover wrote:
| > The main (only?) selling point for NovaCustom is open source
| coreboot firmware and disabling of Intel ME.
|
| Also it's officially certified to run Qubes OS.
| horsellama wrote:
| finally a vendor that allows the customization of the super key
|
| and also ships with nvidia gpu
|
| I might have found a new laptop...
| stavros wrote:
| Don't Frameworks ship with QMK now, allowing you to customize
| the entire keyboard at the hardware level?
| horsellama wrote:
| oh yes, they do
|
| but I meant the actual sticker on the keycap (very silly
| requirement, I know)
| haiku2077 wrote:
| Framework offers either a Windows logo or the Framework
| logo
| umbra07 wrote:
| 16s do, but not the 13s.
| cosmic_cheese wrote:
| I don't mean to minimize the company's role in their offerings,
| but are these rebadged Clevo/Tongfang/etc laptops? There's a
| place for those but that would make NovaCustom more comparable to
| system76 or Tuxedo than Framework, which designs their own
| hardware.
| Fire-Dragon-DoL wrote:
| I think system76 is now designing their own hardware too?
| cosmic_cheese wrote:
| As far as I know, for models currently on sale that applies
| only to their desktops (which are cool, but considerably more
| niche since people interested in desktops are likely to build
| their own), with their laptops being Clevos.
| Fire-Dragon-DoL wrote:
| Ah I see!
| antif wrote:
| I'd wish custom development could be minimized and everyone
| instead assembled next generation systems using the best open,
| standardized, and reusable parts.. which then could be sourced
| or salvaged on almost any continent. Just a wish.
| getcrunk wrote:
| Yea I don't like trying to ride the frame work tailwinds, but wow
| modern hardware with modern nvidia gpu that supports core boot
| and heads? The only thing missing is a stellar company reputation
| that inspires trust
| princevegeta89 wrote:
| I don't understand... what is the privacy concern with Framework
| Laptops? All hardware used is transparent and replacable.
| Software is the user's choice, and many users go for Linux. It is
| as transparent as you can make an OS to be.
|
| What am I missing here..?
| SlowTao wrote:
| * puts on cynical hat * I suspect it is most just marketing.
| Privacy can help you sell even if it is no better than what a
| lot of people are doing.
|
| Using open boot and a neutered Intel ME is a good start but
| nothing too unique nowadays.
|
| Also at this point hardware privacy is all well and good but if
| you are going to dump stock Windows 11 on it, well it is called
| Windows for a reason, lets all your data out of one.
| fsflover wrote:
| The problem is Intel Management Engine, which is disabled in
| NovaCustom.
| ementally wrote:
| https://4fa2b80c.privsec-dev-2oz.pages.dev/posts/knowledge/l...
|
| >Framework. vPro Enterprise Framework devices actually meet HSI
| level 4, but they unfortunately do not handle firmware updates
| properly. They have not shipped a single firmware for their
| 13th generation over a year since its release date, and over 6
| months since the disclosure of LogoFail. While they do ship
| some updates for other devices, how they have been handling so
| far is not acceptable if you need a secure device.
| speedgoose wrote:
| A maximum of 8GB vRAM in 2025 is quite limiting. You can only run
| the smallest large language models on those laptops.
| SlowTao wrote:
| Maybe this laptop is not for you then. That's cool.
|
| But if you don't need to run LLM's these will be fine.
| speedgoose wrote:
| Yes I guess some could also be fine with a privacy focused
| mechanical typewriter.
|
| When Apple and AMD sell very descent laptop hardware (M4 or
| Ryzen AI Max), I find the Intel/Nvidia combo with only 8GB a
| bit conservative.
| mgerdts wrote:
| I'm confused how a premium priced laptop comes with an NVMe drive
| that uses host memory buffer (HMB) rather than having sufficient
| RAM on the drive. At Amazon, a better drive like a WD SN850x
| costs 25% less than the GOODRAM drive they include.
| demarq wrote:
| This really has no bearing to the framework laptop. Great project
| though!
| transpute wrote:
| Which laptop vendors have an option to fully disable Intel ME?
| - Clevo ODM laptops with coreboot (OEM: NovaCustom, Purism,
| System76) - Some (?) pricy Dell Rugged laptops, at purchase
| time - Some (?) standard HP business laptops, via BIOS
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(page generated 2025-06-28 23:00 UTC)