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 · 44m ago
I think system76 is now designing their own hardware too?
cosmic_cheese · 42m ago
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.
necovek · 3h ago
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 · 49m ago
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.
fsflover · 15m ago
> 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.
princevegeta89 · 49m ago
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 · 33m ago
* 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 · 8m ago
The problem is Intel Management Engine, which is disabled in NovaCustom.
demarq · 13m ago
This really has no bearing to the framework laptop. Great project though!
mgerdts · 36m ago
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.
speedgoose · 46m ago
A maximum of 8GB vRAM in 2025 is quite limiting. You can only run the smallest large language models on those laptops.
SlowTao · 31m ago
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 · 5m ago
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.
getcrunk · 53m ago
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
horsellama · 1h ago
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 · 1h ago
Don't Frameworks ship with QMK now, allowing you to customize the entire keyboard at the hardware level?
horsellama · 48m ago
oh yes, they do
but I meant the actual sticker on the keycap (very silly requirement, I know)
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.
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.
Also it's officially certified to run Qubes OS.
What am I missing here..?
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.
But if you don't need to run LLM's these will be fine.
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.
and also ships with nvidia gpu
I might have found a new laptop…
but I meant the actual sticker on the keycap (very silly requirement, I know)