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StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

starlabs.systems

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Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#361

Post by toastal »

edf13 wrote: post #152

I’m the market for a new laptop - considering MacBook Pro m2, but also looking at Linux alts. What’s the suggested options these days?

We running up on the next generation of laptops soon. I got a Lenovo Z13 and it's been pretty good. The performance is there, having hiDPI without 4K meant I wasn't needlessly wasting power. It offered 32 GB of RAM (with DDR5 making it higher bandwidth). The display upgrade covers 100% DCI-P3 for color work with decent accuracy out of the box. The integration with fwupd has been awesome—something I had yet to experience in the couple of laptops I ran through.

My biggest gripe: I wish it came with 1 USB-A (maybe a micro SD slot).

Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#362

Post by pmontra »

sounds wrote: post #313
darrenf wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regarding user serviceability, for the Starbook (which I own) they have a complete pictorial disassembly guide: https://support.starlabs.systems/kb/guides/starbook-mk-v-com... I’d expect the same tbh.

This new laptop has soldered-down RAM. It's due to the LPDDR5 which is only electrically able to reach 6400MT/s if the memory socket is skipped, so no blame for it. Just be aware.

Thank you, so it's on my no buy list now. Too bad.

I elaborate: a faulty RAM chip happens. If it's socketed I buy a new chip and replace it. It might take a few days, about 100 Euros, problem solved. With soldered RAM I'm expecting to have to either buy a new motherboard from a company that by the time might even don't exist anymore or find some repair center able to dissolder the faulty chip and solder the new one. Time and cost are much worse.

I would think about it if this was HP, with on site next business day support, but they are not. And even with HP, what happens after support is over, which is typically three cheap years plus increasingly costly extensions? Last time I checked I got a quote for (I think) some 400 euro for a keyboard replacement. I bought a keyboard myself and replaced it. This brings us to the availability of spare parts, which might be a risk for this brand.

All considered this is not a laptop I can use to make money with.

Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#363

Post by ajb »

hajile wrote: post #323
ajb wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The actual ram internally doesn't clock that fast, and many in fact run at the same rate as in the ddr4 days. The interface tackes the high rate down to a much lower rate but with more data flowing in parallel. But the ratio is locked, so if you overclock, the ram rate has to go up too, which is most likely what makes it unstable. So the upshot is that if this 6400Mhz device is not overclocked, it shouldn't be unstab…

It's far worse than you make it out to be. Max internal clocks on DDR4/5 are about 400MHz. There's a fundamental limit (rapidly diminishing return) to how fast you can drain and charge capacitors. They try to make up for it by reading/sending entire row(s) at one time and sending quickly over the wire, but that's clearly reliant on cache line optimization of the program and doesn't do much to improve real-world laten…

This is correct. I don't see how you think I was "making it out" to be better- nothing you added is inconsistent with what I wrote.

Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#364

Post by ziml77 »

lucb1e wrote: post #122
wtallis wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Those that offer tap water (that's most places) will usually (not always) charge you the same as a normal water, I don't think I'll be able to make sense of what you're saying until you explain what you mean by "normal water". Are you referring to branded bottled water?

Ah, sorry yes, that was bad phrasing on my part. By normal I meant what was on the menu (water that is branded, bottled, shipped, sometimes stolen) instead of my out-of-the-ordinary request (tap water), but calling that the 'normal' is of course a culture-specific way of thinking, and a cultural feature I do not like.

In these places where bottled water is the norm, do you have to specify what brand you want? Like if they ask what you want to drink and you answer "I'll just have water", is that an incomplete response?

Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#365

Post by teddyh »

brookst wrote: post #291
mihaaly wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They seem to be real entrepreneurs running the thing from a farm in rural settings [1] where the director lives (same personal address declared). If I read it right they are in ca. 400k debt so far, working it down slowly. I am wishing them quick success as their product looks great. Perhaps if I will be patient enough waiting 5 month for delivery after payment and will not worry about if warranty (or even shipment)…

“Sugar the honey” is a great turn of phrase and new to me. Thank you!

See also “gild the lily”.

Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#366

Post by prmoustache »

Klonoar wrote: post #341
prmoustache wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Apple’s laptop hardware still seems to be the gold standard to me. I have 10 year old laptops that still work great. Last time I looked at second hand laptops. Most of those the +5y old macbooks in the market had huge issues / defects (and also looked like shit) while you could find a lot of decent refurbished thinkpads and HP elitebook from the same era with no advertized defects (and those I bought didn't have an…

Many would agree that the middle years between 2015-2020 were not gold standard. It’s laughable to suggest Apple didn’t win the title back with the advent of the M1.

In term of perf/watts ratio yes. In term or reliability the jury is still out.

Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#367

Post by aae42 »

ktosobcy wrote: post #234
ahoya wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have their latest starbook, just arrived a couple months ago and it is stellar. Covid delayed it almost a whole year, but in that time they upgraded frob adwertised 11th gen intel to 12th gen for free, quadrupling cores. It runs extremeley well with latest coreboot and everything. I considered canceling my pre-order because of the long delay, but Support was extremely quick and receptive and it turns out the trust…

how does touchpad compare to MBP one?

this is what i want to know, the part you touch looks on point, what i want to know about is the software, there is so much secret sauce in a macbooks giant glass touchpad that actually makes it a reasonable replacement for a mouse

didn't feel that about any touchpad before the macbook, and it's why we loved thinkpad's so much because at least they gave you a nub

Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#369

Post by ahoya »

krimpenrik wrote: post #368

I have a weird feeling these guys are the scammers of slide n joy, the dual screen addition to laptops where they siphoned off money of buys for years, started with a Kickstarter. Really hope these guys get investigated. From Belgium or French they were.

Tteir laptops are great and i own one.

Re: StarFighter 16 inch: 4K Coreboot/Ryzen Linux laptop

#370

Post by coolspot »

Jnr wrote: post #187
coolspot wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To support Linux-friendly hardware? For many people extra $1000 here or there doesn’t matter.

Not sure how exactly 16 inch 4K display is Linux friendly knowing that Xorg and Wayland still has plenty of UI scaling issues. And the fact that they expect you to power it with Pentium N5030 processor is laughable. Why even offer such combination? Also it's funny how on landing page it mentions 165Hz display, but in specs it is only available as an option and not for the 4K display. Not that it would even be able to…

I am running Linux on my Lenovo gaming laptop with 4k display and RTX 3070. I have no issues.
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