A maximum of 8GB vRAM in 2025 is quite limiting. You can only run the smallest large language models on those laptops.
NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
11–20 of 52 posts
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#12I 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.
I think system76 is now designing their own hardware too?
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#13I 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.
I think system76 is now designing their own hardware too?
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.
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#14I’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.
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#15I 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..?
* 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.
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#16A maximum of 8GB vRAM in 2025 is quite limiting. You can only run the smallest large language models on those laptops.
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.
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#17This 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.
> 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.
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#18This really has no bearing to the framework laptop. Great project though!
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#19I 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..?
The problem is Intel Management Engine, which is disabled in NovaCustom.
Re: NovaCustom – Framework Laptop alternative focusing on privacy
#20A maximum of 8GB vRAM in 2025 is quite limiting. You can only run the smallest large language models on those laptops.
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.
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.