I think it's awesome that other companies have seen the success that the Framework Laptop has achieved and want in on it. It's a huge step forward for consumers.
Nah, its a myth, everyone just copies apple and consumers are powerless - companies like this and framework are just illusions to make you think you have a choice when in reality you are forced to buy frome shitty name brands. (I wrote this as a satire, but rereading it I realize this is literally what people actually believe. I don't even know where to go from here)
It's a shame they don't have any AMD options. Otherwise, I really like what they are doing, and after buying conventional laptops, I am really looking forward to get one in the future that is actually repairable.
@TheLinuxEXP That's the reason I canceled my order from System76 twice. They have very good laptops, but they're not for me; the Bonobo lacks a 16 : 10 screen and the Oryx Pro is stuck with a terribly valued RTX 4070 at best with a 1920 x 1200, a waste for modern GPUs. The Framework Laptop 16 looks like the best option for me; unfortunately, it's still going to be a wait for the Framework Laptop 16, and no word on Nvidia support (Blender and DaVinci Resolve essentially require Nvidia GPUs) and it likely will be power limited as it uses USB-C PD 3.1.
@@cameronbosch1213 > Blender essentially requires Nvidia GPUs That's hopefully turning around, Blender 3.6 came out with hardware accelerated ray-tracing for AMD on windows, so later versions should recieve hardware raytracing for linux, too Obviously tho this only reduced the gap, Nvidia is still on top of RT until AMD gets competitive, so one can only hope
@@mavfan1Because companies often design their hardware in a way that it IS "repairable" but doing so is comically overcomplicated r risky. That way, they can claim they make something repairable while scaring people off with lengthy/risky processes that void their warranty
I just ordered a Framework 13 last week, I can't wait for it to come in. It's actually a downgrade from my current laptop, but I need a small laptop with a long battery life for college and I love that it's something that I could continue to upgrade for years to come.
I got my Framework at the end of 2021, and love it (actually bought 2). I considered it a "downgrade" at the time because of the smaller screen, but got over that very quickly -- it's awesome, there's no other laptop that comes close to tempting me away. Been running MXLinux since day one. And now I put in my preorder for the AMD upgrade board -- a "new" laptop for $500 upgrade? Yes please!
Like my predeseccors yes the batterie is not that good. it is ok and better then my surface 7 (which framework replaced) also the speaker are not that great. But the rest is great. Framework will also have the option with a bigger batterie, which i really concider to buy in some months to have a better batterie lifetime. Also i didn't got the fingerprint sensor working on KUbuntu 20.04. I think every laptop has some problems and some bad things but at framework you can replace this hardware if they sell an upgrade or you can make the upgrade on your own
I’m glad that they sent a high end model without nvidia gpu. It is surprisingly hard to find high end cpu and integrated gpu combination in stock, which is very beneficial configuration for many programmers
The list of such companies which focus more on repairability or sustainability or linux keeps on increasing. There's System 76, Framework, Starlabs, purism, Tuxedo, Slimbook & now Novacustom.
It's cool to focus on customization but they only have 16:9 aspect ratio displays, even on some models that are physically 16:10, which looks a bit weird with the huge empty space at the bottom of the display assembly
Exactly! What is the point of custmization if you don't offer 16:10 or 4:3 screens. It's a shame, because all the competition is now on 16:10. It's the only thing keeping me from being a Nova customer.
Framework 16 pre-sales just opened. I've been following their progress for a while and, given the flexibility of my budget and attractive features like exchangeable ports, , they will probably get my purchase. Still, it was nice to have this video to make comparisons with some viable alternatives that I wasn't aware of before. Thanks Nick!
I like the power button on the side as that means I don't have to open up the laptop if I want to use it with my desktop monitor and keyboard and mouse. I would however rather see that the power on button would not be a simple push button, but push and slide (like on angle grinders for example) preventing accidental turn on/off.
I don't care about the energy but overall the rest sounds amazing. They are not cheap products, but the experience as a whole doesn't sound cheap either which is a great thing to say. Hope they do well!
I don't often follow the channel and I have been lucky enough to tune in the day you bring up novacustom. I bought a NS51MU from them over 2 years ago, and I've gotta say, Wessel is the man! I unfortunately have had to use the warranty (in multiple occasions) due to batteries being swollen, and they took care of the issue in a way which totally exceeded my wildest expectations. I landed on them because I found the exact laptop I wanted by Clevo and I checked all resellers in EU. I'll just say that if I could buy groceries from them, I would. 20 stars out of 5.
Never heard of this company. I've been mulling over a Framework for over a year now but the last I checked I still can't get it with a Spanish keyboard. Also, I don't know if the Framework devices are available with Coreboot, which I would totally prefer. I am someone who wants total repairability home-based replaceability and that's what got me interested in Framework in the first place. Also want a laptop with hardware that works perfectly with Linux (be it Mint, Arch, or Fedora). Guess I'll mosey on over and take a look at NovaCustom. Thanks for the video, Nick!
From what I've seen, there is no core boot available for framework and the Spanish keyboard should be coming with the 16-in and it should also be available on the 13 after that launches
On many distros, you can very easily set your power button to not shut down your PC and instead ask what to do, do nothing, etc. It doesn't excuse the poor design, but I think it's an helpful mitigation option if the laptop does interest you but fat fingering is a concern.
I have the NV40 Series myself which has the power button at the right side as well, just like this NS51 Series. I must say I have never accidentally pressed the power button ... 😀
Highly considering Nova Custom for my new laptop. They share many good things with System76 and Framework, while also shipping to India! Their focus on sustainability and the thing about running on renewable energy only increases my trust in them, which makes me willing to pay the premium. Thanks for the great review!
The 14 and 15-inch HP Elitebooks are very repairable and durable. I've had a 14-inch HP Elitebook with a first gen Ryzen APU for over 4 years now. I've dropped it onto concrete from over a meter up three times, still works. I've upgraded the RAM and Wifi card, and I've replaced the cooling fan and battery. The Cooling fan started making a noise after 2 years and the Battery had a bad cell after 3.5 years.
Here's something about laptop speakers on Linux: For many portable devices, such as laptops, phones and tablets, manufacturers install software that does digital audio processing to tune the speakers and make them sound better than they are. On my laptops (that came with Windows), I've noticed a significant difference in speaker quality and loudness between Windows and Linux, or on Windows before installing the proper audio drivers. On Linux, this can be fixed by installing some software called "EasyEffects" for Pipewire or "PulseEffects" for pulseaudio. If you play around with the knobs and dials in that program, you can make your speakers sound way better. I'm guessing that NovaCustom and some other Linux-first manufacturers didn't do any speaker tuning on their devices, so this could really improve them if you make the right adjustments for your device.
@@novacustom Thank you for listening to my feedback! Just keep in mind that the software I mentioned used to have some bugs that could cause audio problems or crashes. It seems to be pretty stable nowadays (at least EasyEffects is), but you should test it to be sure.
I am rocking a framwork 13 with Manjaro for 2 years. Love it. Because of a faulty Anker usb cable (I later realized because the same cable harmed another device) I fried the motherboard and they sent me a new motherboard free of charge. I replaced it in 20 mins and was back to business.
Thanks Nick, I dunno when I upgrade my laptops but I like having similar-ish options to Framework, especially if these are close to Germany due to shipping and imports.
I think that the pricing on Linux laptops is higher because they're more niche products so they can easily charge more since the users are more likely to pay a premium for that
I swear, this algorithm tracks me everywhere. I have been looking for Framework, and now look what- Oh wait, this came up 20 minutes ago. :o Thanks for the video, Nick! 😊
I very much prefer the power button to be on the side like it is done here or how Lenovo does it. I think the way HP or Dell or Razer or others make the power button part of the keyboard as just another key and sometimes even move the delete key is just HORRIBLE. The power button does not belong on the keyboard.
Oooo, my next laptop is almost certainly going to be a coreboot one. I hope they can get an option with both thin bezels and dedicated graphics by then. I also hope someone will start selling consumer (modern) motherboards with coreboot at some point, though of course there's just that one that dasharo worked on I think, and that's both not that new and probably pretty rare.
I'd like to see an Apple representative see the $5 difference between 4 and 8 GB of RAM and run away screaming in shock and terror. Back on topic, this is pretty neat! Didn't knew about NovaCustom! Though to be frank, I do like Framework more. Too bad they don't ship in Romania. But the current generation of CPUs (both Intel and AMD) cannot properly support 4 sticks of DDR5 RAM anyway, so I guess I'll have to wait anyway. Also, kudos to them for still having DVD options! It is a niche nowadays, but it's still nice to have.
Great review as always. I really like this channel. Small detail though: Framework does officially support Ubuntu and Fedora. I'd love this channel to do a full review of the Framework btw
This is really awesome, actually. I understand the pricing (because how much the company actually buys in bulk vs their warranty and serviceability) but I'm an AMD fanboi. Don't get me wrong, the open source Nvidia drivers are okay, but the ability to play steam games (even at low res, low fps) is just one those things. All in all it's a great choice though! Awesome of them to provide this as an option and also an awesome video! Thank you Linux Experiment and thank you Nova Custom!!!
I'm glad to see companies making dedicated laptops / desktops for Linux operating systems. And I'm not sure if this is all happening because of windows screwing up their operating system now, but for the past 3 months I have completely jumped ship and ran Debian 12 on bleeding edge prior to its release. KDE has come a long way with their Plasma desktop, and I actually prefer it now compared to Gnome, and KDE connect helps a lot when I'm transferring stuff to and from my laptop, and also when copying and pasting between my phone and laptop, or even when playing media, or whatever the case may be. I just can't use windows anymore, it's honestly more frustrating than before, and I thought 10 was a disaster already. Glad Linux is receiving the love it deserves
This looks like customized ODM white-label notebooks. Meaning this is very different from Framework who actually designed something new. There is certainly a place for System76, SlimBook, Tuxedo, and these guys but as with all customized and rebranded white-label devices I desire more transparency regarding what the ODM (Clevo, TongFang, etc.) calls the model they start from.
Are schematics only provided to owners of the laptop? I can't find them anywhere online. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't provide them-Framework is the only mainstream laptop company that I know of that provides them, and even they only give schematics to repair businesses-but 8:33 says that they do.
This video could not have possibly come at a better time when I am already in the market for, and idly paying attention to what is available, a new laptop, and I am already impressed by what I see. 8) I echo the sentiment of some others here that it's a shame they don't have any AMD options, but the fact that they offer ANSI keyboards whereas Tuxedo does not, I think I am SOLD.
I'm not currently in the market for a new laptop, since my current "fleet" meets all my needs and wants. Once I need a new one though, these guys will definitely be on my radar.
I just clicked through their configurator. The SSD and memory upgrades are more than reasonable; going from 4 to 16 GB of RAM costs about 40€, going from 250 GB to 500 GB SSD costs 3€. That sounds like they just charge the costs 1:1 without any "upgrade tax".
it's a shame about the price. its virtually impossible to get a new laptop with dvdrw these days. many have the space, but it's just not populated, or has filler plastic. it's just hard to justify more than double the cost. appriciate the concept though.
So framework does officially support linux. They just dont ship a laptop with linux pre-installed. They have install guides and steps official for Ubuntu, Fedor, and Mint with community guids for a lot of other distros. It may not have been the intent to insinuate that Framework lacked offical support for linux but thats how it came across to me. Frameworks wins hands down on repairability for not just offering schematics and parts but also wiring diagrams where possible (so no internal schematics for IP thats not thiers). I like the option that Nova is providing with pre-configuring coreboot and linux before the laptop arrives. But Framework's screen and aspect ratio along with the modularity and repairability is what swung me over that way.
btw if you’d like a repairable, though not exactly customisable laptop from someone more mainstream, look at HP’s offering, they offer walkthrough videos and a parts store for most of their models, since quite recently
Hi! I'm loving your channel, thanks so much. Feels honest and straightforward! I have a question. Towards the end of this video you mention novacustom is maybe overpriced. From your perspective, if I want solid "just works" Linux support plus a lot of the upgradability and good company ethos, what are better value from money alternatives?
at 7:35 - am I to understand that opening the laptop means the bottom of the screen LIFTS the laptop? It touches the table it is on? That seems rather bizarre.
Hey Nick, one question, you constantly pointed that it came with Linux Mint 21 which is a old distro, lets say i bought one without operating system and decided to install a distro myself, does the distro comes with a special configuration by NovaCustom, or do they use clean pure install of a distro without any additional configurations. I am asking this because if i install lets say a distro they dont display on their website, or a newer linux mint distro, will it have incompatibility.
This review is amazing, in regards to what you said about the speakers, are there any laptop models that have amazing audio quality output via internal speakers like Mac Books ? Perhaps a review on specific aspects of laptops like audio quality would be a nice.
these are really cool. I just preordered a framework 13 as honestly its exactly what I needed. I'm trying to get AWAY from the laptop-as-a-workstation trap. Having a high-quality small thin-and-light with AMD iGPU and power efficiency that I can upgrade for the foreseeable future is perfect. I would probably go for something like this with nvidia over the framework 16 if I needed a big boy though.
Can you make a video on cheaper alternatives for a repairable/upgradable laptop. Something upgradable under $500 would be great. The only option i can seem to find would be to get a used framework.
We need more 16 : 10 laptops. The Tuxedo Stellaris 16 unfortunately isn't for me as I can't seem to get an ANSI keyboard layout, even if I pay for it... That is enough of a deal breaker for me unfortunately as ISO layouts are really annoying for me to use... And System76 doesn't have any laptops that meet my standards either... I'm still waiting on the Framework Laptop 16...
@MH_VOID More viewable screen space in often a similar size to existing 16 : 9 laptops but without the chin / bottom bezel. It's much better for productivity and while videos that are 16 : 9 will have black bars at the top and bottom, I'll gladly take that over having unusable screen bezels around them.
Hello, Could you add some information about the fan noise/thermal gestion? It's really important for me a lot of computer make a lot of noise because of boost of cpu that goes imediatly to more then 70°. For exemple tuxedo pulse is really noisy with no fan Control (so default bios fan setting). Thank's
Now that you ask... I currently work an 8-hour day, and the majority of it is spent watching videos. While I can watch UA-cam, I do choose to spend some time with Azure training vids, just to increase my own skillset. The reason is that the department I work in, is being sold off, and at this point, I get no calls, and only a handful of deletion tickets via email per week. Given that, coming to work here would probably not be a good thing. 🤣 I probably have until the end of the month before they let me go. Hopefully, I'll have found a new job by then.
I am sorry but I strongly doubt that these vendors have decent casing quality compared to Dell XPS line (has ubuntu preinstalled), Thinkpad Carbon X1 (same). Of course I didn't check (these models in video) in person, had no opportunity.
9:27 This is a problem I face with Linux Mint. No matter what, Mint's refresh rate tops at 60Hz, I even tried updating the kernel to a more recent version but it stays the same. I run Mint on a 75Hz monitor btw, if anyone knows how to get this sorted, please let me know. And great video, always nice to have brands that are consumer-focused.
I’m pretty sure they are obligated to take back returns under EU consumer law. These are BTO but not from the ground-up, the parts can easily be repurposed.
here is why its nor for me, first the price... ok now the operational/usage reasons: Since this laptop is not a standard, that is, standard in the industry (such as PCIE slots) it would mean when I upgrade the mainboard for $1,000, I would have the old mainboard sitting around that I cant use in anything else. I cant upgrade an older laptop with it. Before anyone says if I buy new laptop I cant upgrade only one anyways, true, but I will have 2 working laptops, with framework, I have the framework laptop with new mainboard, the old laptop, and the old mainboard. it becomes useless, unless I build another framework laptop, but the cost to make another framework laptop from old board, plus the initial cost of original framework laptop + the new board is just insane... There is a reason this laptop is not the #1 selling and the #1 popular, its gimick for tech nerds who think they know better
framework.system 76 are almost perfect laptops for me, just a bit out of my price range right now. would like them to come into the 1500 range not the 2500 range :P
A reasonable model is EU$2,200, thats AU$3,600; even with the 'modularity' that is still *way above* other things on the market ... great review though.
Ahh… and the same mistake that Framework made: no option for Trackpoint. And I feel like ThinkPad users are a big group of potential customers. No AMD option, and no 16:10 option also hurts.
@@novacustom reply from this unexpected side, I see. Plus, I'm impressed you guys are valuing Indian and other smaller countries as important markets, which I really appreciate. Thanks for importing it in India. As long as I can afford them, I'll try to get my hands on your products. I would love the Ryzen version soon from you guys.
Really like what the company is doing but their laptops aren't for me. Maybe if they release one that is all aluminum, has a 16:10 screen, and has a haptic touchpad, I will buy it.
Head to squarespace.com/thelinuxexperiment to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code thelinuxexperiment
I must have this!!!!!
I think it's awesome that other companies have seen the success that the Framework Laptop has achieved and want in on it. It's a huge step forward for consumers.
Nah, its a myth, everyone just copies apple and consumers are powerless - companies like this and framework are just illusions to make you think you have a choice when in reality you are forced to buy frome shitty name brands.
(I wrote this as a satire, but rereading it I realize this is literally what people actually believe. I don't even know where to go from here)
And banks😒
Novacustom is older than Framework.
@@peterboil4064 I guess it's the other way around then?
I think it'd be really cool if System 76 built Framework laptops and modules
That would be such a power move, like "yeah the ecosystem is open, what are you gonna do about it"
@@ouiVEVOi’d suspect framework would love it. that is the purpose of the open ecosystem.
@@ouiVEVOthey want other companies to make those modules. That's the whole point of open ecosystem
@@ouiVEVO Nothing, because framework provided the schematics necessary to make your own modules if you wanted to :)
They don't care.
Based on System 76's track record, I wouldn't buy a module designed by them...
It's a shame they don't have any AMD options. Otherwise, I really like what they are doing, and after buying conventional laptops, I am really looking forward to get one in the future that is actually repairable.
Yeah, AMD and 16:10 would be cool!
@TheLinuxEXP That's the reason I canceled my order from System76 twice. They have very good laptops, but they're not for me; the Bonobo lacks a 16 : 10 screen and the Oryx Pro is stuck with a terribly valued RTX 4070 at best with a 1920 x 1200, a waste for modern GPUs.
The Framework Laptop 16 looks like the best option for me; unfortunately, it's still going to be a wait for the Framework Laptop 16, and no word on Nvidia support (Blender and DaVinci Resolve essentially require Nvidia GPUs) and it likely will be power limited as it uses USB-C PD 3.1.
if something is "actually repairable" is that different than simply being repairable? If not why use the worthless word "actually"?
@@cameronbosch1213 > Blender essentially requires Nvidia GPUs
That's hopefully turning around, Blender 3.6 came out with hardware accelerated ray-tracing for AMD on windows, so later versions should recieve hardware raytracing for linux, too
Obviously tho this only reduced the gap, Nvidia is still on top of RT until AMD gets competitive, so one can only hope
@@mavfan1Because companies often design their hardware in a way that it IS "repairable" but doing so is comically overcomplicated r risky. That way, they can claim they make something repairable while scaring people off with lengthy/risky processes that void their warranty
I just ordered a Framework 13 last week, I can't wait for it to come in. It's actually a downgrade from my current laptop, but I need a small laptop with a long battery life for college and I love that it's something that I could continue to upgrade for years to come.
I have a framework 13 and I love it but let me tell you the battery laptop is not it
@@croxymoc3254i mean it depends, compared to older laptops or gaming laptops the Framework Laptop can run a marathon :D
the frameworks battery life isn't good iirc. it's the reason I bought an Asus laptop instead of a framework
I got my Framework at the end of 2021, and love it (actually bought 2). I considered it a "downgrade" at the time because of the smaller screen, but got over that very quickly -- it's awesome, there's no other laptop that comes close to tempting me away. Been running MXLinux since day one. And now I put in my preorder for the AMD upgrade board -- a "new" laptop for $500 upgrade? Yes please!
Like my predeseccors yes the batterie is not that good. it is ok and better then my surface 7 (which framework replaced) also the speaker are not that great. But the rest is great. Framework will also have the option with a bigger batterie, which i really concider to buy in some months to have a better batterie lifetime.
Also i didn't got the fingerprint sensor working on KUbuntu 20.04.
I think every laptop has some problems and some bad things but at framework you can replace this hardware if they sell an upgrade or you can make the upgrade on your own
I’m glad that they sent a high end model without nvidia gpu. It is surprisingly hard to find high end cpu and integrated gpu combination in stock, which is very beneficial configuration for many programmers
exactly
i love amd
A very honest review. Way better than most UA-cam channels.
Thank you!
LMAO! When I saw you typing in 'TempleOS' in their configurator, I was glad I wasn't drinking anything... ZOMG.
Hahaha woops
The list of such companies which focus more on repairability or sustainability or linux keeps on increasing. There's System 76, Framework, Starlabs, purism, Tuxedo, Slimbook & now Novacustom.
Wow I only knew about Framework!!! Thanks!!
It's cool to focus on customization but they only have 16:9 aspect ratio displays, even on some models that are physically 16:10, which looks a bit weird with the huge empty space at the bottom of the display assembly
Yeah, 16:10 would be cool to see!
why does youtube think that 16:9 is not timestamp but 16:10 is?
@@RandomGeometryDashStuff I think the timestamp would be 16:09
Exactly! What is the point of custmization if you don't offer 16:10 or 4:3 screens. It's a shame, because all the competition is now on 16:10. It's the only thing keeping me from being a Nova customer.
@@RandomGeometryDashStuffthe timestamp needs 2 numbers behind the :, that means:09
Framework 16 pre-sales just opened. I've been following their progress for a while and, given the flexibility of my budget and attractive features like exchangeable ports, , they will probably get my purchase. Still, it was nice to have this video to make comparisons with some viable alternatives that I wasn't aware of before. Thanks Nick!
I’ll reach out to them to see if I could get a review unit
What happened about it.@@TheLinuxEXP
I like the power button on the side as that means I don't have to open up the laptop if I want to use it with my desktop monitor and keyboard and mouse.
I would however rather see that the power on button would not be a simple push button, but push and slide (like on angle grinders for example) preventing accidental turn on/off.
Another laptop I can not afford 😢. Although it is really cool to see more and more manufactures that take repairability seriously.
I don't care about the energy but overall the rest sounds amazing. They are not cheap products, but the experience as a whole doesn't sound cheap either which is a great thing to say. Hope they do well!
I don't often follow the channel and I have been lucky enough to tune in the day you bring up novacustom. I bought a NS51MU from them over 2 years ago, and I've gotta say, Wessel is the man! I unfortunately have had to use the warranty (in multiple occasions) due to batteries being swollen, and they took care of the issue in a way which totally exceeded my wildest expectations. I landed on them because I found the exact laptop I wanted by Clevo and I checked all resellers in EU. I'll just say that if I could buy groceries from them, I would. 20 stars out of 5.
Never heard of this company. I've been mulling over a Framework for over a year now but the last I checked I still can't get it with a Spanish keyboard. Also, I don't know if the Framework devices are available with Coreboot, which I would totally prefer. I am someone who wants total repairability home-based replaceability and that's what got me interested in Framework in the first place. Also want a laptop with hardware that works perfectly with Linux (be it Mint, Arch, or Fedora). Guess I'll mosey on over and take a look at NovaCustom. Thanks for the video, Nick!
From what I've seen, there is no core boot available for framework and the Spanish keyboard should be coming with the 16-in and it should also be available on the 13 after that launches
Only the Chromebook Framework Laptops come with it. I don't know if it will work on any other version...
USB 2 is needed for stability when flashing Android phones via fastboot and doing similar things
On many distros, you can very easily set your power button to not shut down your PC and instead ask what to do, do nothing, etc. It doesn't excuse the poor design, but I think it's an helpful mitigation option if the laptop does interest you but fat fingering is a concern.
I have the NV40 Series myself which has the power button at the right side as well, just like this NS51 Series. I must say I have never accidentally pressed the power button ... 😀
Can't wait for my FW13 to come in. I bought the AMD version. Currently setting up a VM of NixOS so I can migrate the config files upon installation.
i didn't think of doing that, thanks
I was planning to switch to nixos but didn't want to commit to not having my laptop
Highly considering Nova Custom for my new laptop. They share many good things with System76 and Framework, while also shipping to India! Their focus on sustainability and the thing about running on renewable energy only increases my trust in them, which makes me willing to pay the premium. Thanks for the great review!
The 14 and 15-inch HP Elitebooks are very repairable and durable. I've had a 14-inch HP Elitebook with a first gen Ryzen APU for over 4 years now. I've dropped it onto concrete from over a meter up three times, still works. I've upgraded the RAM and Wifi card, and I've replaced the cooling fan and battery. The Cooling fan started making a noise after 2 years and the Battery had a bad cell after 3.5 years.
I am just happy that repairable electronics are still being maintained by these smaller companies when big manufacturers are just ditching them.
Here's something about laptop speakers on Linux:
For many portable devices, such as laptops, phones and tablets, manufacturers install software that does digital audio processing to tune the speakers and make them sound better than they are. On my laptops (that came with Windows), I've noticed a significant difference in speaker quality and loudness between Windows and Linux, or on Windows before installing the proper audio drivers.
On Linux, this can be fixed by installing some software called "EasyEffects" for Pipewire or "PulseEffects" for pulseaudio. If you play around with the knobs and dials in that program, you can make your speakers sound way better. I'm guessing that NovaCustom and some other Linux-first manufacturers didn't do any speaker tuning on their devices, so this could really improve them if you make the right adjustments for your device.
We don't, thanks for the hint. We will save this information for later and check it out!
@@novacustom Thank you for listening to my feedback! Just keep in mind that the software I mentioned used to have some bugs that could cause audio problems or crashes. It seems to be pretty stable nowadays (at least EasyEffects is), but you should test it to be sure.
I am rocking a framwork 13 with Manjaro for 2 years. Love it. Because of a faulty Anker usb cable (I later realized because the same cable harmed another device) I fried the motherboard and they sent me a new motherboard free of charge. I replaced it in 20 mins and was back to business.
Frameworks 16inch laptop is a game changer with the module GPU module. Can't wait to see the price of laptop some point this year
Yeah me too!
Until it comes out, I don't see any other laptop that meets my needs that isn't a Windows laptop...
Thanks Nick, I dunno when I upgrade my laptops but I like having similar-ish options to Framework, especially if these are close to Germany due to shipping and imports.
Cool. Always good to see more competition to Star Labs, System 76, Framework, etc to keep everybody sharp. I like this segment of the market
14:55 *cheap* is the only factor missing from linux laptops compared to windows laptops
I think that the pricing on Linux laptops is higher because they're more niche products so they can easily charge more since the users are more likely to pay a premium for that
I swear, this algorithm tracks me everywhere. I have been looking for Framework, and now look what- Oh wait, this came up 20 minutes ago. :o
Thanks for the video, Nick! 😊
I very much prefer the power button to be on the side like it is done here or how Lenovo does it. I think the way HP or Dell or Razer or others make the power button part of the keyboard as just another key and sometimes even move the delete key is just HORRIBLE. The power button does not belong on the keyboard.
Oooo, my next laptop is almost certainly going to be a coreboot one. I hope they can get an option with both thin bezels and dedicated graphics by then. I also hope someone will start selling consumer (modern) motherboards with coreboot at some point, though of course there's just that one that dasharo worked on I think, and that's both not that new and probably pretty rare.
I'd like to see an Apple representative see the $5 difference between 4 and 8 GB of RAM and run away screaming in shock and terror.
Back on topic, this is pretty neat! Didn't knew about NovaCustom! Though to be frank, I do like Framework more. Too bad they don't ship in Romania. But the current generation of CPUs (both Intel and AMD) cannot properly support 4 sticks of DDR5 RAM anyway, so I guess I'll have to wait anyway.
Also, kudos to them for still having DVD options! It is a niche nowadays, but it's still nice to have.
Great review as always. I really like this channel. Small detail though: Framework does officially support Ubuntu and Fedora. I'd love this channel to do a full review of the Framework btw
I love the IDEA of frramework. The idea of swappable parts and repariability is great- I'd LOVE to see longer lifecycles for computers.
Repair-ability is a must. This is just awesome that they offer all that out of the box.
I'll be waiting for them to ship with AMD. Until then, I'm waiting. But thank you Linux Experiment for introducing this to us all.
>USB 2... why?
Nearly everything USB that I plug into my PC has to use the USB 2.0 ports instead of the 3.0 ports, so that might be why.
This is really awesome, actually. I understand the pricing (because how much the company actually buys in bulk vs their warranty and serviceability) but I'm an AMD fanboi. Don't get me wrong, the open source Nvidia drivers are okay, but the ability to play steam games (even at low res, low fps) is just one those things.
All in all it's a great choice though! Awesome of them to provide this as an option and also an awesome video!
Thank you Linux Experiment and thank you Nova Custom!!!
AMD is coming back to options, just dellivery is a problem now. Same with Lenovo Z-serie Gen2 is deleted.
I'm glad to see companies making dedicated laptops / desktops for Linux operating systems. And I'm not sure if this is all happening because of windows screwing up their operating system now, but for the past 3 months I have completely jumped ship and ran Debian 12 on bleeding edge prior to its release. KDE has come a long way with their Plasma desktop, and I actually prefer it now compared to Gnome, and KDE connect helps a lot when I'm transferring stuff to and from my laptop, and also when copying and pasting between my phone and laptop, or even when playing media, or whatever the case may be. I just can't use windows anymore, it's honestly more frustrating than before, and I thought 10 was a disaster already. Glad Linux is receiving the love it deserves
This looks like customized ODM white-label notebooks. Meaning this is very different from Framework who actually designed something new. There is certainly a place for System76, SlimBook, Tuxedo, and these guys but as with all customized and rebranded white-label devices I desire more transparency regarding what the ODM (Clevo, TongFang, etc.) calls the model they start from.
You have all that data in the service manuals they give you :)
@@TheLinuxEXP Awesome
Are schematics only provided to owners of the laptop? I can't find them anywhere online. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't provide them-Framework is the only mainstream laptop company that I know of that provides them, and even they only give schematics to repair businesses-but 8:33 says that they do.
Thanks for the video; I'm glad to know about these guys now. I could easy see myself buying my next laptop from them.
This video could not have possibly come at a better time when I am already in the market for, and idly paying attention to what is available, a new laptop, and I am already impressed by what I see. 8) I echo the sentiment of some others here that it's a shame they don't have any AMD options, but the fact that they offer ANSI keyboards whereas Tuxedo does not, I think I am SOLD.
I didn’t know about them, but it’s pretty cool! Great to see good options and competition :)
This is just mindblowing that such manufacters exist.
How about a sub 13.5 in, with minimal bezels, in line with the XPS, something like the offering from GPD but not that small?
That this open with one hand-thing is for accessibility I didn't know. Learned a new thing 😊
I'm not currently in the market for a new laptop, since my current "fleet" meets all my needs and wants.
Once I need a new one though, these guys will definitely be on my radar.
I really want to see them ship one with TempleOS!
4:10 maaan that hidden joke about Temple OS.. I was laughing so hard! Thanks for such a gem! 😂
I have always considered the ability to upgrade or to repair or customize a computer to be the most important characteristics of any type of computer.
I just clicked through their configurator. The SSD and memory upgrades are more than reasonable; going from 4 to 16 GB of RAM costs about 40€, going from 250 GB to 500 GB SSD costs 3€. That sounds like they just charge the costs 1:1 without any "upgrade tax".
it's a shame about the price. its virtually impossible to get a new laptop with dvdrw these days. many have the space, but it's just not populated, or has filler plastic. it's just hard to justify more than double the cost. appriciate the concept though.
Looks good and cheap enough for the options you can configure
So framework does officially support linux. They just dont ship a laptop with linux pre-installed. They have install guides and steps official for Ubuntu, Fedor, and Mint with community guids for a lot of other distros.
It may not have been the intent to insinuate that Framework lacked offical support for linux but thats how it came across to me.
Frameworks wins hands down on repairability for not just offering schematics and parts but also wiring diagrams where possible (so no internal schematics for IP thats not thiers).
I like the option that Nova is providing with pre-configuring coreboot and linux before the laptop arrives. But Framework's screen and aspect ratio along with the modularity and repairability is what swung me over that way.
btw if you’d like a repairable, though not exactly customisable laptop from someone more mainstream, look at HP’s offering, they offer walkthrough videos and a parts store for most of their models, since quite recently
HP whitelists only certain Wi-Fi cards in their UEFI. Not great.
Hi! I'm loving your channel, thanks so much. Feels honest and straightforward! I have a question. Towards the end of this video you mention novacustom is maybe overpriced. From your perspective, if I want solid "just works" Linux support plus a lot of the upgradability and good company ethos, what are better value from money alternatives?
at 7:35 - am I to understand that opening the laptop means the bottom of the screen LIFTS the laptop? It touches the table it is on? That seems rather bizarre.
Another great video. Thank you. What's the fullscreen music app you used for the speaker test?
Hey Nick, one question, you constantly pointed that it came with Linux Mint 21 which is a old distro, lets say i bought one without operating system and decided to install a distro myself, does the distro comes with a special configuration by NovaCustom, or do they use clean pure install of a distro without any additional configurations. I am asking this because if i install lets say a distro they dont display on their website, or a newer linux mint distro, will it have incompatibility.
This review is amazing, in regards to what you said about the speakers,
are there any laptop models that have amazing audio quality output via internal speakers like Mac Books ?
Perhaps a review on specific aspects of laptops like audio quality would be a nice.
This is almost perfect for me. Thank you for the video.
Finally, a computer that can ship Temple OS out of the box 🙌.
they really demand 29 euros for disk encryption...
I'm watching this on a Framework 13, I just like your videos 🙃
Nice!
Is that laptop good enough for Minecraft Java with 64 chunks viewing distance? Because that's the only game I would need to run on such a thing.
Framework doesn’t support Portuguese Qwerty. NovaCustom does. Not a hard choice to make
these are really cool. I just preordered a framework 13 as honestly its exactly what I needed. I'm trying to get AWAY from the laptop-as-a-workstation trap. Having a high-quality small thin-and-light with AMD iGPU and power efficiency that I can upgrade for the foreseeable future is perfect. I would probably go for something like this with nvidia over the framework 16 if I needed a big boy though.
Can you make a video on cheaper alternatives for a repairable/upgradable laptop. Something upgradable under $500 would be great. The only option i can seem to find would be to get a used framework.
It's nice to see a brand new laptop with the option of a disc drive, even if I almost never use mine.
I think that was a good ad transition
We need more 16 : 10 laptops. The Tuxedo Stellaris 16 unfortunately isn't for me as I can't seem to get an ANSI keyboard layout, even if I pay for it... That is enough of a deal breaker for me unfortunately as ISO layouts are really annoying for me to use...
And System76 doesn't have any laptops that meet my standards either...
I'm still waiting on the Framework Laptop 16...
what's so nice about them?
@MH_VOID More viewable screen space in often a similar size to existing 16 : 9 laptops but without the chin / bottom bezel. It's much better for productivity and while videos that are 16 : 9 will have black bars at the top and bottom, I'll gladly take that over having unusable screen bezels around them.
Thanks! I didn't know about this company, and it's exactly what I was looking for.
You only use your right index finger when using the keyboard?, why??
I still use optical drives
Do you know if it could support a eGPU?
Hello,
Could you add some information about the fan noise/thermal gestion? It's really important for me a lot of computer make a lot of noise because of boost of cpu that goes imediatly to more then 70°.
For exemple tuxedo pulse is really noisy with no fan Control (so default bios fan setting).
Thank's
Now that you ask... I currently work an 8-hour day, and the majority of it is spent watching videos. While I can watch UA-cam, I do choose to spend some time with Azure training vids, just to increase my own skillset.
The reason is that the department I work in, is being sold off, and at this point, I get no calls, and only a handful of deletion tickets via email per week. Given that, coming to work here would probably not be a good thing. 🤣 I probably have until the end of the month before they let me go. Hopefully, I'll have found a new job by then.
I’m torn between this laptop or the Starlab System’s Starbook
I am sorry but I strongly doubt that these vendors have decent casing quality compared to Dell XPS line (has ubuntu preinstalled), Thinkpad Carbon X1 (same). Of course I didn't check (these models in video) in person, had no opportunity.
Watching on my Dell Latitude E6430 with a more up to date Mint install on it.
This laptop is insane, I love it!
Glad to see an other Dutch company.
Perfect transition 😂👏🏾
"Hi, id like to test your warranty claims, could you please send me a broken laptop?"
9:27 This is a problem I face with Linux Mint. No matter what, Mint's refresh rate tops at 60Hz, I even tried updating the kernel to a more recent version but it stays the same. I run Mint on a 75Hz monitor btw, if anyone knows how to get this sorted, please let me know. And great video, always nice to have brands that are consumer-focused.
Don't use Cinnamon. It uses crusty old XOrg and Linux Mint uses older kernels. I'd just use pretty much any other DE.
With a better screen and sound i might but i would rather get a yoga 9i if they had one like that I'd be in for more money
I’m pretty sure they are obligated to take back returns under EU consumer law. These are BTO but not from the ground-up, the parts can easily be repurposed.
here is why its nor for me, first the price... ok now the operational/usage reasons: Since this laptop is not a standard, that is, standard in the industry (such as PCIE slots) it would mean when I upgrade the mainboard for $1,000, I would have the old mainboard sitting around that I cant use in anything else. I cant upgrade an older laptop with it. Before anyone says if I buy new laptop I cant upgrade only one anyways, true, but I will have 2 working laptops, with framework, I have the framework laptop with new mainboard, the old laptop, and the old mainboard. it becomes useless, unless I build another framework laptop, but the cost to make another framework laptop from old board, plus the initial cost of original framework laptop + the new board is just insane... There is a reason this laptop is not the #1 selling and the #1 popular, its gimick for tech nerds who think they know better
Where's specs customisations?
I need ryzen 7000 series laptop.
Coreboot, libreboot, fastboot might be one big reason to consider this
if only i could buy them easily in southeast asia. i would love a 14 inch option
framework.system 76 are almost perfect laptops for me, just a bit out of my price range right now. would like them to come into the 1500 range not the 2500 range :P
A reasonable model is EU$2,200, thats AU$3,600; even with the 'modularity' that is still *way above* other things on the market ... great review though.
System 76 and novacustom. they are good brands. But framework with the ease of repair and update is second to none.
Louis Rossmann would love that!
Ahh… and the same mistake that Framework made: no option for Trackpoint. And I feel like ThinkPad users are a big group of potential customers.
No AMD option, and no 16:10 option also hurts.
India is just so tax heavy on imports that I'm not surprised they aren't shipping to here
We do ship to India, but with a fee. You can check it during check-out.
@@novacustom reply from this unexpected side, I see. Plus, I'm impressed you guys are valuing Indian and other smaller countries as important markets, which I really appreciate.
Thanks for importing it in India. As long as I can afford them, I'll try to get my hands on your products.
I would love the Ryzen version soon from you guys.
I love that these exist, I just hate how much of a premium you have to pay
Really like what the company is doing but their laptops aren't for me. Maybe if they release one that is all aluminum, has a 16:10 screen, and has a haptic touchpad, I will buy it.