In a recent article titled "Ditch Proprietary BIOS/UEFI: Top 3 Open Source Boot Firmware," I covered the best Linux hardware with open-source firmware. One of the standouts was NovaCustom laptops. Recently, I received one of their upcoming coreboot laptops currently in pre-sale—the V56—for review.
Open-source firmware (coreboot) is a major selling point for NovaCustom laptops, but there's so much more to explore. This post focuses on the unboxing and first impressions of the V56. We'll save the deep dive for the full review, where we'll go in-depth as always, Inshallah.
First, I want to extend a big thanks to NovaCustom for sending me this review unit and for the speedy shipping! To clarify, NovaCustom is not sponsoring this post, nor do they have any control over what I say. My goal is to share my honest and unbiased experience with you all. {alertInfo}
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Excellent Packaging
When I received the package, it was evident that customs had already opened and inspected it, as there was tape covering the NovaCustom tape. The outer box was nothing special, but the excitement began as soon as I cut through the tape.
Interestingly, NovaCustom uses three packaging boxes to protect the laptop, unlike most companies that use only two. This extra layer of protection was impressive. The inner box, while not luxurious, was solid and did its job of safeguarding the laptop.
What's Inside?
Inside the box, I found the following items: a silica gel packet (to keep the contents dry), a power cord, a 90-watt power adapter, a microfiber cleaning cloth, a screw, a thermal pad for the second NVMe, a multi-language manual (which we rarely read), and the V56 itself. There were no hardware stickers, which I appreciate since I never stick them on any of my Linux laptops. What about you?
The laptop was encased in white foam and a pink plastic bag, confirming that it was very well packaged.
Modern Design
The laptop felt slightly heavier than my current one, but it is still light for a 16-inch laptop. The silver color of the laptop’s metal lid with the new Linux-Tech&More logo looked fantastic. This is just one of the numerous customization options NovaCustom offers. The bottom case is also made of metal. The laptop is slim, compact, has a metallic look, and is not a fingerprint magnet.
Lifting the lid, I was pleased to see that it passed the one-handed opening test effortlessly. There was a keyboard cover that protected both the keyboard and the display, ensuring no contact between the keys and the screen.
The palm rest is black and laser-engraved with the old Linux-Tech&More logo. It doesn’t feel like metal, but it’s definitely not cheap plastic. What do you think of this combination of a silver lid and a black palm rest?
Keyboard & Touchpad
The keyboard is full-size with a four-column number pad, a feature that many users, like accountants and data scientists, will appreciate. The keys are black with white sides for better backlighting. The SUPER key is also engraved with the Linux-Tech&More logo, adding a personal touch to the laptop.
Additionally, the keyboard comes in my native language, Arabic. They support most languages with the option for a self-made custom keyboard layout.
The touchpad is not spacious but not tiny either. It’s very smooth—this is the smoothest touchpad I’ve ever used. It’s really comfortable to use.
Bright Display
The V56 coreboot laptop features a high-quality 16-inch QHD+ IPS display panel from LG with an aspect ratio of 16:10. It has thin bezels, but the bottom bezel could have been thinner. The display is bright, with vivid colors and sharp images, boasting a refresh rate of 144Hz. I believe I won’t miss the visual experience offered by the InfinityBook Pro 16 display when using this laptop.
A Note on Boot Times
The boot process is somewhat slow because this review unit comes with a test version of Dasharo coreboot. However, a stable version with fast boot times will be available very soon, and it will also allow us to change the boot logo too! Stay tuned for more updates on this, and don’t worry—NovaCustom has made the firmware update process simple and easy, and your device will be shipped with the stable version.
Webcam + Privacy Slider
Above the display, there is a 2.0-megapixel full HD webcam covered with an optional pre-installed slider, offering extra privacy with no need for black tape. Unfortunately, it looks like there are no IR sensors, so no real facial authentication support.
I/O Port Overview
Switching to ports, the right side hosts the DC-in jack, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. Yes, you guessed it right—this is an Intel-powered laptop, a concern that we will discuss later in the review video. On the left side, there is a 2-in-1 audio combo jack, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A powered USB port, a microSD card reader, and a Kensington security slot. On the back side, there is only an HDMI output port and an RJ-45 LAN port, so no need for a LAN adapter. Is there anything more you need?
Conclusion
That’s it for the unboxing and first impressions of the NovaCustom V56 coreboot laptop. Stay tuned for the full review where we’ll dive into performance, battery life, and other aspects in detail. If you have any questions or things you want me to cover in the full review, drop them in the comments below.
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