SilverMetal/docs/hardware-skus.md

# Hardware SKU Recommendations — Coreboot Laptops

> **Snapshot date**: 2026-04-25. Coreboot/Dasharo firmware ships quarterly; vendor stock and policy change. **Re-verify before each procurement batch.**

This document captures the SilverMetal Linux hardware-bundle SKU shortlist for the Phase 1.13 pilot batch (10 preflashed Coreboot-supported laptops) and the recurring SilverMetal hardware product line.

## Conclusions

For a UK-based reseller program shipping a hardened Debian/Kicksecure variant in 2026:

- **Three viable vendors today**: Star Labs (UK), NovaCustom (NL), System76 (US)
- **Framework is not yet shipping factory Coreboot** for non-Chromebook models — AMD openSIL port for Framework 16 is in active development as of Q1 2026 but not shippable. Re-evaluate Q4 2026
- **Purism Librem 14 ruled out** — Comet Lake CPU is 5+ years old in 2026, supply unreliable, vendor financial stability questioned. Could remain a special-order "maximum-libre" option for specific customer requests
- **Intel + neutered ME beats AMD** for the hardened tier today — AMD PSP cannot be cleanly disabled in shipping firmware. Re-evaluate when Star Labs StarFighter AMD or Framework AMD Coreboot ports stabilise (~2027)
- **NovaCustom is the strongest partner overall** — explicit Clevo B2B reseller program, factory-flashed Heads option, UPS to UK without import friction, custom-logo engraving and blank-keyboard options

## Recommended 3-SKU Lineup

### Tier 1 — SilverMetal Lite (Budget)
**Star Labs StarBook Horizon 13.4"** — ~£1,140

- Intel Alder Lake-N i3-N305 (8C/8T, 7W TDP — fanless-class)
- 32 GB LPDDR5 (soldered), 1× M.2 NVMe up to 2TB
- 13.4" 2520×1680 90Hz 3:2 display
- Factory Star Labs Coreboot, **Intel ME disabled (HAP)**, partly-open EC firmware
- TPM 2.0 (dTPM/PTT)
- UK company → same-day domestic shipping, no customs friction
- **No Heads option** — must implement Secure Boot + measured-boot without Heads tamper-evidence (sign our own keys; enrol PK/KEK/db; bind LUKS to PCR 0/2/7)

**Position as**: "travel / secondary device / journalist road-warrior" SKU.

### Tier 2 — SilverMetal Pro (Mainstream)
**NovaCustom V54 14"** with Dasharo coreboot+Heads — ~€1,420 / ~£1,210

- Intel Core Ultra 5/7 125H/155H (Meteor Lake)
- Up to 96 GB DDR5 SODIMM, 2× M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe up to 4TB each
- 14" 1920×1200 or 2880×1800 16:10
- Factory Dasharo Coreboot, **factory-flashed Heads option** (we don't have to flash Heads ourselves)
- Dasharo fork of System76 open EC firmware
- ME optional disable in BIOS (HAP) — *with documented S0ix/suspend caveat*
- Hardware TPM 2.0 — works with our Secure Boot + LUKS PCR-bind plan
- NovaCustom Clevo B2B reseller program: custom-logo engraving, blank-keyboard option
- Free UPS shipping to UK

**This is the flagship SKU.**

### Tier 3 — SilverMetal Workstation (Premium)
**NovaCustom V56 16"** with optional RTX 4060/4070 dGPU — ~€1,460+ / ~£1,250+

- Same firmware story as V54 (Dasharo + factory-flashed Heads)
- Intel Core Ultra 7 155H + optional discrete GPU
- 16" display, dual NVMe + 96 GB RAM ceiling
- Qubes-certified — useful narrative for power users / journalists
- Optional dGPU opens a "local-LLM workstation" angle (relevant to SilverLABS self-hosted-AI positioning)
- Default config should be **iGPU-only** for maximum-libre buyer; offer dGPU as explicit upgrade with disclosure (proprietary GPU firmware in trust story)

## Comparison Matrix

| Criterion | Star Labs Horizon | NovaCustom V54 | NovaCustom V56 | System76 Lemur Pro | Purism Librem 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Coreboot** | Factory (Star Labs distro) | Factory (Dasharo) | Factory (Dasharo) | Factory (firmware-open) | Factory (PureBoot) |
| **Heads option** | No (EDK2 only) | **Yes — factory-flashed** | **Yes — factory-flashed** | No | Yes (PureBoot = Heads) |
| **EC firmware** | Partly open | Open (Dasharo fork of S76 EC) | Open (same) | Open (System76 EC) | Proprietary blob |
| **Intel ME** | Disabled (HAP) | Optional disable (HAP, S0ix caveat) | Same as V54 | Disabled (RPL+ confirmed; MTL inherits) | Disabled + neutered (HAP + me_cleaner) |
| **CPU** | Alder Lake-N i3-N305 (7W) | Core Ultra 125H/155H (Meteor Lake) | Core Ultra 155H + opt. RTX dGPU | Core Ultra 125U/155U | i7-10710U (Comet Lake, 2020) |
| **RAM** | 32 GB LPDDR5 (soldered) | 96 GB DDR5 SODIMM | 96 GB DDR5 SODIMM | 56 GB DDR5 | 64 GB DDR4 |
| **Storage** | 1× NVMe (≤2TB) | 2× NVMe PCIe 4.0 (≤4TB each) | 2× NVMe PCIe 4.0 | 1× NVMe (≤8TB) | 2× NVMe |
| **Display** | 13.4" 2520×1680 90Hz 3:2 | 14" up to 2880×1800 16:10 | 16" up to 2880×1800 16:10 | 14" 1920×1200 16:10 | 14" 1920×1080 |
| **TPM 2.0** | Yes (dTPM/PTT) | Yes (Intel PTT/fTPM + hw TPM available) | Yes | Yes (PTT/fTPM) | Yes (dTPM) |
| **Approx price** | £1,140 / $1,058 | €1,420 / ~£1,210 | €1,460+ / ~£1,250+ | $1,399+ / ~£1,200 + VAT | $1,399+ but supply poor |
| **UK shipping** | UK domestic | Free UPS, no import friction | Free UPS, no import friction | US → UK + ~20% VAT/duty | US → UK, slow |
| **B2B / reseller program** | Contact sales (no published) | **Yes — Clevo reseller; logo engraving; blank keyboards** | Same (V54/V56 share programme) | "No local resellers" (per S76) | None published |
| **Custom OS preinstall** | Yes | Yes (Qubes preinstall offered, BYO-distro normal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| **Currently shipping** | Yes (announced 2026-01-06) | Yes | Yes | Yes (Meteor Lake refresh) | Yes but constrained |

## Vendors Considered and Ruled Out

- **Framework 13 / 16** — AMD openSIL Coreboot port still in development as of March 2026 (per Phoronix, 9elements). Re-evaluate Q4 2026
- **Purism Librem 14** — old CPU, supply unreliable; keep as niche maximum-libre special-order
- **Tuxedo** — Coreboot effort started, stalled; not factory-shipping in 2026
- **MNT Reform** — ARM, niche, unsuitable for mainstream Linux laptop program
- **ThinkPad enthusiast targets (X230, T440p, T480, etc.)** — cannot be sourced reliably at scale; no warranty path; EOL CPUs lack AES-NI/AVX features needed for full-disk-encryption performance

## AMD vs. Intel for the Hardened Tier (2026)

**Intel with neutered ME wins** — for now. Reasons:

1. AMD PSP cannot be cleanly disabled in shipping firmware. No `me_cleaner`/HAP-bit equivalent exists for AMD
2. Coreboot + openSIL on AMD is a research effort, not production
3. Every shipping factory-Coreboot laptop with a credible ME-disable story today is Intel

Re-evaluate when Star Labs StarFighter AMD or Framework AMD Coreboot ports stabilise (likely 2027).

## Operational Cautions

1. **Meteor Lake suspend with ME disabled**: NovaCustom explicitly notes S3/S0ix suspend limitations when ME is disabled. **Test on our Kicksecure base.** Default our SilverMetal image to **hibernate-only** for the privacy SKU and document the trade-off in customer materials
2. **EC firmware is not 100% open anywhere**: All recommended SKUs have either a partly-open or System76-derived EC. **Don't market "fully libre"** — market "hardened, transparent, ME-neutralised"
3. **Heads + LUKS PCR-bind**: Works on NovaCustom V54/V56 with the factory Heads option. Star Labs Horizon does *not* offer Heads — Tier 1 needs Secure Boot + measured-boot without Heads tamper-evidence (our own keys + PCR 0/2/7 binding)
4. **NovaCustom = Clevo reseller**: They sell Clevo chassis with Dasharo flashed on top. **Long-term firmware support depends on Dasharo continuing to fund the variant.** Check Dasharo release notes for V54/V56 quarterly to track active maintenance
5. **UK import for System76/Purism (if ever needed as fallback)**: Expect ~20% VAT + handling on top of headline USD price. NovaCustom and Star Labs avoid this
6. **Custom branding**: NovaCustom advertises laser-engraving the lid and blank-keyboard customisation — we can ship a literal "SilverMetal" engraved chassis without OEM negotiations. Star Labs has no equivalent published programme — engraving would be in-house
7. **Verify before each batch**: Re-fetch NovaCustom V54/V56 BIOS-disable-ME documentation and Dasharo Heads release notes immediately before each procurement order — Dasharo firmware versions change quarterly

## Sources

- [NovaCustom V54 Series](https://novacustom.com/product/v54-series/)
- [NovaCustom V56 Series](https://novacustom.com/product/v56-series/)
- [NovaCustom Dasharo coreboot overview](https://novacustom.com/dasharo-coreboot/)
- [NovaCustom Clevo reseller / B2B page](https://novacustom.com/clevo-reseller-europe/)
- [NovaCustom custom logo / engraving](https://novacustom.com/laptop-with-custom-logo/)
- [Qubes OS — NovaCustom V54/V56 with Heads (May 2025)](https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2025/05/20/qubes-certified-novacustom-v54-v56-now-available-with-heads/)
- [Dasharo Universe — NovaCustom overview](https://docs.dasharo.com/unified/novacustom/overview/)
- [Dasharo Universe — V560TU release notes](https://docs.dasharo.com/variants/novacustom_v560tu/releases/)
- [Phoronix — NovaCustom V54/V56 announcement](https://www.phoronix.com/news/NovaCustom-V54-V56-Laptops)
- [Star Labs StarBook Horizon (UK / GBP)](https://starlabs.systems/pages/starbook-horizon)
- [Star Labs StarBook Horizon specifications](https://us.starlabs.systems/pages/starbook-horizon-specification)
- [9to5Linux — StarBook Horizon launch (Jan 2026)](https://9to5linux.com/starbook-horizon-linux-laptop-now-on-sale-with-32gb-ram-wi-fi-6e-and-coreboot)
- [System76 Lemur Pro](https://system76.com/laptops/lemur-pro)
- [System76 Open Firmware models](https://support.system76.com/articles/open-firmware-systems/)
- [Phoronix — System76 disabling Intel ME on Raptor Lake](https://www.phoronix.com/news/System76-Disable-ME-RPL)
- [Phoronix — Framework 16 Coreboot + AMD openSIL port (Mar 2026)](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Framework-16-Coreboot-openSIL)
- [Framework community thread — Coreboot status](https://community.frame.work/t/responded-coreboot-on-the-framework-laptop/791/540)
- [Purism Librem 14](https://puri.sm/products/librem-14/)
- [Purism — Deep dive into Intel ME disablement (HAP)](https://puri.sm/posts/deep-dive-into-intel-me-disablement/)
- [Nitrokey Heads release v2.6.1 (V54/V56/NV41)](https://github.com/Nitrokey/heads/releases/tag/v2.6.1)
- [TUXEDO — Coreboot status FAQ](https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Infos/Help-Support/Frequently-asked-questions/Coreboot-on-TUXEDO-Computers-devices.tuxedo)
- [coreboot.org distributions list](https://doc.coreboot.org/distributions.html)
- [me_cleaner HAP / AltMeDisable wiki](https://github.com/corna/me_cleaner/wiki/HAP-AltMeDisable-bit)