Linux PC maker Star Labs is taking pre-orders for a new thin, light, and powerful laptop called the StarFighter. Not only does it ship with your choice of Linux distributions pre-installed, but it’s also extraordinarily customizable. You can opt for Intel or AMD processor options. The webcam is detachable. You get a choice of display panels. And you can even design your own custom keyboard layout.
First announced in September, the StarFighter is now up for pre-order for $1509 and up… but you’ll have to wait until early next year to get your hands on the laptop. Orders won’t ship for another four or five months.
The starting price will get you a model with an Intel Core i3-1215U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 240GB SATA SSD, and a 3840 x 2400 pixel display with a 60 Hz refresh rate.
Those processor and storage specs are pretty wimpy for a laptop in this price range. But you can pay extra for up to an Intel Core i9-12900H or AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor, up to a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and up to 64GB of DDR5-6400 memory.
Star Labs also offers a 2560 x 1600 pixel display option that has a 165 Hz refresh rate.
The 3.1 pound notebook features two SODIMM slots and two M.2 2280 slots, so you can also perform some upgrades on your own. And there are two Thunderbolt ports (or USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C on models with an AMD processor), plus HDMI 2.0, USB Type-A, 3.5mm audio, and SD card reader ports.
Instead of building a webcam into the top bezel, Star Labs includes a detachable 2MP/60 Hz camera that snaps magnetically onto the top bezel of the display when you’re using it, but which can be disconnected when you’re not.
There’s even a space in the chassis to store the camera when you’re not using it, making it harder to lose. And since the magnetic connector uses USB, you should be able to upgrade to a better camera or use other accessories in the future.
And in addition to offering German, Spanish, French, Nordic, and English (US and UK) keyboard options, Star Labs lets customers pay an extra $72 to design their own keyboards, which will be custom made for each order.
Other features include a hardware kill switch that disables all wireless capabilities at once, a large haptic trackpad with a glass surface, a backlit keyboard, and support for WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3
The laptop is available with a choice of open source Coreboot firmware or the proprietary American Megatrends BIOS/UEFI firmware. And customers can choose from a long list of Linux distributions they’d like pre-installed, including Ubuntu, elementary OS, Linux Mint, Manjaro, MX Linux, and Zorin. You can even have Windows installed if you really want it.
StarFighter (Intel) | StarFighter (AMD) | |
Processor / RAM | Intel Core i9-12900H w/64GB DDR5 Intel Core i7-1255U w/32GB or 64GB DDR5 Intel Core i3-1215U w/16GB DDR5 | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H w/32GB or 64GB DDR5 |
Graphics | 1.45 GHz Intel Iris Xe (96eu) 1.25 GHz Intel Iris Xe (96eu) 1.1 GHz Intel UHD (64eu) | AMD Radeon 680M 12 RDNA 2 cores |
Display | 16 inches 3840 x 2400px @ 60 Hz or 2560 x 1600px @ 165 Hz 16:10 10-bit, 1.074 million colors 100% Adobe color gamut600 nits AMD Freesync support | |
Storage | 1 x M.2 2280 (PCIe Gen 4) 1 x M.2 2280 (PCIe Gen 3) Up to 8TB total | 2 x M.2 2280 (PCIe Gen 4) Up to 8TB total |
Ports | 2 x Thunderbolt 2 x USB Type-A 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x 3.5mm audio 1 x SD card reader | 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 2 x USB Type-A 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x 3.5mm audio 1 x SD card reader |
Audio | 2 x 4W speakers | |
Webcam | Removable 2MP/60Hz magnetic webcam with dual microphones (optional) | |
Security | Fingerprint sensor (in trackpad) TPM 2.0 Wireless kill switch Removable camera | |
Battery & charging | 85Wh battery 100W USB-C charger | |
Material | Micro-Arc oxidized AZ291D alloy chassis | |
Dimensions | 357.2 x 243.6mm x 20mm 14.1″ x 9.6″ x 0.8″ | |
Weight | 1.4kg 3.1 pounds | |
Other | ITE 5570 embedded controller Optiga TPM 2.0Wireless kill switch | |
Price | $900 – $3000 |
via @starlabsltd
I don’t see where the camera would attach when not in use on the chassis?
Look at Photo 2 and 4.
It’s on the right-side-bottom, and it looks like it slides in there and magnetically attaches. I wonder if the camera is reversible.
I think the $1509 price tag is too high. It’s more than double what a big Core i3 laptop with a display over 14 inches should cost. Now if this came with a 13.3 inch display and a Core i7, I might be interested at that price.