Starbook - trustworthy?

General Discussion
1

Dear Qubes Community,
 
the Starbook by Star Labs (located in the UK) is officially Qubes-certified since 2024, but I got sceptical and would appreciate your help if and how I could trust the Starbook.
 
 
Background:
 
I have been happily using Qubes OS for many years on Dell and Lenovo machines. I am loving Qubes OS and it is a daily part of my life - so, a huge thanks to the team, by the way!!

As I cannot increase memory (16 GB) in my current machines, I wished for a new powerful and portable daily driver laptop which would last me for many years.
 
Thus, some days ago, I spent a lot of money (3500 Euro) to order a Starbook Ultra 7 with maximum specs:

  • 14-inch 4K IPS 625nits Display
  • 1.40GHz 16-core Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor 165H (Turbo Boost up to 5GHz, with 24MB Cache)
  • 4TB Gen4 PCIe SSD
  • 96GB of DDR5 memory
  • Intel® Arc™ graphics (2.3 GHz Max Dynamic Frequency)
  • coreboot
  • preinstalled Ubuntu (I can install Qubes OS myself)
     
     

Unfortunately, I am now sceptical…
 
A) Should I keep the package closed when it arrives and return it within the 14-day period? Since EU taxes and import duties might not be refunded, I might only get back 3000 of the 3500 Euros.
 
B) Could I be able to find trust in the product to use it as my daily driver with qubes?
 
 
 
Why I got sceptical:
 
 
Reason 1: There seems to be Chinese budget hardware inside
 
1.1) In this review ( https://uk.trustpilot.com/users/6930521ad7ccaa027d5b7248 ), it is stated that: “This isn’t their design in no way(as they market it), but a copy of Chinese brand Machenike(models Machcreator A, Machcreator 14, etc…), which I found by searching for a better fan and matched the part numbers.”
 
1.2) Internals from official Starbook disassembly ( see Step 3 of StarBook Mk V/ Mk VI / Mk VII - complete disassembly guide | Star Labs | Support , i.e. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2059/5897/files/IMG-8821.jpg ) look 95% identical to the “Machenike MachCreator 14” internals filmed in a YouTube review “Best Budget Laptop 2022? - Machenike MachCreator 14 | Unboxing and Full Review” at position of 3 minutes 42 seconds ( https://youtu.be/JCvDM2pUdus?t=222 ).
 
1.3) The aluminium chassis looks identical between Starbook ( https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2059/5897/files/IMG-8816.jpg ) and Machenike MachCreator 14 ( https://youtu.be/JCvDM2pUdus?t=112 ). So I why is it written on the Starbook that it is “Designed by Star Labs” when it actually has the same design as the Machenike MachCreator 14?
 
1.4) Star Labs officially state: “In 2017, we started using Clevo as a supplier” and “When 2018 came around, we started working on our very own laptops. We used a variety of suppliers, design houses and factories.” and “2003 […] We still use Linux and our hardware.” ( About Us - Company Information – Star Labs® ). So, what do they mean by “our hardware”? And might they even still be using Clevo (see Reason 3)?
 
1.5) By the way, I wonder if it is “regular practice” that Linux laptop sellers, like System76 or Framework, buy Clevo / Tongfang / etc. hardware in China?? (see the company names mentioned on Tongfang Laptop Guide: How to Choose the Right One )
 
 
 
Reason 2: The hardware might be risky to use
 
Users on this Qubes forum are reporting Starbook hardware issues, like
 
2.1) “The laptop died slowly while corrupting data (and back-ups) It is likely to be the motherboard (bad quality)” ( Questions about Qubes OS on Starlabs laptop - #5 by curious_cat_8P )
 
2.2) “I’ve only had this machine for about a year and have taken pretty good care of it. There are sparkling pixel artifacts as well which is why I think it looks like my GPU is failing. Sometimes the screen won’t come on at all or just blinks black and off. […] Update - It does it in the BIOS and when booted from a Fedora live USB as well.” ( StarLabs StarBook Screen Flickering )
 
2.3) “the laptop would randomly switch off so I contacted support who believed it would be a faulty RAM module, which I believe it was after taking them out one at a time and testing” ( Nova Custom NV41 or Star Labs StarBook? - #20 by jc123 )
 
2.4) “the Star Labs StarBooks I just got (32 RAM btw) gets nuclear HOT even just sitting at the UEFI login” ( A laptop that can withstand coreboot and Qubes OS - #11 by Vlad )
 
Outside the Qubes forum, I want to mention one review (I do not understand the coreboot critique)
 
2.5) “First the hardware issues: the cooling solution(having only one tiny pipe and a single fan) proved to be highly inadequate and was constantly failing to cool the CPU+GPU combo(even under medium load). It had been reaching 90 degrees with some basic load tests(basemark’s web 3.0) not to mention running some phoronix’s suites which made the top-right corner scorching to the touch […] On the software side: the coreboot saga makes those guys so ridiculous that only one word comes to my mind: you swindlers! But here’s my advice to starlabs: if I were you, I’d test quite extensively all models offered by those Chinese before start shipping them trough the mail to customers. I feel like a moron beta tester now of the crappiest laptop meant for mass-production and mass re-brading the Chinese could make up. But my pains are over - yesterday the thing just died. I carried it 200km in a backpack on a drive and when tried starting it, nothing happened - no screen, no fan, only the keyboard lightning and the side one. I am lucky that’s not my single machine and have just received a successor from a reputable brand. […] So, here’s a recap: don’t buy Starlab AMD(and don’t buy Intel for sure)!” ( https://uk.trustpilot.com/users/6930521ad7ccaa027d5b7248 )
 
 
 
Reason 3: There could be security issues due to Chinese budget hardware
 
Important: I don’t know if Star Labs is still using Clevo as a supplier, but as cited in 1.4) above they have used them in the past. Also, I only did a very quick search on this topic - and it scares me what I have found already…
 
3.1) June 2024: "RansomHub claims to have infiltrated Clevo’s network and been able to move around its systems for a long time.” ( https://cybernews.com/news/clevo-laptop-ransomware-attack-gaming-ransonhub/ )
 
3.2) March 2025: “Researchers have discovered a major security vulnerability affecting multiple gaming laptop models using Clevo hardware. […] This incident highlights ongoing challenges in firmware supply chain security. […] Users of affected devices should apply any security updates provided by manufacturers promptly, though the fundamental vulnerability may persist until hardware replacement occurs in some cases.” ( Clevo Devices Boot Guard Private Key Exposed Via Firmware Update Packages )
 
3.3) October 2025: “Clevo accidentally exposed private keys used in its Intel Boot Guard implementation, allowing attackers to sign malicious firmware that would be trusted during the earliest boot stages […] Researchers warn that this leak can enable stealthy and persistent compromise on systems that use Clevo’s firmware, including devices from other brands that integrate Clevo’s platform components.” ( https://gbhackers.com/clevo-uefi-leak-allows-malicious-firmware/ also see Exposure of Clevo UEFI BootGuard Keys Allows Unauthorized Firmware Signing )
 
 
 
My questions to you all:
 
Based on the information I collected, would you rather recommend me to
 
A) return the unopenened package within 14 days of arrival and try to get back as much of my money as possible?
 
B) aim on using the Starbook as my single daily driver, and run tests (see below) to build trust to eventually store all my local keepass-databases, private email messages of the last decades, all my private and even work related confidential documents, online banking and crypto money on it?
 
 
In case of B):
 
How do you think it would be able to
 
…build trust in the hardware’s durability?
…by using tools like memtest86 to test memory?
…by observing temperature levels?
…by stress testing CPU and GPU? (don’t know how I would do that, yet)
…by running SMART tests on SSD?
…by any other procedures?
 
…build trust in the hardware’s security?
…by manually flashing a trusted firmware? (and would this require a hardware programming and debugging toolkit? I know that Star Labs sold one fitting the Starbook, but at the moment they don’t seem to offer it)
…by monitoring network connections? (I would be open to learn it)
 
 
 
I am grateful for any thoughts, ideas, opinions, advices, resources, and instructions!
 
 

2

Their computers are open source, hardware and firmware. They’ve also been around for a decade without any security incidents.

Like almost all computer manufacturers, Star Labs sources individual components from major global suppliers. These components are technically proprietary in their own right. Like CPU/GPU, they use standard Intel or AMD processors, which are proprietary chips from those companies. The “Open Source” claim refers to system integration and architecture.
Specifically, they use Coreboot firmware and they select standard components that are known to have good Linux drivers. For example, an Intel CPU is preferred over an AMD one, because its graphics drivers are more mature and less likely to cause issues, even if the CPU itself is a proprietary Intel chip.

I’m not sure about the longevity of their products, since I don’t own one, but on paper they look legit. I wouldn’t be concerned.

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3

bruh… and yet u’re asking these kinda questions? come on…
u should not trust anyone n use ur own brain.
Qubes is not 100% trustworthy either, but u can trust it if u accept certain things. I don’t like many things Qubes does, promoting starlabs laptops is just an example, but I do trust Qubes overall and use it as my daily driver.

these r very poor reasons tbh(they valid tho).
starlabs r not trustrworthy cause of other, mainly 2 reasons
a) ppl who run it
b) uk laws

as of the money… even if u loose the whole amount of it, take it as a good lesson for ur future self. n do urself a big favor, start to search things ure care of, especially where there r tons of info in the net. u just need to search n connect the dots. its hard only at the beginning

in case u missed it

also regarding the money… in that thread search for unman’s and zeno’s replies.

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4

in response to the notification received:

there is an entry in the forum in relation to StartLabs’ warranty:

That is all.

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5

My friend had a starbook that stopped working after 1.5 years and the company was unhelpful and slow to do anything. He moved on to a thinkbook and was happy.

Id rather buy a used laptop and update more frequently. Brand new laptops often have issues running qubes and, even if the company “certifies” it working, I’ve rarely heard of examples where they offered any meaningful help or fix the issue.

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6

Starbook VI is the best linux lapto i have ever owned. Four years old now, no problems, runs qubes perfectly, even doing firmware updates over qubes-fwupdmgr, with updates to microcode and lots of improvement multiple times a years since I bought it with no sign of slowing. including being able to set max charge to 60/80/100%, even setting charging rate to slower rates. can also turn off Intel ME at least via one method.

their customer survice has also been the fastest to respond I’ve ever come across, no exageration, and have multiple times offered custom scripts/help to fix issues caused by lagging qubes changes. I am surprised people have reported bad warranty/returns, I have not had to do them but I would expect them to be quick and helpful based on all my other interactions with support, hmm.

personally will only use starbook from now on, experience has been too good. I expect people post more their bad experiences than the good.

edit: would like to point out the dell you’ve been using for years also is 100% chinese produced from screws, to case, to motherboard. build quality on my starbook the closest to apple I’ve ever owned.

negatives: it can be loud and can get hot, and of course battery is abysmal but that is Qubes fault.

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7

QubesOS is the one who certified the Starbook, not the other way around, and specifically I want to defend I have never had better customer support, including custom UEFI commands when Qubes made a breaking change at one point and within a day Starlabs helped me completely fix a nonbooting machine without losing any data. i have not dealt with a physical return/warranty so I cant speak for their speed there.

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8

I put certify in quotations because of the vagueness. Still they offer a configuration with qubes so I see this as them putting their reputation at stake for it running with qubes. That’s good you had good customer service on the software side, my friend’s issue was hardware. He wasn’t running qubes and if it had been a software issue he certainly could have fixed it with customer support help

He is a minor influencer so I was surprised that the company would be unresponsive/unhelpful. He never mentioned it publicly. This was 2021-22 so perhaps the company has improved. But poor hardware support concerns me more than software since you have little chance of fixing a laptop without help from company.

Their prices seemed a lot lower back in 2021-22, perhaps they changed their target audience and the support improved

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9

I purchased around 2022 and support was very good from the start. I think they produce low quantities of machines, so there may be more variation in quality, I have felt my starbook is very high quality, and have heard the same from others.

one of the linked complaints said they kept the laptop in a backpack and it wouldn’t turn on, probably ram or some cable came lose and would be easily fixable and could happen to any laptop. the starlabs machines are at least as repairable as framework computers, and it may be double edge that being able to open it means things can become loose.

I hope they officially certify another qubes machine in the future, but I expect as long as using latest kernel any of their machines will work.

when I was ordering i remember asking why they chose the specific motherboard configuration they did versus some other that were more powerful or others that were cheaper, and they said it was the most powerful model that did not have any of the the remote-control Intel stuff, vtec or something?, and they also to anti-interdiction shipping (which i have not used), so they are definitely privacy/security minded to the extent they may be the only company selling modern machines with that in mind.

i hope you try them, that there are no issues, and trust if there are they will be helpful. I personally want Starlabs to do well so I can keep having such good option for modern hardware and that means more people buying.

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10

Thanks for all your answers so far!
 
 
I would be interested to better understand this:

 
Can anyone provide me with some hints / keywords / realistic scenarios / worst case scenarios?

11

You mentioned to be paying in Euros
my suggestion: look for a seller in EU

see here:

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a) also interested to know if there are specific issues with the team.
b) UK is five-eyes so maybe @indigoizabel means machines have UK backdoors?

small company without much popularity surviving for so long maybe could circumstantially point to it being a government funded honeypot. but they do not primarily advertise privacy or qubes specifically, they market themselves as flagship linux computers.

re to your clevo hardware claims: they have written that the hardware today is designed custom by/for them, though in the past they were rebranded off-the-shelf. If it is true that today they are using rebranded hardware that would indicate a serious trust problem. the hardware feels very premium, and their magnetic removable webcam on the startfighter seems very custom.

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13

This is just FUD absent any proof.
starbooks is well established and products are good - they should be
supported. Their products are good and their customer support good also.
Issues reported about refunds in EU seem to have been resolved.

UK laws are no worse than those of the US, DE or generally any
country that is producing hardware.

Do your research, and take a decision based on that, not on
@indigoizabel nonsense.

I never presume to speak for the Qubes team.
When I comment in the Forum I speak for myself.

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14

Last paragraph is relevant for those wondering about recent starbooks support

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15
Inappropriate

ppl like u r what they call educated fools.
from the above, US and UK r indeed very much alike, but not DE. DE is not that good, it’s just not as bad.

6 years ago every single educated fool was rising his stupidity to masses just cause they believed putting a mask n doin what told gonna do some good. and at that time search engines were only adapting the mass censorship that was involved, so u could easily find what was needed. idiocy at its best.

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16

We have a Code of Conduct
at least try to be civil.

I never presume to speak for the Qubes team.
When I comment in the Forum I speak for myself.

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As mentioned by @unman, we have a Code of Conduct:

Examples of unacceptable behavior by participants include:

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  • Trolling, insulting/derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks
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