NovaCustom NV41 Series

The NovaCustom NV41 Series is officially certified for Qubes OS Release 4.

Photo of the NovaCustom NV41 Series

Qubes-certified configurations

The following configuration options are certified for Qubes OS Release 4:

Processor:

  • Intel Core i5-1240P processor
  • Intel Core i7-1260P processor

Memory:

  • 2 x 16 GB Kingston DDR4 SODIMM 3200 MHz (32 GB total)
  • 1 x 32 GB Kingston DDR4 SODIMM 3200 MHz (32 GB total)
  • 2 x 32 GB Kingston DDR4 SODIMM 3200 MHz (64 GB total)

M.2 storage chip:

  • Samsung 980 SSD (all capacities)
  • Samsung 980 Pro SSD (all capacities)

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth:

  • Intel AX-200/201 Wi-Fi module 2976 Mbps, 802.11ax/Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2
  • Killer (Intel) Wireless-AX 1675x M.2 Wi-Fi module 802.11ax/Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3
  • Blob-free: Qualcomm Atheros QCNFA222 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0
  • No Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip

Notes on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options

  • When viewed in a Linux environment with lspci, the “Killer (Intel) Wireless-AX 1675x M.2 Wi-Fi module 802.11ax/Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3” device displays the model number “AX210.” However, according to its Intel Ark entry (in the “Product Brief” file), they are actually the same Wi-Fi module.

  • Similarly, when viewed in a Linux environment with lspci, the “Blob-free: Qualcomm Atheros QCNFA222 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0” device displays the model number “AR9462,” which seems to be just the Wi-Fi chip model number, whereas “QCNFA222” seems to be the model number of the whole device (which include Bluetooth). Meanwhile, the Bluetooth device presents itself as “IMC Networks Device 3487.”

  • The term “blob-free” is used in different ways. In practice, being “blob-free” generally does not mean that the device does not use any closed-source firmware “blobs.” Rather, it means that the device comes with firmware preinstalled so that it does not have to be loaded from the operating system. In theory, the preinstalled firmware could be open-source, but as far as we know, that is not the case with this particular Atheros Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module. (Qualcomm has published firmware source code in the past, but only for other device models, as far as we are aware.) Meanwhile, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) considers unmodifiable preinstalled firmware to be part of the hardware, hence they regard such hardware as “blob-free” from a software perspective. While common usage of the term “blob-free” often follows the FSF’s interpretation, it is worthwhile for Qubes users who are concerned about closed-source firmware to understand the nuance.