The MNT Reform, a modular laptop built around open source hardware and software principles, just received a significant upgrade to its motherboard. The new Motherboard 3.0 adds USB-C charging support and bumps the NVMe slot from one PCIe 3.0 lane to four, which should dramatically improve SSD read and write speeds for users who rely on fast storage.
The upgraded board is available now for $350 (€299) and works as a drop-in replacement for earlier versions. Since the MNT Reform uses a processor-on-a-module design, existing owners can swap their current CPU module onto the new motherboard without buying additional hardware. New laptop orders will ship with the Motherboard 3.0 by default.
The MNT Reform laptop itself starts at $1,630 (€1,400) and features a 31.75 cm (12.5 inch) 1080p display, a Rockchip RK3588 octa-core processor with four Cortex-A76 and four Cortex-A55 cores, and either 16GB or 32GB of RAM. The machine includes a mechanical keyboard with RGB backlighting, a trackball instead of a touchpad, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, and three USB 3.0 Type-A ports. It ships with Debian Linux pre-installed.
MNT has also announced updates to its smaller Pocket Reform, a 17.78 cm (7 inch) mini-laptop priced at $1,280 (€1,100). The company released a new charger board for improved charging reliability and added spare parts to its store, including replacement displays and trackball modules. Both devices are designed for open hardware enthusiasts who want full control over their computing experience.
