MNT Reform
Hacker ApprovedRanked 17 of 63 laptops by recommenders
Repairable, open-source laptop whose published design files and modular motherboard let owners upgrade and modify it. Critics most often say it is expensive for its slow processor and that its layout is a compromise.
Repairable, open-source laptop whose published design files and modular motherboard let owners upgrade and modify it. Critics most often say it is expensive for its slow processor and that its layout is a compromise.
39 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 31
- criticize it
- 8
- approval share
- 79%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 31 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 3.9 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Fully open hardware and design files
“Fully free documentation and modding from scratch makes it possible to fix problems that go unsolved im commercial devices.”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “They make repairable laptops, too, but they also release their work as free software and open hardware.”
Comment from 9 Nov 2025 in “Ironclad – formally verified, real-time capable, Unix-like OS kernel” “since all the design files are available, anyone can design an upgraded motherboard for this machine”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” - Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
- Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
- Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
- Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
Modular, upgradeable and repairable motherboard
“The motherboard is modular and the compute part of this is replaceable, it's sort of the whole point.”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “new companies focusing precisely on different dimension, namely repairability rather than top specs”
Comment from 8 Feb 2026 in “The AI boom is causing shortages everywhere else” “I think it's very important to have someone making new, open, upgradeable computers”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” - Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
- Comment from 25 Mar 2026 in “Apple Just Lost Me”
- Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
Easy to hack and modify
“Fully free documentation and modding from scratch makes it possible to fix problems that go unsolved im commercial devices.”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “they're never be able to beat MNT in terms of hackability”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “these things are incredibly upgradeable and hackable”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” Buyers fund the open project
“Let rich nerds looking for bragging rights support development for the future; call them patrons.”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “I like it enough though, that I've also got the Next ordered, which I'm very excited for.”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “I love the concept and might just buy one to support the project”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” - Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
- Comment from 29 Nov 2025 in “Framework Computer Now Sponsoring LVFS / Fwupd Development”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Expensive for its performance
“You get CPU that is slow for a phone. For 1300 USD.”
Comment from 25 Mar 2026 in “Apple Just Lost Me” “perhaps a bit financially and environmentally wasteful”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “1450 EUR for a 16GB RK3588 is hard to justify”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” - Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
Slow, outdated processor
“You get CPU that is slow for a phone. For 1300 USD.”
Comment from 25 Mar 2026 in “Apple Just Lost Me” “designed 6 years ago, but there’s nothing preventing an updated motherboard with better port selection”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “being weaker than an N100 I would argue by large it is already ewaste”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” Layout and size compromises
“a form factor of a laptop but still being unsuitable for what laptops are used for is a puzzling product decision”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “As it's not very small, it would be a lot cooler if it had a full no compromise TKL mechanical keyboard.”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “The MNT is too small for my usage, but it's a great effort.”
Comment from 9 Nov 2025 in “Ironclad – formally verified, real-time capable, Unix-like OS kernel” - Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
Environmental waste concerns
“being weaker than an N100 I would argue by large it is already ewaste”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany” “perhaps a bit financially and environmentally wasteful”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “MNT Reform is an open hardware laptop, designed and assembled in Germany”
Other laptops people recommend
The four most recommended other laptops, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Pro | 928 | 688 | 57% | 13 | 5 yrs248 owners | — |
| Apple MacBook Neo | 707 | 355 | 66% | 9 | 1 mo8 owners | — |
| MacBook Air | 633 | 209 | 75% | 12 | 5 yrs130 owners | Approved |
| Apple MacBook | 499 | 348 | 59% | 12 | 9 yrs77 owners | — |
| MNT ReformThis page | 31 | 8 | 79% | 6 | — | Approved |
What people said
40 of the 51 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“there are already alternatives e.g. https://www.crowdsupply.com/mnt/reform”
“a form factor of a laptop but still being unsuitable for what laptops are used for is a puzzling product decision”
“It's also an incredibly fucking robust machine!”
“layout is a huge compromise”
“Their packets are open source, no DRM.”
“Let rich nerds looking for bragging rights support development for the future; call them patrons.”
“has a much more modern port layout”
“designed 6 years ago, but there’s nothing preventing an updated motherboard with better port selection”
“I am satisfied enough that I've put an order in for the Next”
“Fully free documentation and modding from scratch makes it possible to fix problems that go unsolved im commercial devices.”
“none of the keys are odd shapes and sizes too. The arrow keys for example are the same size as all the others”
“about as close to a no compromise, standard layout as you can get”
“MNT publishes everything: source code, schematics, complete BOMs, mechanical design files.”
“they're never be able to beat MNT in terms of hackability”
“They're also working on MNT Reform Next, which is the sleeker version.”
“I think it's very important to have someone making new, open, upgradeable computers”
“The motherboard is modular and the compute part of this is replaceable, it's sort of the whole point.”
“MNT is entirely open hardware and much more free-software-friendly”
“As far as I know this is the only laptop maker with an open-access (open source?) charging circuit, no reverse-engineering needed.”
“I believe the mnt stuff is completely open in both ways”
“The MNT Reform Next will be closer to what many people want out of a laptop.”
“these things are incredibly upgradeable and hackable”
“I like it enough though, that I've also got the Next ordered, which I'm very excited for.”
“If my purpose requires modular expansion, my choices are this thing and Framework.”
“Looks a worse product for much higher prices.”
“being weaker than an N100 I would argue by large it is already ewaste”
“Rather it's to challenge that supply chain and open it up”
“since all the design files are available, anyone can design an upgraded motherboard for this machine”
“perhaps a bit financially and environmentally wasteful”
“1450 EUR for a 16GB RK3588 is hard to justify”
“As it's not very small, it would be a lot cooler if it had a full no compromise TKL mechanical keyboard.”
“I love the concept and might just buy one to support the project”
“it is the most repairable and upgraded laptop in the world atm”
“You get CPU that is slow for a phone. For 1300 USD.”
“new companies focusing precisely on different dimension, namely repairability rather than top specs”
“If you're interested in something of an even higher degree of robustness and are fine with an ARM device, check out the MNT Reform Next”
“I personally supported MNTRE by purchasing a new Reform”
“I encourage you to browse it, I found that while challenging, it does not seem unreachable”
“The MNT is too small for my usage, but it's a great effort.”
“They make repairable laptops, too, but they also release their work as free software and open hardware.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.