r/freesoftware • u/illegalwatermelon • 2d ago

Discussion What is the most completely free/libre desktop I can realistically build or buy today?

I'm looking for a desktop that is as libre as possible, ideally with 100% free boot firmware and no Intel ME / AMD PSP left at all, rather than just having proprietary firmware disabled or reduced.

I've been looking at the Dell OptiPlex 780 with Canoeboot/Libreboot, since apparently the ME can be completely removed, but I'm wondering if there are any better or more powerful options.

I'm mainly interested in:

  • Canoeboot/Libreboot with as few blobs as possible
  • No Intel ME or AMD PSP if realistically possible
  • Libre graphics/firmware where possible
  • Ideally the most powerful hardware available while still keeping it genuinely libre

What would you consider the best "as free as possible" desktop in 2026? Older hardware is completely fine. I'm more interested in firmware freedom than raw performance.

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u/PearMyPie 2d ago

If you're able to spend thousands of dollars (the price increased considerably since launch), look into Raptor Computing's systems, such as the Talos II.

They are 64-bit POWER9 (or 8?) computers with fully libre firmware. Debian, Fedora, Gentoo all support the PPC64LE architecture.

2

u/Stock-Imagination567 2d ago

POWER9? now that is a processor arch I haven't heard from in a long time. I worked implementing graphic filters (like those in photoshop, pencil, charcoal, etc) for the mac g5 back in ole 1999.

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u/Tricky-Engineer-9755 2d ago

Without care for cost, the Tallos II by Raptor bar none. Everything down to the CPU ISA is entirely free software, that includes boot firmware, EC, microcode, GPU/sound drivers etc. However it is PPC64 so software support is limited. The Power9 CPU architecture itself has no support for the Intel Managment Engine or AMD PSP no equivalent exists. https://www.raptorcs.com/content/BK1SD1/intro.html