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Three machines

Each one arrives with Libreboot already flashed: GRUB and SeaBIOS in one image, the Intel ME neutralised, Boot Guard undone.

Side by side

Every figure below is the manufacturer's, except where a row says otherwise.
ThinkPad T480Complex install ThinkPad T580Complex install Dell OptiPlex 3050 MicroSimple install
Processor8th-generation Core i5 or i7 (Kaby Lake Refresh) options. The chassis also shipped an i3-8130U and 7th-generation dual-core parts.The same 7th and 8th-generation Core range as the T480, with 8th-generation i5 and i7 the usual configurations.Dell’s list is 6th and 7th-generation Core, and every part on it is a 35 W T-series chip. The Libreboot project reports quad-core 8th and 9th-generation parts working unmodified, with the i3-9300T confirmed.
Memory2 × DDR4 SO-DIMM. Lenovo and Intel both document 32 GB as the maximum; the Libreboot project reports 64 GB working.2 × DDR4 SO-DIMM, 32 GB maximum.2 × DDR4 SO-DIMM. Dell documents 32 GB as the platform maximum. 2133 MHz applies to 6th-generation processors; 2400 MHz otherwise.
StorageOne 2.5" 7 mm SATA drive or one M.2 2280, exclusively. An M.2 2242 in the WWAN slot can serve as a second drive, and is mutually exclusive with WWAN.One 2.5" SATA drive or one M.2 2280, exclusively — the same arrangement as the T480. A second drive can go in the WWAN slot.One 2.5" SATA drive and one M.2 PCIe SSD, at the same time. No RAID.
ExpansionThunderbolt 3. Intel I219 Ethernet.Thunderbolt 3.The M.2 SSD and M.2 WLAN connectors. There is no PCIe slot of any kind.
Dimensions336.6 × 232.5 × 19.95 mm.365.8 × 252.8 × 19.95–20.2 mm.35.56 × 182.88 × 177.8 mm.
Weight1.58–1.87 kg, depending on graphics, lid material and which battery is fitted. A single figure would be wrong for most units.From 1.95 kg with integrated graphics, from 1.99 kg with discrete.1.18 kg.
Flash16 MB SOIC-8.16 MB SOIC-8.16 MB SOIC-8.

Libreboot on each machine

ThinkPad T480

Complex install

Supported since
Supported since the 20241206 release. We ship 26.01, “Magnanimous Max”, published 30 January 2026.
Payloads
GRUB and SeaBIOS in one image, chosen at boot.
Intel ME
Neutralised with me_cleaner. The ME stays in flash, neutered once it has finished bringing the board up, because removing what is left stops the machine booting at all.
  • Ported by Mate Kukri, and merged upstream into coreboot before 26.01.
  • Intel Boot Guard is undone with deguard, so the board will accept firmware you built yourself.
  • The first install needs an external SPI flasher. Afterwards the flash restrictions are gone and updates run internally, from the machine itself.
  • HyperThreading is disabled by default.
  • The TPM is disabled, because SeaBIOS hangs on buggy TPM drivers.
  • Full-disk encryption including /boot, with LUKS2 or LUKS1: GRUB lives in the firmware and opens the volume before anything on the disk is read.
Only on the ThinkPad T480
Display14.0". HD 1366×768 TN, FHD 1920×1080 WVA at 250 nits, or WQHD 2560×1440 WVA at 300 nits.
GraphicsIntel integrated. We sell Intel-graphics units only.
BatteryOptional integrated 24 Wh, plus a removable external battery of 24, 48 or 72 Wh.
DurabilityMIL-STD-810G tested.
Read the full specification

ThinkPad T580

Complex install

Supported since
Added in 26.01, “Magnanimous Max”, published 30 January 2026. The newest port in our range.
Payloads
GRUB and SeaBIOS in one image, chosen at boot.
Intel ME
Neutralised with me_cleaner. The ME stays in flash, neutered once it has finished bringing the board up, because removing what is left stops the machine booting at all.
  • Ported by Johann C. Rode.
  • Intel Boot Guard is undone with deguard, so the board will accept firmware you built yourself.
  • Shares the T480’s disassembly. The flash sits in roughly the same place, and the clip is more delicate than the T480’s.
  • The first install needs an external SPI flasher.
  • HyperThreading is disabled by default.
  • The TPM is disabled, because SeaBIOS hangs on buggy TPM drivers.
  • Full-disk encryption including /boot, with LUKS2 or LUKS1.
Only on the ThinkPad T580
Display15.6". FHD 1920×1080 at 250 nits or UHD 3840×2160 at 300 nits, both wide-viewing-angle. There is no low-resolution option on this chassis.
GraphicsIntel integrated. We sell Intel-graphics units only.
BatteryOptional integrated 32 Wh, plus an external battery of 24, 48 or 72 Wh.
InputFull keyboard with a numeric keypad. Fingerprint reader on the palm rest.
Read the full specification

Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro

Simple install

Supported since
Supported since 20241206 rev3. We ship 26.01, “Magnanimous Max”, published 30 January 2026.
Payloads
GRUB and SeaBIOS in one image, chosen at boot.
Intel ME
Neutralised with me_cleaner. The ME stays in flash, neutered once it has finished bringing the board up, because removing what is left stops the machine booting at all.
  • The only machine in our range the Libreboot project rates Simple. Both ThinkPads are Complex.
  • No external programmer is required. Short the service jumper beside the memory, under the drive caddy, and internal flashing works even from factory Dell firmware.
  • The Realtek NIC means there is no GbE region in the flash, so the nvmutil MAC-address step disappears entirely. That is part of why the rating is Simple.
  • Intel Boot Guard is undone with deguard, so the board will accept firmware you built yourself.
  • HyperThreading is disabled by default.
  • The TPM is disabled, because SeaBIOS hangs on buggy TPM drivers.
  • Full-disk encryption including /boot, with LUKS2 or LUKS1.
  • The Micro is the supported OptiPlex form factor.
Only on the Dell OptiPlex 3050 Micro
Power65 W external supply.
Front portsTwo USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, at 5 Gbps.
Rear portsHDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.2, two USB 3.1 Gen 1, two USB 2.0, RJ45. A second DisplayPort, VGA, serial and PS/2 are optional and vary by unit.
NetworkRealtek RTL8111HSD-CG Ethernet. Wi-Fi is an optional card, not standard.
AudioRealtek ALC3234.
MountingTakes the standard Dell OptiPlex Micro brackets: vertical stand, VESA plate, under-desk and monitor mounts.
Read the full specification