If you’ve ever had to buy alaptop, you probably found that it didn’t quite match your needs in every single area. If you crave additional ports or moregraphicspower for gaming, you’re not alone. The problem is upgrading features such as ports, graphics andbatteriesis impossible with your average laptop, so you’re usually stuck with what you get.
Framework laptops aim to disrupt the market as almost every component is replaceable as well as upgradeable…
They’re designed to be as lightweight and profitable to make as possible, meaning most components cannot be removed. If a USB port breaks or the battery fails, the scrap heap is usually where broken laptops are destined. This is whereFrameworklaptops aim to disrupt the market as almost every component is replaceable as well as upgradeable – even the ports, processor, graphics card and battery.
Framework introduces its repairable, upgradable, high-performance Chromebook
The repairable, upgradable laptop brand is expanding its offerings, working with Google to bring the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition to market.
Framework’s aims and how it works
Founded by former Oculus VR engineer Nirav Patel in 2020, the idea behind Framework laptops isn’t new and even extends to smartphones such as the now defunct Phoneblocks and Google’s Project Ara, which promised fully customizable and upgradeable smartphones. However, with the California-based Framework, the company has successfully created the modular components that extend right down to individual ports.
Laptops aren’t expected to be quite as light or sleek as your average high-end smartphone, so there’s arguably more wiggle room here in making them work. Linus Sebastian of the Linus Tech Tips YouTube channel seems to think so too, ashe’s invested $250,000 in the company.
Available in both 13-inch and 16-inch screen sizes, Framework aims to offer owners the ability to fully customize their laptop, right down to the number and type of USB ports.
You can order modules on the Framework website to build your laptop as well as order more for repairs or upgrades. Best of all is that most of the components are cheap. A replacement USB Type-C or Type-A port module costs just $9, while a replacement keyboard starts at $39. For these reasons, tech repair website iFixit gave the Framework a rare 10/10 repair score. Available in both 13-inch and 16-inch screen sizes, Framework aims to offer owners the ability to fully customize their laptop, right down to the number and type of USB ports.
Don’t want any display outputs, and prefer more USB ports, an Ethernet port or microSD card slot instead? No problem, just swap out the HDMI module for one of those modules. Sticking with the USB ports for a moment, reducing e-waste is the second goal. If your laptop’s USB ports stopped working, you’d probably just buy a new one since the repair would likely not be cost-effective.
How this browser extension is friendlier on my budget and the environment
Beni makes Window(s) shopping better, easier, more affordable, and more sustainable. Here’s how to use it this Earth Day.
With a Framework laptop, you just buy a new USB port module for nine dollars, so in effect, a Framework laptop is no longer a single disposable unit. In addition, the laptop casings are part-made from recycled aluminum and plastic, they ship in 100% recyclable packaging and Framework carbon-offsets its shipping too.
The laptop line-up for 2024
Laptop 13 and Laptop 16
We’re not talking old tech here either. There’s Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 options as well as up to 240W charging, plus the ports don’t even require you to dismantle the laptop. They just slide out from the sides. Gamers will love the upgradeable graphics option too, which, on the 16-inch model, allows you to drop in an AMD Radeon RX 7700S GPU with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, which would also provide a huge boost over integrated graphics to any GPU-accelerated software such as Adobe Premiere Pro too.
You might think the modular nature drastically increases weight, but this isn’t really the case. The 13-inch model weighs 1.3kg while the 16-inch version sits just above 2kg, which is fairly typical for mid-range laptops of each size. As well as the customizable modules, there’s a large selection of hardware options too. You can pick from AMD and Intel CPU options that come soldered to a drop-in mainboard, so upgrading the processor and memory generation is absolutely possible while keeping the rest of the unit, albeit with the need to replace the entire mainboard.
If you’ve ever replaced the memory or SSD on a laptop, you’ll know that it can be a pain to get inside and this can be the case even more so with the area under the keyboard that can require an hour or so of dealing with countless screws and ribbon cables. The Framework laptops have just four captive screws to deal with on the underside and the topside’s held in place with magnets, allowing you to quickly access the mainboard, memory, SSDs and other modules. In addition to the core hardware, every other component from the screen, to Wi-Fi antennas, screws, chassis in hinges are available for repairs and, thanks to the simplified design, fitting them is quicker and easier than your average laptop too.
This all sounds like a fantastic idea, of course, but how do you buy one and how much does it cost? Well, to start with, both the Framework 13 and 16 have the option of a DIY pack where you pick the exact components you need from the ports up to the processor and memory and then have the fun task of putting them together yourself. There’s also a pre-built option where you can pick from various specifications and have a ready-made laptop delivered to you, but still with the exact same upgrade and repair potential.
The Framework 13
The original
Features a 13.5-inch matte screen and sets you back around $1,050 for either pre-built or DIY options. For the lowest specification, you can configure with single Type-A and Type-C USB ports, 256GB of storage and 8GB of memory with Windows 11.
There are four spaces for Framework’s innovative expansion modules with one needing to be configured as a Type-C port for charging with the rest being a mix of either USB Type-A, microSD, Ethernet, HDMI or DisplayPort.
Currently, only 13th Gen Intel CPUs and Ryzen 7000-series CPUs are available along with both 61Wh and 55Wh battery options, with the former only available with the most expensive CPU options. For those interested in the detailed specifications, you can configure up to an Intel Core i7-1370P with a total of 14 cores or AMD Ryzen 7 7840U with eight cores. There’s a single M.2 slot for SSDs, but the side expansion cards can take the form of second external SSDs, so you can add additional storage space by adding extra drives. Currently, there’s no discrete graphics option for the Framework 13.
The Framework 16
The newcomer breaks out
The larger Framework 16 costs around $1700 for either DIY or pre-built versions that are both equipped with a 16-inch 2560 x 1600 screen with an impressive 165hz refresh rate.
With its larger cooling system, it offers more powerful CPUs, including AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS, but there’s no Intel option here yet, most likely as Framework is working on adding Intel’s new 14th Gen CPUs. It can house up to six expansion modules – two more than the Framework 13, and it also has two M.2 ports for SSDs. Framework doesn’t offer a 4TB SSD option for the second slot, but it’s simple to add your own, which would give you up to 8TB of storage before you start tapping into the expansion modules.
Probably the main reason to opt for the Framework 16 over its smaller sibling is the ability to house a discrete GPU module as mentioned earlier.
You get a larger 85Wh battery too and also the option of a numberpad that can sit to the left or right of the main keyboard. If you don’t include a numberpad, the blank space next to the keyboard needs to be filled with spacer modules. These can be specific colors, but there’s also a funky LED matrix option. Probably the main reason to opt for the Framework 16 over its smaller sibling is the ability to house a discrete GPU module as mentioned earlier. Amazingly, you can easily remove the AMD GPU as needed to increase battery life and reduce weight by inserting a blank shell module instead.
The best laptops to buy in 2024 for browsing, gaming, and more
With major chip improvements and all new lightweight designs, there’s never been a better time to buy a laptop. Here’s our top picks for 2024.
Has Framework succeeded where others failed?
The reviews are in – so far, so good
Of course, with all projects like this, there’s an element of risk, especially with other projects in the smartphone arena having failed to gain enough traction or deviated from their original design goals. However, most reviews of Framework’s original laptops are now a couple of years old, the company has a strong presence on social media, backed by one of the biggest tech YouTubers, is continuing to innovate with new products and is clearly listing shipping dates for any out of stock items. So far so good, then, but the real test when breaking into the mainstream will be to offer the latest core hardware as quickly as possible.
The likes of SSDs and memory are simple off-the-shelf drop-in items, but with processors and graphics, customers usually want the latest hardware yesterday, and it takes time to assemble custom PCBs with chips from the likes of AMD and Intel. Companies such as Razer and MSI already have laptops with 14th Gen Intel CPUs, for example, but Framework only offers 13th Gen CPUs currently. You only have to look at forums and Reddit to see potential customers already asking about the latest of Intel 14th Gen CPUs in Framework’s lineup.
That said, laptops have plenty of customers that buy them when they need them rather than waiting for new hardware launches and with Framework, the key selling point isn’t really the core hardware anyway. Combined with their similar size and weight to mid-range competition and reasonable price, Framework could easily be the first big success story in modular gadgets.
