Verdict
The Framework Laptop 16 volunteer the ability to reconfigure the I / O ports , graphics system and keyboard deck with zero technical nouse . It makes for a laptop adaptable beyond your wild imaginings .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Modular consumer technology has a bad caterpillar tread track record . Do you recallAlienware ’s Area-51mmodular laptop computer or Google’sProject Aramodular telephone set ? Do n’t occupy if you do n’t : The Ara sound never made it to marketplace , while the monstrous Area-51 m was far too big , expensive , and too quickly orphaned by Alienware . The Modern Framework Laptop 16 promise to succeed where the Ara and Area 51 m failed .
The Framework Laptop 16 does that by letting you swap out the keyboard , the I / atomic number 8 ports and the artwork module . It ’s a brilliant idea , and the end result does not feel like it ’s going to take apart itself at any moment . It also prognosticate to get continued support from its maker and , at the entry - point , is reasonably affordable . The latter is particularly crucial because if you ca n’t buy the accounting entry - level gadget cheaply and then upgrade as and when you afford it , the whole conception is arguably arguable .
If you are distressed about buying a laptop from a “ new ” manufacturing business , do n’t be . The Framework Laptop 16 is n’t Frameworks ’ first modular notebook . That accolade goes to a 13 - column inch model called , you venture it , the Framework Laptop 13 , which was released in July 2021 to generally prosperous follow-up . The 16 is the 13 write big , bigger , faster , well and with heightened stage of modularity .
Design and Keyboard
Anything that is modular incline to be bigger than the equivalent that is not . That ’s why telephone set no longer have removable battery . Notwithstanding that , the Framework is n’t outstandingly giving or heavy for a 16 - in laptop computer . The consistency come in under 18 millimeter thick and only weighs 2.1 kg with the stock cool mob , increase to 2.4 kg and under 21 millimeter at the rear section with the Graphics Module attached .
The unfeignedly telling thing about the Framework Laptop 16 ’s figure is how well-situated it is to trade around the keyboard and I / O port module . You just move a couple of unnoticeable clip by a few millimetre , and things just slide out . you’re able to even swap them with the laptop running .
The keyboard , routine stamp pad and RGB Macropad palpate amazingly high - timbre , considering they are removable . The keyboard is slightly more bouncy in the heart than some , but the key natural process is firm and the 1.5 millimeter locomotion well - gauge . The keycap computer graphic are very clean , and there ’s a three - stage backlight , though I could n’t find a direction to make it any colour other than red .
The modular arrangement pays high dividend here because you may take to put the numeric keypad to either the left or rightfield of the keyboard . Unless you are go forth - handed , it ’s unvoiced to excuse quite what a boom this is . There are some small gap around the edges of some of the faculty , but they in no room impact the expression or feel of Framework Laptop 16 . plain about them is like complaining about the panel spread on a Nikola Tesla : You ’re missing the level .
Some of the chatoyant panels are really only for show : The white LED matrix venire we were sent can be set to show various animated patterns , show text and even play Pong , but they are user - programmable , so if you think of a better use , bump yourself out and get coding .
All the remark module have little gauzy window on the back so you may see the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontrollers that operate them . This afford up a world of possibilities for anyone who fancies their hired hand at writing a bit of codification .
supersede theGPUmobile at the back involves power down and removing a few little screws ( a suitable screwdriver get in the boxful ) and take out what Framework calls the interposer , essentially a PCIe connector with two 74 - PIN number connectors , but it ’s still the oeuvre of a few minutes and require zero technological expertise .
Thanks to the GPU module handing off the back of the laptop rather than buried inside Framework , and insure , as far as possible , that forthcoming GPUs can be accommodated even though their accurate size and stipulation are as yet unknown . Framework has order that it is committed to free fresh GPU modules beyond the RX 7700S contour available at launch .
you could delve into the bowls of the Framework Laptop 16 by slay the mid scale that sit around below the keyboard and pack of cards modules . Once you ’ve got this out of the agency , you may easy get to the two DDR5 SODIMM storage slots and the double - stacked SSD bays ( one 2280 format , one 2230 ) or remove the battery after removing just three screws .
With a short care , you may disassemble the full affair into its constituent parts and resemble it with little drama .
On each side of the Framework Laptop 16 , you ’ll find bay for three USB - speed of light enlargement slots . How you populate these is altogether up to you : you could choose between HDMI or DisplayPort video outputs , USB - C ( v4 ) and USB - A ( v3.2 Gen 2 ) ports , mass depot ( either 256 GB or 1 TB ) , MicroSD card or 2.5Gbit / s Ethernet modules .
The end issue is you could have exactly the I / O ports you need when you call for them . The theme and the execution thence borders on ace . accidentally , a Type - C port is build into the graphics module , which supports DP Alt Mode video end product , but you ca n’t use it for commit : Only the side - go up Type - Cs can perform that subprogram .
With so much of the Framework being obliterable , you might suppose the machine itself would be flimsy , like the exchangeable reading of a car contrive as a coupe , but surprisingly , it ’s not . The magnesium alloy frame that makes up the base of the laptop computer is remarkably potent , so the integral thing feel every bit as solid as a even laptop computer , no matter what body politic of disassembly it ’s in .
Display and Sound
The display is a 2,560 x 1,600 16:10 IPS affair with a 165Hz refresh charge per unit , and it is both bright and colorful . The peak smartness level of 495nits and colour gamut reporting of 99.4 % sRGB , 85.6 % Adobe RGB and 96.7 % DCI - P3 are all rather impressive .
No pre - determined colour profiles are on pass , which could be an issue for anyone wanting to use the Framework for colour - vital work , but the Delta E variation of 2.8 was perfectly fine for ecumenical use . With such all-encompassing gamut reportage , there is plenty of room to recalibrate the monitor if you do need something more precise .
Out of the box , the gamma come in at 2.05 and the visual daylight temperature at 6230K. Those are both just a lilliputian on the low side of ideal – 2.2 and 6,500 K – but not by enough to induce any concern .
Motion handling was good , with the Blur Busters UFO Motion Test not break too much in the path of ghosting . There ’s no overdrive installation , so you ca n’t do anything to ameliorate the office if you need to .
It ’s legitimate to ask , given the price , if aMini LEDorOLEDscreen would not be more in keeping with the Framework Laptop 16 ’s pretentious . Either would give the Framework an HDR capability it sadly lacks .
The 2W stereo speaker raiment is top timber , delivering a rich and mellifluous sound with plenty of bass . The speakers only file a maximum volume output of 71dBA , which is n’t anything remarkable , but the scheme sound much louder to the capitulum .
Above the cover – the bezel is another part of the Framework that can be replaced , it is attached magnetically – sits a very good 1080p webcam that can flash video at 60fps . It does n’t support biometric security , but the fingerprint digital scanner that sit in the top ripe corner of the keyboard deck worked faultlessly , so that ’s not a self-aggrandizing issue .
Performance
At the time of launch , emptor are limited to a pick of two AMDCPUsand one AMD GPU . The central processor on offer are the Ryzen 7 7840HS and the Ryzen 9 7940HS , while theGPUis AMD ’s RX 7700S in 100W TGP configuration .
Both CPUs come with AMD ’s 780 M integrated artwork bit , a stiff little number that can match the recent Intel Meteor Lake Arc iGPU . This means that even without the optional £ 400 graphics mental faculty , the Framework 16 can surpass most Intel laptops when it comes to art .
The Ryzen 9 7940HS is an 8 - core , 16 - thread component with a maximal clock upper of 5.2Ghz . Running the Cinebench R23 bench mark , the Framework Laptop 16 grade 15,573 multi - core and 1,688 individual - core , very alike score to those generated by the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 165H chips that Intel was showing off at the CES in Las Vegas earlier this month and better than any M2 MacBook Pro can do . central processor performance then is up with the best .
AMD ’s RX 7700S discrete GPU is n’t an obvious selection for hardcore gaming , with performance on par with Nvidia ’s RTX 4050 . you could get close to three - digit shape rate in most games just as long as you are disposed to forgo ray trace and operate AMD ’s latest upscaling technology .
The Framework Laptop 16 does n’t come with a MUX replacement , but AMD ’s Smart Graphics switcher does a great job of switch the load between the 780 M and TX 7700S as call for with only a small delay as the display switches over , a feature of both AMD and Nvidia ’s Advanced Optimus auto - MUX system .
To give you an example of the Framework Laptop 16 ’s gaming chop shot , it ran the Metro Exodus bench mark at Full HD and High ( contrarily really the lowest ) setting at 77.5fps while Cyberpunk 2077 benchmarked at 70.6fps on the Ray Tracing : Low scene . But if you handicap FSR2 upscaling and increase the levels of shaft tracing , the Cyberpunk score drops to under 20fps .
If you fancy the idea of the Framework Laptop 16 but want one primarily for gamy - end 1440p ray - traced gaming , I ’d wait a month or two and see if they release a GPU mental faculty with a more powerful AMD or Nvidia GPU like the Radeon RX 7600 M XT or GeForce RTX 4060 . The RX 7700S does n’t do a bad job for less demanding gamers but is very utile for other the States : It break away the SPECview 3Dsmax 3-D modelling bench mark at 121.3 , which is a adept grievance .
The performance from the Framework Laptop 16 ’s auxiliary part was well up to sniff with the Mediatek RZ616 – internet adapter supports zippy 6GHz Wi - Fi 6E as well as Bluetooth 5.3 with lower reaction time and enhance anti - interference capabilities . The 512 GB Western Digital SSD meanwhile returned solid consecutive read and write focal ratio of 4577MB / s and 3120MB / s severally .
Software
Pre - built example of the Framework Laptop 16 come with a vanilla extract edition of Windows 11 nursing home with no bloatware whatsoever . The only two Framework apps are weblinks to the Framework Laptop 16 User Guide and Marketplace .
Opt for the DIY Edition , and you may foot your own operating system . fabric endorses Ubuntu ( specifically the 22.04 LTS distro ) and Fedora 39 , though Ubuntu seems to be the more unchanging and easier to configure . There are consecrate set - up guides and community forums for both distros .
The Framework laptop computer 16 complies with AMD ’s Advantage system system which brings with it various feature like grant the central processor access to the entire 8 GB of TV RAM if it postulate it .
Battery Life
The Framework Laptop 16 packs a pretty real 85Wh battery , which kept the lights on for 7 hours and 45 minutes in the PCMark 10 Office barrage run - down trial run . That ’s a absolutely healthy score for a Windows laptop computer with a knock-down CPU , though a long way short of what you could expect from the likes of the latest 16 - inchMacBook Pro .
It ’s deserving weigh here that there ’s no technical grounds why Framework could n’t plunge a battery pack to sit down at the back in place of the GPU mental faculty . In fact , some hint in the fellowship GitHub suggest this is very much on the cards . Leaving away the meritoriousness of buying a laptop today base on what it may be able to do tomorrow , this is one of the interesting feature article of the Framework project ; it ’s very much a rolling task , so all manner of interesting stuff may make it in the months to come .
Should you buy it?
The modular design is unequaled and offers spirit level of adaptability , upgradeability and repairability that no other laptop can come close to matching . If you are adept at coding , you may modify your Framework laptop computer 16 into a truly singular objet d’art of kit .
The Radeon RX 7700S GPU is a skilful GPU , but it ca n’t compete with the likes of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 and 4080 , especially when it comes to ray tracing , so if you need to play the late AAA game at mellow frame rates at 1440p with RT , you better of expend your money on a ceremonious gaming laptop over the Framework Laptop 16 .
Final Thoughts
There can be no question that the Framework Laptop 16 is an outstandingly innovative merchandise both in conception and carrying out , and the world of computation is a better spot for it . But it does n’t come gimcrack .
foot a pre - built manakin with Windows 11 and the RX 7700S GPU plus a survival of elaboration modules and you very quickly get over the £ 2,000 marker . you could buy a far more powerful gaming laptop like the RTX 4070 - basedMedion Erazer Major X20or the less - gameyLenovo Yoga Pro 9ifor that sort of money .
Perhaps the laptop computer that is at the same time a unmediated competition and also the very antithesis of the Framework is theMacBook Pro 16 . A brawny and omnicompetent laptop , the MacBook is likely to attract to the same unorthodox types who like the idea of the Framework 16 , which is wry given that the MacBook is designed to operate exactly as Apple wants while the Framework is design to operate as the end - exploiter wants .
Of course , those comparison make picayune sense because the Medion , Lenovo and the MacBook , and indeed any other laptop currently on the market , lack anything in the direction of the modularity that makes the Framework so unequalled .
The idea of being able to move the keyboard around , change the I / O port wine , swap out the GPU and save code to flow your own light shows on the LED panels hit us as a brilliant one , and we wish Framework all the safe with its endeavours . If the Framework 16 tickles your phantasy , you may preorder now directly from the maker .
Trusted Score
How we test
Every laptop we brush up hold up through a series of unvarying checks plan to gauge key things , including build quality , performance , sieve quality and battery life .
These admit formal synthetical benchmarks and written tests , plus a series of veridical - creation verification , such as how well it runs popular apps .
FAQs
presently , the only GPU available for the Framework Laptop 16 is the AMD Radeon RX 7700S.
Yes , the Framework Laptop 16 make for well for gambling , reaching more than 75fps at Full HD across our AAA gaming benchmark .
Test Data
Full Specs
