The best laptop might be the one you put together and repair yourself.
What is Framework?
The Framework 13 is an eco-friendly, reparable, upgradable, modular laptop made by Framework Computer; a small computer company founded four years ago with this modular, repairable, eco-friendly mindset. Right to repair is strongly supported by Framework, and on their “About Us” page, they state “We know consumer electronics can be better for you and for the environment. Unlike most products, ours are open for you to repair and upgrade.” And all these things are true, with Framework going to the point of releasing their BIOS and other schematics and drawings open source.
What did I get?
I purchased a Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition (13th Gen Intel® Core™) with the i5–1340P CPU and 55Wh battery. This laptop came with a 13.5-inch 3:2 matte display with a resolution of 2256x1504. I ordered a gray bezel and a US English keyboard and no memory or SSD. I chose two USB-C modules, two USB-A modules, and a 250GB storage module. I opted for the Framework 60w GaN charger. Drop shipped from Taiwan the laptop cost me $1050. I ordered 64GB of Crucial RAM off Amazon for 2x $74 and a WD 2TB SN850X for $150, bringing the total under $1300. I bought a Windows 11 Pro key from a reputable seller online and installed Debian.
What was it like?
I received a 100% recyclable box of laptop parts. The motherboard and battery were screwed to the chassis and the panel was screwed to the lid, but the deck was off and disconnected. After following the installation guide, I placed my RAM and SSD into the laptop, assembled it all using a single, included tool (T5 bit and a plastic handle that ends in a wedge). After following their procedure for “memory training” I was able to boot from a USB and install Windows 11. I then used another USB and installed Debian on the 250GB storage module so I could dual boot. Debian is not a supported Linux distribution by Framework, but on an Intel chipset I thought I could get Debian to run, and I did. The 3:2 panel is rough on Linux, you run into some scaling issues that Windows handles better, but even using XFCE I was able to get it working well.
What do I like about it?
I have mainly used ThinkPads and Macbooks and your generic HP/Dell corporate laptop. I always purchased ThinkPads for myself, but it seems that what I liked about ThinkPads is not true anymore. They are not as rugged; they are not easily reparable. Framework makes a sturdy laptop. I hear people complain about the hinges and I know there have been several revisions, but my hinges are great. The fit and finish is excellent, and much better than my corporate Dell or my last ThinkPad. The ports are great, and even if I wear a USB-C port out, I can buy a $20 replacement module. The screen is good, both size, resolution, and color accuracy. The keyboard is incredibly good, I like how responsive it is and it has a good backlight. The trackpad is one of the best I have used. The lightweight formfactor makes it convenient to take around the house, to the office, and traveling. The modular design is brilliant, and the availability of storage modules is great for dual booting. Having four USB4 ports that you can customize is amazing. Since I purchased my laptop a full-sized SD card module was released and I plan to purchase it, because my wife has a Micro Four Thirds camera that uses SD cards, and we can look at what she shoots during trips without a dongle or adaptor to lose. Also, the microphone and camera have privacy switches, which is not groundbreaking, but they physically disconnect the devices from the laptop, which is genuinely nice. You can switch the camera off and open a camera app and it will show an error, “No camera found.”
What don’t I like about it?
Battery life is not the best. I knew this would be the case when I ordered my model, and for me battery life is not the most important feature of a laptop. I have a smaller battery and the Intel processor is less efficient than the AMDs. The AMD models are recommended because they have better battery life and better graphics performance. However, I chose an Intel processor for Linux compatibility and price. The Framework website specs for my processor state I have Intel® UHD Graphics but my laptop reports it has Iris® Xe Graphics in both Windows and Linux, which is confusing. I do not play games and GPU performance is not really a huge concern. I set my charge limit to 80% in the BIOS, and I get up to four hours on a charge, depending on what I am doing, which is usually typing on something in a browser or shell or a word processor. One thing I do not like about the keyboard, and which took about a month to get used to, is the function keys, which are not function keys but media and laptop function controls. To press F10, I need to hit the function key and the airplane mode button, which took time to remember. Edit: I was told after I posted this that the Fn lock only locks the F keys, so I used it and I have no problems with my F keys. Also, I do not like the “no dongles” mindset of the Framework community, there are times when a dongle is appropriate and when it is not. I have Gig Ethernet in my bedroom, and usually hook my laptop up to it. Framework makes an Ethernet module, but I wasn’t tempted to buy it. First, it is 2.5Gb, and I do not have 2.5Gb in my LAN. Second, because of the size of the RJ45 jack, the module extends beyond the size of the module bay and sticks out from the side of the laptop. I am not buying a sleek, lightweight laptop just to put a transparent plastic speedbump sticking out of the side. If I needed 2.5Gb for work, it would be a different story, but I chose to get an Anker Gig Ethernet USB-A dongle for use in my bedroom and it works great. If I need to take my laptop with me, I unplug the dongle and leave it with the Ethernet. I also miss my red TrackPoint from my ThinkPad; however, I have had an HP try to reproduce the TrackPoint and it was horrible. I guess I would rather have no TrackPoint than a bad implementation of it.
How Do I feel overall?
Overall, this is a great laptop and everyone I have shown it to has been amazed. I have grown into this laptop and found little tips and tricks to make it even better. One thing that initially disappointed me was the poor sound quality of the speakers. They were loud but did not sound good. After some reading I stumbled upon a community thread addressing sound quality which led me to this GitHub. I installed FxSound for Windows and Easy Effects for Linux and tuned my EQ for the speakers. The difference is dramatically better than before. I do not know if this speaks to an immaturity in Framework’s software development or drivers, but regardless of the reason, this workaround fixed my problem and even my wife told me she legitimately heard a positive difference with FxSound turned off and on. During my purchase Framework was releasing in pre-order batches their Framework 16, which is a much more ambitious laptop and project. And since the release of my laptop, they have come out with a new 2.8K display and improved webcam, not that my webcam is terrible. I made Teams calls on Wi-Fi and asked a coworker how I looked and sounded, and he said good, as usual, and I told him I was on my Framework, and he was impressed. But I could upgrade my panel, webcam, and even my processor, although I have DDR4 RAM, and I would need DDR5 for the newest Intel CPUs. I’m perfectly happy with my CPU so I’m going to pass on that upgrade, but when I do, my current mainboard and processor will not become trash, I can make them another computer with the Cooler Master Framework Mainboard Case. I do think I will upgrade my panel to 2.8k, which scales better with Linux. Until then I am perfectly happy, in fact enthusiastic about my purchase.
Would you recommend a Framework laptop?
I believe it is hard to get a lightweight laptop with this quality, performance, and modularity in any other brand of laptop. I would recommend any 13 Gen Intel or AMD laptop or the new Intel Ultra Series 1. Some of the 13 Gen AMD are shipping with the 2.8k display, and the Core series Intel are heavily discounted. Depending on your needs (battery, weight, resolution, GPU, etc.) you should find a laptop in those categories that will fit your needs. I would caution against the Framework 16, it is a new form factor, and Framework likes to iterate on its products. I have seen some pictures of bad QA and poor fitting. Nonetheless it is an amazing laptop; you might order one and it is perfectly great. That is a noticeably big laptop and can do much more than a 13, but it is for a different market. For lightweight laptops I do not think you can beat the Framework 13, and I foresee myself buying into the ecosystem like an Apple consumer.
