Frame Work: The Laptop of the People
The Idea:
The idea for the Framework laptop is a simple, yet amicable one. Create a laptop that is cheap, sustainable, and ultimately pro-consumer. Or at least that’s the message I got from the Framework website. The branding for the Framework laptop makes it out to be a dream for a techie like myself. A supposed completely modular design, a thin and light frame, a high resolution 2256x1504 3:2 display, a Windows-hello compatible fingerprint reader, easily interchangeable IO ports, and an all-day battery all are ear-candy to anyone who knows what these things mean. If all of this was true, this would go down as the current greatest laptop in the history of portable computers.
The Hype:
The Framework team sent out review samples to top tech reviewers around the world, and the reviews were unanimous. Almost all perfect scores. Ifixit, a popular site for reviewing the repairability of devices and providing resources to fix said devices, gave it a repairability score of 10/10, one of few laptops to ever receive that high of a score. Linus Tech Tips, a tech review from Vancouver with over 11 million subscribers on YouTube, even went so far as to buy one for himself. Later, after consulting with his community, he invested over $200k in the company siting its pro-consumer practices. The hype around the laptop was building up to levels not seen in years in the tech industry. But could it live up to the hype?
The Configuration:
There are two main configurations of the laptop. A pre-built laptop that is essentially plug and play, and the DIY edition. In an effort to save money (and not take away all the fun), I purchased the DIY edition.
First and foremost, the CPU. There are three options for CPU: I5 1137GE7, Intel i7–1165G7, Intel i7–1185G7. I went with the mid-range 1165G7. It has a great power to performance ratio, and the higher tier 1185G7 had marginally better performance, with a much higher price.
Further down the page you are prompted to pick a Wi-Fi card. There 2options, they both are Intel Wi-Fi 6E cards, one of them has vPro and the other doesn’t. Alternatively, you can bring your own card. I chose the non vPro configuration as you need the top-of-the-line I7 to use the vPro, and I had no use for it anyway. From posts on the Framework forums, this is what almost everyone who ordered one did.
Next, I was prompted with picking a storage solution. The laptop currently only supports NVM M.2 SSDs, but that may change in the future due to its modular design. The website offers a large selection of off the shelf SSD’s ranging from 250GB to 4TB. I decided to save some money and pick up an SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB SSD. Doing this I ended up saving around $25 from the 1Tb SSD they offer and got a higher performance drive.
Next you must pick your memory. The motherboard supports up to Dual Channel 64gb DDR4 3200, but I went with the 2x8 GB 3200 memory configuration. The manufacturer of the ram isn’t stated on the configuration page like the storage is, but I ended up receiving the modules made by crucial.
Finally, the operating system. The website offers Windows 10 Pro and Home keys. I decided to just bring my own so I could use an old key I had and save $200. There will most likely be a large number of Linux user on Framework due to its modularity and appear to techies.
Next you get to pick your cosmetics. Currently there is only one color for the bezzle and keyboard, but there are images of a clear and stealth keyboard variant all over the website. You can include a 60W charger in your bundle for $49. And finally, we have expansion cards. These are the small and lightweight cards that go into the ports of the laptop that give you access to many different ports. Currently they only have USB C, USB A, HDMI, Display Port, Micro SD Card reader. Currently a 250GB expansion card and a 1TB expansion card that fit into the same port. I decided to purchase the ports that I’d think I need, and some extra, because they are not that expensive ranging from $9 — $19. Finally, I was ready to order my laptop.
The Batch System:
Depending on the CPU and when the laptop was ordered, you were placed into a batch. I was placed into batch 3. This was set to ship in September.
The Unboxing:
When the package finally arrived at my doorstep 2 days late, to the fault of FedEx I might add, I quickly ripped the box open and was delightfully pleased. The Framework Laptop was packaged in reusable and sustainable cardboard without an ounce of plastic. This was certainly surprising yet, in retrospect, expected as the laptop had a focus on sustainability. The charger came in a separate box from the laptop. This makes sense as it probably simplifies their logistical process as not everyone ordered a charger. The ram, Wi-Fi card, and ports, all came in a bubble mailer that was included in the box. It was very easy to install all the components as everything is labeled. It even comes with a screwdriver! All the components from the speakers to the webcam to the charger include a QR code that links you to a guide on how to replace the component. After I had installed the Wi-Fi card, Ram, SSD, and ports I was finally ready to boot up the device and install Windows.
Build Quality:
The build quality of the device is only rivaled by Apple. This device looks and feels premium to an extent that is completely foreign to non-Apple devices. It is no doubt that the sleek and slim design was inspired by the MacBook and MacBook Pro. To the eye of a normal consumer, the device would look almost indistinguishable from a MacBook if it were not for the shiny Framework logo on the front (back?) of the device.
The Keyboard and Trackpad:
The keyboard on the Framework laptop is one of the greatest laptop keyboards I have ever felt. It is made by Lite-on, so I am unsurprised. I was easily able to achieve over 100 WPM on the keyboard on the first day and got better as my time with the device grew. The glass trackpad is large and fantastic. It feels premium and is super responsive due to its Windows Precision drivers.
The Display:
The display that ships with the laptop is a 4:3 2256x1504 gift from the gods. The display is only 60 hertz, but for most people’s use cases, this will not be an issue. The 4:3 aspect ratio makes it a god send for productivity. This is my first 4:3 laptop and the change in my productivity has been to a degree unparalleled by almost any other upgrade I have made to my setup. The resolution is beautifully crisp while not sucking the battery dry. The display gets pretty bright and is easily legible under bright lights.
The Battery:
The battery life on my unit was just about what I expected. For me I have gotten from 6–6 ½ hours on one charge with constant but light word processing and web surfing. Other users on the Framework forums and subreddit have been able to squeeze out longer with a few optimizations, but I was happy with my life span. While not plugged in I ran the second power profile as I do not typically need the extra power while using the battery. This battery life is certainly not anywhere near that of the M1 MacBooks, but that is to be expected. The fact that things like the ram are not soldered to the motherboard forces it to have a lower battery life than something with a custom SOC.
The Power:
Running Cinebench R23 I got a multicore score 5498 of and a single core score of 1432. This is roughly what is to expect of the I7 in a laptop of this form factor. The fan became noticeably louder as the CPU heated up, but never got to a point where it was unbearable. This laptop is not going to run any AAA games at ultra, but it certainly can play Civ 6 on your lunch break. I was able to reach a stable-ish 60 fps in GTA at 1080p. PC Mark 10 gave me a score of 5011.
The Body:
The laptop is extremely light and can easily be carried in a back or briefcase. Its is only slightly thicker and heavier than the newest MacBooks which allows the laptop to be quickly whipped out for work while on the bus or during any downtime throughout the day. Things like new bodies are said to be on the market place once it launches.
All the Small Things:
Other stuff I couldn’t fit into its own category.
The hinge feels fantastic. It is very similar to those hinges seen on the MacBook and the Surface Laptops.
The speakers aren’t horrible. They are the loudest, but they are pretty high quality.
The charger is small and lightweight. It runs very cool even when charging overnight.
The privacy with the hardware microphone and webcam switches is a major plus.
The quality of the webcam isn’t horrible. It still is a laptop webcam but is full 1080p.
The backlit keyboard is nice for working in the dark.
The Framework customer service is very responsive and responds quickly.
The Wi-Fi 6E card is super-fast.
The drivers for all the devices are easily downloadable from the Framework website as a nice .exe and automatically install.
The Windows Hello compatible fingerprint reader is a nice addition and is in a convenient location on the top left of the keyboard.
What this means…
The Framework laptop is a diamond in the rough. So many electronic devices are treated as consumables and not long-lasting tools. This mindset cultivates the growing amount of E-Waste in the environment. The Framework laptop is easily the best way to combat this epidemic. The modular nature and eco-friendly design promote an anti-consumerist, pro-consumer culture. This monkey wrench in the laptop market that Framework has created should force competitors to adopt a similar mantra. This change will be ultimately better for the consumer in every way. Even if someone does not know how to repair their own laptop and do not want to learn, it will significantly reduce repair costs.
Framework has also stated that they plan to let other companies manufacture components for their laptops. This will provide even more competition between brands which, once again, is good for the consumer.
Framework’s mission is amicable. Creating a sustainable laptop when the risk of failure is high is a great task. Purchasing this laptop and subsequent products of Framework’s is an inherent risk as the company could be a fluke. Fortunately, even if the company were to go under, this is still a mighty fine device. The price is relatively competitive to other, non-modular, laptops of its class.
I find it hard to champion companies. It is typically an unhealthy practice as companies do not care about you. Though I do really hope Framework succeeds. The team behind Framework cares about their product and is passionate about what they have created. I hope this style of pro-consumer devices catches on and continues to grow for a number of reasons. I send out the best of luck to Framework and a thank you to the team behind it for having the courage to take a risk of creating a laptop that goes against the industry.