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When it comes to improving nan sustainability of personification electronics, there’s a expanding activity to creation devices pinch a attraction connected upgradability and repairability that tin widen their longevity, alternatively of conscionable making them easier to recycle aft a less years of use.
At 1 time, astir each laptop shaper was caught up successful a title to create ultrathin designs, resulting successful hardware that was difficult to upgrade and costly to repair. But successful caller years, respective companies personification demonstrated that laptops tin beryllium designed truthful that users tin upgrade and easy move retired parts arsenic needed.
Innovative companies for illustration Framework personification been producing laptops that don’t petition to beryllium wholly replaced each less years, and pinch overmuch occurrence than different companies antecedently pursuing akin pursuits. In 2021, Dell was sued complete its Alienware laptop that promised GPU upgrades, while Intel has abandoned a mates of modular hardware products, including its Compute Cards.
For now, it’s chiefly Framework starring nan charge, but its occurrence has inspired competitors for illustration Lenovo to recreation suit. As overmuch companies dedicate R&D to nan cause, Framework whitethorn 1 clip nary longer beryllium nan only marque associated pinch modular devices.
You tin enactment connected apical of each nan latest upgradable and easy repairable instrumentality news and developments correct here.
Here’s Framework’s first touchscreen laptop.
Can Framework hole money laptops next? That’s nan goal, and Framework CEO Nirav Patel says he’ll beryllium dogfooding it himself, making this 12-inch laptop his regular driver for nan foreseeable future. He wouldn’t show maine conscionable really money it’ll spell yet.
Framework Desktop hands-on: a imaginable caller guidance for gaming desktops
Framework’s ngo is to “fix personification electronics, 1 people astatine a time” by making them modular, repairable, and upgradable. It’s nan only laptop shaper to ever genuinely win astatine that “upgradable” part. But desktop PCs are already modular, truthful why is Framework making one?
At first, I thought it saw a unsocial opportunity to make a mini yet badass mini gaming PC pinch AMD’s different Strix Halo processor and decided to sprout its shot. As you’ll publication below, I’m excited by nan result. But I too personification different thought I’ll banal pinch you afterward.
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‘We’re obscurity adjacent done pinch Framework Laptop 16’ says Framework CEO
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Two years ago, nan past clip Framework had an arena successful San Francisco, California, nan point was nan Framework Laptop 16 — a laptop promising nan “holy grail” of upgradable graphics cards, and easy 1 of nan astir eager laptops ever made.
But today, nan Framework Laptop 16 sewage mini mention astatine its caller event, which focused connected nan new, likewise gamer-oriented Framework Desktop instead. While nan Desktop and Framework’s original 13-inch laptop immoderate sewage nan latest AMD processors today, we don’t yet cognize if aliases erstwhile nan Framework Laptop 16 mightiness leap guardant too.
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Framework wants to spread nan money laptop pinch its first touchscreen machine
Framework, nan modular repairable instrumentality company, says money laptops mostly suck — and it plans to spread that this year. Today, it’s previewing a instrumentality called nan Framework Laptop 12 that’ll beryllium its smallest laptop yet, its first pinch a touchscreen, its first pinch a 2-in-1 convertible hinge, and its first pinch a rubber-esque daze absorbing TPU outer separator to make it overmuch suitable for kids and students, too.
“We build products to spread what we spot arsenic a room industry, and less categories are arsenic emblematic of nan problems pinch personification electronics arsenic entry-level laptops,” writes Framework CEO Nirav Patel, continuing:
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The Framework Laptop 13 has conscionable been upgraded to AMD’s Strix Point
Image: Framework
Framework has done it again — it’s built a caller AMD-powered modular instrumentality that fits into immoderate erstwhile type of its 13-inch laptop for $449, aliases that you tin bargain arsenic a brand-new laptop starting astatine $899 for DIY aliases $1,099 wholly prebuilt for you. We concisely checked it retired coming astatine Framework’s arena successful San Francisco, alongside nan just-announced mini Framework Desktop and nan caller fund touchscreen convertible Framework Laptop 12.
This 13-inch instrumentality is nan company’s 2nd pinch AMD processors, this clip featuring nan new-ish Ryzen AI 300 “Strix Point” chips successful Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7, each nan measurement up to nan Ryzen 9 HX 370 pinch 12 CPU cores, half-decent portable gaming chops and 50 TOPS of AI performance. And yes, that makes this Framework’s first Copilot Plus PC.
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Framework says its laptops shouldn’t get stung by Trump tariffs but modules mightiness costs more.
CEO Nirav Patel tells The Verge:
“Because we manufacture Framework Laptops and Mainboards successful Taiwan, we personification constricted effect from nan further precocious introduced tariffs. Some of our modules are manufactured successful China, truthful we are taking this into narration for early module pricing for US customers successful nan Framework Marketplace arsenic we too proceed to diversify our proviso base.”
Framework will uncover caller gadgets connected February 25th — tin you decipher its glyphs?
Image: Framework
Framework’s unfastened guidelines RISC-V laptop mainboard is now available.
It’s powered by a StarFive JH7110 SoC processor alternatively of chips from Intel aliases AMD, but it’s not recommended for astir consumers. It’s targeted astatine developers and early adopters not focused connected performance.
Intel still dreams of modular PCs — it brought a tablet laptop gaming handheld to CES
Photo by Sean Hollister/ The Verge
Dell’s caller USB-C ports usage screws alternatively of solder truthful you tin spread them yourself.
Dell conscionable killed disconnected XPS, but its caller “Pro” laptops propulsion a neat trick: astir USB-C ports and batteries are now officially user-replaceable.
“This is nan first clip that we’ve had a screwed-on, non-soldered modular USB-C port,” Dell PM Katie Green tells us. She says Dell too plans to bring this to consumers “when it makes sense.” No relationship connected Framework-like modularity yet.
1/3The caller modular USB-C port. Images: Dell
The Framework Laptop 16 conscionable sewage a modular gadget that enables quadruple SSDs
The astir eager laptop ever made conscionable sewage a long-promised modular upgrade. Starting today, you tin net $39 to adhd 2 different M.2 slots to nan Framework Laptop 16 — letting you perchance proscription astir an AI accelerator, an eGPU adapter, aliases a expansive afloat of 4 coagulated authorities retention sticks for ludicrous capacity.
As Framework’s blog station points out, nan caller “Dual M.2 Adapter” is Framework’s first caller modular constituent since motorboat that takes advantage of nan Laptop 16’s ample explanation bay astir back. At launch, you only had 2 options: a Radeon RX 7700S discrete graphics insubstantial for different money, aliases a mostly quiet bay that only contained fans.
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You tin now accessorize your Framework laptop pinch Lego.
If you’re a Framework laptop personification pinch entree to a 3D printer you’ve now sewage an important mobility to inquire yourself. Do you prioritize being tin to accessorize your instrumentality pinch Lego utilizing this 3D-printed adapter pinch studs and tubes that fits into nan Framework’s explanation insubstantial port? Or is adding different USB-C aliases HDMI larboard a higher priority? Decisions, decisions...
Framework Laptop 16, six months later
My original Framework Laptop 16 reappraisal unit, adjacent to its replacement.
In January, I spent 2 weeks pinch nan astir modular notebook ever made: nan Framework Laptop 16. It’s a gadget nerd’s dream: you tin move retired its keyboard, touchpad, ports — moreover its afloat discrete GPU. You tin toggle style it from a sleek activity laptop to a decent gaming instrumentality successful 2 minutes flat, 1 which charges pinch nan world’s first 180W USB-C powerfulness adapter.
But astatine nan time, I gave nan Framework Laptop 16 a 5 retired of 10. The merchandise gave maine aggregate Blue Screens of Death, glitched, felt flimsy successful places, and ran hotter and louder than its capacity would suggest.
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The Framework Laptop 13 is astir to spell 1 of nan world’s first RISC-V laptops
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Framework now lets you upgrade its Laptop 13 pinch a drop-in 120Hz screen, amended webcam, and Core Ultra chip
Image: Framework
Compression-mounted laptop RAM is fast, efficient, and upgradeable
The first laptop pinch LPCAMM2 practice is yet here. The folks astatine iFixit sewage their hands connected nan Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen 7), which uses LPDDR5X practice successful an LPCAMM2 module that you tin upgrade aliases move by simply unscrewing from nan laptop’s motherboard.
That’s a awesome alteration from existing LPDDR practice successful astir modern laptops. This type of practice is typically soldered onto nan motherboard, making it overmuch overmuch difficult to upgrade. LPCAMM2 — aliases Low-Power Compression-Attached Memory Module — offers modularity without losing nan powerfulness ratio of LPDDR.
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Framework won’t beryllium conscionable a laptop institution anymore
Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
Today, Framework is nan modular repairable laptop company. Tomorrow, it wants to beryllium a personification electronics company, period. That’s 1 of nan biggest reasons it conscionable raised different $18 cardinal successful backing — it wants to turn beyond nan laptop into “additional merchandise categories.”
Framework CEO Nirav Patel tells maine that has ever been nan plan. The institution primitively had different viable ideas beyond laptops, too. “We chose to return connected nan notebook abstraction first,” he says, partially because Framework knew it could bootstrap its ambitions by catering to nan PC builders and tinkerers and Linux enthusiasts adjacent down by ample OEMs — and partially because it wanted to spell ample aliases spell home.
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The Framework Laptop has a firmware update problem — but perchance not for long?
I didn’t admit it’d grounded to coming truthful galore updates ‘til I publication this Ars Technica story. The bully news: hardware partner Compal now has a afloat firmware squad caller to go:
The goal, Patel says, is to continuously hit done each of Framework’s actively supported laptops, updating each of them 1 astatine a clip earlier looping backmost astir and starting nan process complete again. Functionality-breaking problems and accusation fixes will return precedence, while further features and personification requests will beryllium lower-priority.
Framework is trading a inexpensive modular laptop
Framework is now trading a $499 type of its modular 2021 Laptop 13, a “barebones configuration” equipped pinch an 11th-generation Intel i7-1165G7 CPU (Intel is now connected its 14th procreation for mobile processors). The institution says this is simply a first for its affordable “B-stock Factory Seconds” machines that usage leftover parts and alloy without practice aliases retention included. So it’s cheap, but you’ll petition to proviso a mates of parts connected your own.
Framework writes successful its announcement that it’s too trading refurbished DDR4 RAM for half what it would costs caller “to trim nan all-in price.” The guidelines B-stock Laptop 13 configuration is 1 measurement up from nan type that Monica Chin said successful her Verge reappraisal was “uniquely friends to personification upgrades,” but notably lacked disposable aboveground aliases GPU upgrades.
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Framework will nonstop america different Framework Laptop 16 — and here’s what it will fix.
We told Framework we had respective different stableness issues, truthful I was a mini disappointment to spot nan company’s CEO propose I only encountered one... but I’m happy to opportunity Framework will nonstop The Verge a past accumulation information pinch alternatively a database of hardware and package fixes!
The DPC_Watchdog_Violation freeze, astatine least, does look to beryllium fixed successful my testing pinch a newer BIOS.
Framework Laptop 16 review: 2 weeks pinch nan eventual modular laptop
The Framework Laptop 16 is nan astir eager notebook I’ve ever touched. There’s ne'er been point for illustration it before. There’s truthful overmuch to surface that it won’t caller successful this review, truthful I’m hosting an AMA coming connected The Verge to reply your burning questions.
Never has a instrumentality institution made a laptop truthful user-repairable, truthful customizable, so… modular. Never personification I owned a laptop that’s a workhorse by day, physically transforms into a competent gaming PC by night, past morphs into an RGB-LED-studded five-screen DJ controller erstwhile nan temper strikes. Never personification I swapped retired a laptop’s afloat butt for a bigger 1 containing a discrete graphics card, past powered nan afloat rig pinch a world’s first 180-watt USB-C PD powerfulness supply. And ne'er personification I been tin to assistance retired a laptop’s keyboard and touchpad, displacement them to nan adjacent aliases right, past adhd a numpad, aliases a matrix of dazzling LEDs, aliases a elemental celebrated of colour alongside.
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AMA: I reviewed nan Framework Laptop 16, inquire maine point astatine 12PM ET!
I americium unreasonably excited astir nan ridiculously modular Framework Laptop 16. I did loads of testing that didn’t alternatively caller into my review, so... I’ll reply your burning questions astatine 12PM ET and passim nan day, and you tin statesman adding ‘em now! Hit that comments fastener and you’ll spot our Q&A module.
Don’t beryllium shy: I’ve sewage this instrumentality correct present and americium happy to quickly proceedings and measurement things for you.
Framework Laptop 13 (AMD) review: bargain this 1 — if you can
The title betwixt Intel and AMD is simply a communicative arsenic aged arsenic time. And here, successful nan unobtrusive and unsuspecting Framework Laptop 13, that title comes to a head. Because, for nan first time, this modular 13-inch instrumentality allows you to afloat move an Intel processor pinch an AMD processor (or, I do suppose, vice versa). It’ll costs you arsenic mini arsenic $449 (the worth of a Ryzen 5 mainboard) and half an hr of your time.
It’s awesome that an AMD Framework exists, immoderate for folks who already ain an Intel type but want to upgrade and for those who are shopping for nan first clip and will usage from overmuch choice. It’s too awesome for maine personally because it creates a controlled experiment. It allows maine to put 2 competing chips broadside by broadside successful a virtually identical chassis and proceedings them out. There’s not moreover a worth differential: nan 2 systems are nan aforesaid price, pinch prebuilts starting astatine $1,049 and DIY kits astatine $849 successful immoderate cases.
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Lenovo exec promises 80 percent of its devices will beryllium consumer-repairable by 2025
Framework is yet moving connected a full-size SD insubstantial module
You tin hot-swap a DisplayPort, ethernet, moreover an different 3.5mm audio jack into your modular Framework laptop — and today, nan institution is yet opening activity connected a full-size SD Expansion Card to spell pinch them.
But seriously, it’s conscionable opening that work: nan institution says it’s breaking contented by “pre-announcing” a module that whitethorn ne'er ship. “We’ve group a target for what we want it to be, but arsenic we proceed and learn, there’s a chance it could alteration aliases moreover beryllium canceled,” Framework writes. Don’t worry: it’s not trying to complaint successful up of time; nan thought is by doing it this way, Framework tin return you down nan scenes.
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