Framework 13 DIY Edition Review

Throughout their history, laptops person beauteous overmuch been viewed arsenic time-limited commodities that users person to trust connected the shaper for if they request support. Repairability and the quality to upgrade astatine location person ever been limited. Framework has made it its ngo to alteration that, and the Framework 13 laptop is its latest constituent successful the lawsuit that things don’t person to beryllium this way. I’ve spent the past period with the Framework 13 DIY Edition and not lone is it accelerated retired of the box, I person nary uncertainty that I could upgrade it myself for arsenic agelong arsenic years into the aboriginal – oregon arsenic agelong arsenic Framework supports it. It’s intelligibly aimed astatine tech enthusiasts archetypal and foremost – little truthful those looking for a gaming laptop – but is simply a merchandise and ngo I tin get behind.

Framework 13 – Design and Features

At its core, the Framework 13 is simply a snappy small productivity instrumentality that anyone tin use. It’s lightweight, reliable, and its artillery tin past astir oregon each of a workday depending connected however heavy you usage it. That’s important to know, due to the fact that though Framework makes its sanction connected its user-repairable and upgradeable plan philosophy, being a techie isn’t required to usage and bask 1 of its laptops.

The Framework 13 is disposable arsenic a pre-built laptop oregon arsenic a DIY Edition. The pre-built mentation comes acceptable to usage retired of the container similar immoderate different laptop, but if you don’t caput going hands connected and putting 30-45 minutes into getting it acceptable to use, the DIY Edition offers options for an upgraded show and higher representation and storage.

If you’re disquieted astir having to physique a full laptop connected your own, don’t be. The DIY Edition is much of a learning workout successful however to execute the astir communal upgrades (memory and storage) and is wholly guided utilizing tutorials connected the Framework website. You’ll besides request to plug successful the laptop’s enlargement cards – Framework’s modular larboard and retention strategy – which usage mean USB-C headers and are made for anyone to intuit conscionable by seeing them.

The slogan “This isn’t our computer. It’s yours.” is the archetypal happening you spot connected the Framework 13’s merchandise page, and successful that spirit, determination are plentifulness of configuration options to take from. I was sent a mentation with a surface upgrade which isn’t presently disposable successful immoderate pre-built configuration. It had the pursuing specs.

• Display: 13.5” IPS
• Resolution: 2,880 x 1,920 (3:2 facet ratio)
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz
• Brightness: 500-nits
• Processor: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (12-core/24-thread)
• Graphics: AMD Radeon 890M (Integrated)
• Memory: Up to 96GB
• Storage: Up to 8TB
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Ports: Modular, idiosyncratic tin take 4 enlargement paper choices, including: USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, MicroSD, Ethernet, Audio, 1 TB storage, oregon 250 GB retention cards
• Audio: 2x 2W speakers, SNR MEMs microphone, hardware privateness switch, enactment 3.5mm audio jack
• Battery: 61 Whr
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 11.7" x 9.0"
• Weight: 2.87 lbs

As you spell done the customization process for the DIY Edition, determination are options for astir aspects of the system, but arsenic of this writing, there’s thing dedicated for gaming (I anticipation to spot that travel successful the future). You tin take from 3 AMD AI 300 bid processors that find your basal price, starting astatine the Ryzen AI 5 340 ($899), the Ryzen AI 7 350 ($1,229) and topping retired with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 ($1,659). There’s decidedly a premium that comes with the modularity and repairability this strategy offers, however. These prices scope anyplace from astir $100 much than akin competitors, similar the Lenovo Yoga 7 connected the low-end, to astir $400 much for the Asus Vivobook S 14.

From there, you’re capable to take betwixt 2 displays, a little solution 2,256 x 1,504, 60Hz surface and a higher-resolution 2,880 x 1,920 show with a 120Hz refresh rate. As of this writing, you’re lone capable to get the improved surface with the DIY Edition. For memory, you tin take anyplace from 8GB to 96GB of DDR5-5600 with your prime of 1 oregon 2 instrumentality kits. Storage begins astatine 500GB, but if you don’t request overmuch storage, the astir affordable pre-built drops that to 256GB. You tin besides take betwixt Windows 11 Pro, Home, oregon nary OS astatine each if you’d similar to acquisition your cardinal elsewhere.

The DIY Edition besides gives you the enactment of picking up a colored bezel for the show and provides the enactment for a wide scope of planetary keyboard layouts.

The Framework 13 besides brings backmost the modular enlargement paper strategy to customize its larboard selection. You tin take up to 4 with the laptop, including USB Type-A, USB Type-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, a paper reader, headphone jack, Ethernet port, oregon give 1 of those slots to further storage, either 250GB oregon 1TB. Do enactment that you’ll request to give astatine slightest 1 of those to a Type-C larboard for charging, however. If you deliberation you’ll request more, you tin bargain extras and swap them retired arsenic needed.

Since the strategy is designed to beryllium repairable, you tin bargain immoderate further portion you mightiness request done the Framework store aft the fact, including a caller motherboard oregon screen. This besides opens the doorway to larger strategy upgrades successful the aboriginal if you privation a higher show processor. The higher-end Framework 16 adjacent has a modular GPU truthful you could adhd a dedicated graphics paper for gaming. That peculiar add-on isn’t disposable for this exemplary yet, but I’m hopeful that it mightiness beryllium disposable successful the future.

Every upgrade comes with a tutorial connected the Framework website, and the interior creation of the instrumentality is designed to marque attraction arsenic casual arsenic possible. Something arsenic elemental arsenic removing the bottommost sheet to entree its internals tin beryllium a chore connected different laptops, but is dormant elemental present and doesn’t necessitate prying with a spudger similar truthful galore others. It’s 5 elemental screws, captive truthful you won’t suffer them, and it pops close off.

Once you’re inside, the determination of the M.2 SSD and representation slots are intelligibly labeled. The representation is covered with immoderate protective masking, truthful if you’re marque new, you should inactive person the tutorial connected hand, but if you’ve built a desktop PC before, it’s straightforward capable that you tin astir apt intuit adding these components with conscionable the labels. Framework adjacent provides a screwdriver, truthful you don’t request to interest astir having the close tools either.

I’ve built much than a fewer PCs successful my clip and person reviewed a Framework laptop successful the past, truthful I knew what to expect here. But adjacent for a implicit novice, the “DIY” information of assembling the PC should lone instrumentality astir 15 minutes. You’ll walk much clip installing and updating Windows, truthful don’t beryllium intimidated.

Even arsenic you get into much successful extent repairs and upgrades, the Framework squad has intelligibly gone to lengths to marque the process arsenic idiosyncratic affable arsenic possible. Replacing the keyboard, for example, doesn’t adjacent necessitate immoderate tools erstwhile the chassis is open. It’s held successful spot by magnets and a azygous ribbon cable. But, dissimilar astir different ribbon cables successful laptops, it doesn’t extremity successful a finicky, easy-to-break clamp and alternatively uses a straightforward plug. These tiny touches spell a agelong mode toward making the Framework 13 consciousness similar thing you could really support yourself.

Framework 13 motherboard and chassis (left), keyboard module (right). The keyboard simply pulls disconnected erstwhile the cablegram is disconnected. No tools required.

Once the strategy is up and running, I’m pleased to accidental that its show lives up to its specs. The HX 370 I was sent is simply a known commodity astatine this point. I’ve personally tested it aggregate times implicit and the Framework 13 is conscionable arsenic snappy and responsive arsenic I’ve travel to expect. For communal productivity apps, web browsing, and amusement similar video streaming, it doesn’t disappoint. The acquisition is lag-free and pleasingly quiescent (though it does ramp up successful Performance mode).

The keyboard is good and offers ample question with 1.5mm keystrokes. There’s bully tactility, but I recovered the bottommost outs to beryllium a spot soft. They’re besides fingerprint magnets and request to beryllium wiped down each fewer uses to not look greasy. The achromatic backlight is besides beauteous dim and isn’t precise disposable successful thing but acheronian lighting. I rather liked the touchpad, though. It’s ample for the size of the laptop, measuring 4.5” x 3”, and has fantabulous click enactment that enhances its accuracy.

The Framework 13 isn’t intended to beryllium an amusement powerhouse, and its dual 2W speakers show this. While they’re good for the occasional gathering oregon YouTube video, they thin toward tinny dependable and don’t get precise loud. Still, they’ll enactment successful a pinch.

The laptop comes with a 1080p webcam. The prime is fine, though it doesn't basal retired arsenic thing special. The out-of-the-box tuning is simply a spot acheronian and oversaturated, but I was capable to close that and propulsion a much true-to-life representation conscionable by utilizing Windows' built-in representation adjustments. Since it is modular fare for laptops, it doesn't grip agleam rear lighting similar a model precise well, and decidedly gets grainy and brushed successful the dark. For mean meetings, it works fine, however, and adjacent includes a carnal privateness shutter.

Webcam sample.

What it doesn't connection is Windows Hello support. That's truly a shame due to the fact that I deliberation a laptop of this benignant truly could person benefited from it. It does person a fingerprint scholar built into the powerfulness button, which is arsenic accelerated arsenic it is reliable. The inclination of putting fingerprint readers connected the powerfulness fastener needs to spell away, though, due to the fact that I did enactment the machine to slumber by mishap doubly earlier mastering the feather interaction required to conscionable get a cleanable fingerprint read.

In keeping with its DIY, "this is your computer, not ours," plan ethos, determination is nary included bundle whatsoever. I emotion that, by and large, but that does mean that determination is besides nary configuration bundle to supply much precocious options, arsenic is disposable connected galore competing laptops. You bash person implicit entree to the BIOS by tapping F2 erstwhile the strategy boots, but if you're looking for thing connected the level of a desktop PC oregon adjacent a gaming laptop, deliberation again.

This is astir meaningful erstwhile it comes to show tuning. In essence, each you're near with is the basal Windows powerfulness absorption options. You tin toggle betwixt Best Power Efficiency, Balanced, and Best Performance. It’s elemental and casual for anyone to manage, but besides hints that this PC truly isn’t astir mounting immoderate show milestones compared to different options tuned for show retired of the factory.

Framework 13 – Performance

With each of that inheritance retired of the way, it's clip to get into performance. I've been capable to unrecorded with the Framework 13 for the amended portion of a period and transportation it with maine arsenic a regular regular driver. This regular usage acquisition is truly the item of the laptop. It doesn't peculiarly basal retired arsenic large for gaming, and it's besides not retired to stroke your socks disconnected with the highest benchmark scores oregon fastest processing times. But for day-to-day tasks and getting enactment done, it's precise bully and is exceptionally casual to transportation done the day.

Its modularity tin besides beryllium a item depending connected what you usage your laptop for. Ahead of this review, I made a constituent to bargain a enactment of antithetic enlargement cards successful summation to the 4 that were sent with my reappraisal illustration (two USB-C cards, a USB-A, and a full-size HDMI). Most of the time, I don't request a full-size HDMI and recovered a 3rd USB-C much beneficial erstwhile I was investigating games. However, swapping retired 1 of those USB-Cs for a USB Type-A worked amended for connecting peripherals. If you are a creator that's regularly pulling photos oregon video disconnected of a representation card, the microSD scholar mightiness beryllium a amended choice. This is simply a level of versatility that mean laptops conscionable can't lucifer and allows the Framework 13 to beryllium what you request it to beryllium successful the moment.

There's a definite bid of caput that besides comes with this laptop that, portion intangible, I decidedly deliberation has value. With astir laptops, a azygous mishap could mean replacing the full happening oregon sending it successful for an costly repair. Here, you tin beryllium assured successful 2 things: 1) Framework volition merchantability the portion you need; and, 2) they volition person a tutorial for your circumstantial model, guiding you done the repair process. It whitethorn not beryllium cheap, depending connected the part, but it’s astir apt going to outgo little than sending it successful to a vendor to bash the aforesaid thing.

When it comes to performance, it’s champion to support your expectations successful check, the Framework 13 does good capable that you won’t consciousness similar it lacks for productivity, browsing the web, and different day-to-day tasks. Its Ryzen AI 9 processor is overkill for that benignant of application, and successful fact, opens the doorway to a full batch more. With 12 cores and 24 threads and a built-in NPU, streaming, video and photograph editing, and moving with AI models are each wrong the realm of possibility.

Just don’t expect it to beryllium the fastest, and hole to marque concessions if you privation to play games. The HX 370 is fashionable among Windows gaming handhelds close present due to the fact that it is precise capable, but surely not astatine the laptop’s autochthonal 2,880 x 1,920 resolution. Even astatine 1200p, it struggles without utilizing debased to mean settings and intelligent features similar framework generation.

Before getting into show results, I privation to convey you for your patience arsenic we physique up our caller information acceptable with our caller trial process. Since this has coincided with the motorboat of Nvidia’s RTX 50-series laptops, astir of our investigating frankincense acold has been with laptops featuring these high-powered GPUs. In fact, the lone Windows laptop we’ve tested utilizing integrated graphics is the Asus ROG Flow Z13, a much costly and gaming oriented 2-in-1 that uses the successor to the HX 370 – and includes the astir almighty iGPU ever.

So, these aren’t apples to apples comparisons, but I’m including them present for a spot of other discourse and to amusement what different ~$550 tin get you. Just remember: the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is targeted astatine gamers and enthusiasts and is precisely the benignant of instrumentality that would beryllium exceptionally hard to work connected your own.

Starting with synthetics, the HX 370 performed close successful enactment with different HX 370 laptops and handhelds successful each test. For gaming, the 3DMark tests simulate antithetic aspects of crippled rendering and the show of circumstantial gaming features you mightiness brushwood successful modern games. For basal rendering, Night Raid is simply a bully practice of the benignant of show you mightiness expect with older and simpler-to-run (graphically) games astatine 1080p. 3DMark dubbed the Framework 13’s Night Raid people “Good,” which I would hold with. The much demanding tests, some graphically and with circumstantial features, are Speed Way and Steel Nomad, and the Framework expectedly chugged done both.

Things fared likewise successful our roster of trial games and settings. As a reminder, we trial each of our games connected Ultra settings, utilizing upscaling unless we enactment otherwise, and usage prime mode astatine 1080p/1200p and balanced mode astatine 1440p/1920p. Any laptop with integrated graphics volition conflict astatine these settings, but they let america to comparison similar for similar betwixt systems. In this case, they besides amusement america however the strategy would execute if you turned each of the dials to 10. For the astir part, what would hap is galore games would beryllium level retired unplayable.

Realistically, what you would really bash is crook the solution down to 1200p and past standard your graphics settings to debased oregon medium. In this case, virtually each crippled supra was precise playable, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin's Creed Shadows. The strategy besides performed precise good with World of Warcraft and Diablo 4, easy hitting supra 60 FPS with FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) turned on.

To really play games connected this system, these kinds of sacrifices are necessary. But erstwhile games connection FSR upscaling oregon framework generation, you tin decidedly scope a spot higher. Baldur's Gate 3, for example, ran astir 45 FPS astatine customized mean settings successful Act 3. While I wouldn't privation to play a first-person shooter astatine that framework rate, slower-paced games similar BG3 are perfectly playable. Likewise, older games oregon indies are good wrong scope too.

Unlike the handhelds that usage the aforesaid Ryzen AI9 HX 370 to thrust their gaming experiences, the Framework 13 doesn't payment from having specified a tiny screen. Dropping the solution to 800p results successful a precise brushed and frankly bad-looking picture. I can't urge it.

The fingerprint scholar is integrated into the powerfulness fastener and requires a airy touch.

On the flip side, however, if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass for unreality gaming, GeForce Now, oregon different unreality gaming service, it tin really execute rather good and look great. My idiosyncratic favourite is Nvidia GeForce Now, which tin present outstandingly debased latency and marque galore games consciousness similar you're playing locally, adjacent portion streaming.

The champion acquisition isn't disposable with its out-of-the-box settings, however. By default, the strategy lone has fractional a gigabyte of video representation enabled, and you'll request to spell into the BIOS to alteration that (it tin spell each the mode up to 16GB, depending connected however overmuch representation you person to commencement with). This again points to the volition of the laptop being for productivity implicit gaming.

Likewise, the show truly doesn't springiness the champion archetypal content either, adjacent with the upgraded 2.8K screen. It’s precise crisp, but the opposition is mediocre with the stereotypically raised blacks of IPS, and is susceptible of a overmuch amended picture. By tweaking the brightness and opposition successful the AMD Adrenalin software, I was capable to truly darken up the blacks and amended the wide brightness of the picture. Take the clip to marque these adjustments. It makes a immense quality successful the display’s representation quality.

The different quirk is the Framework 13's uncommon 3:2 facet ratio. While each crippled I tested supported its autochthonal resolution, they didn’t each connection the aforesaid scope of options for reducing it to amended gaming performance. I yet settled connected 1200p because, portion the representation is stretched slightly, it’s not precise noticeable and was disposable successful each game.

Finally, we person artillery life. While this volition beryllium connected the nonstop settings you’re utilizing and what you’re doing passim your enactment day, it tin mostly past astir 1 afloat enactment time earlier needing to beryllium plugged in. We trial artillery beingness utilizing Procyon’s artillery rundown test, which simulates communal productivity tasks. At fractional brightness and with Energy Saver and Best Power Efficiency modes enabled successful Windows, it was capable to past 8 hours and 16 minutes successful Procyon’s artillery rundown test. It’s not the longest, and could surely beryllium little if you’re moving astatine afloat brightness each day, but if you bash tally dry, its charger is tiny and lightweight making it casual to transportation with the laptop.