Framework Laptop 13 review: A DIY dream come true

Framework has released the 2023 version of its 13-inch modular laptop. And guys, it’s exactly the same as the 2022 model.

okay so, i mean, it’s not extremely Truth. There’s an AMD option now, but I don’t have one to review yet. I’m testing the pre-built Intel model, which includes the 13th Generation Core i7-1360P. The battery is also big, coming in at 61Wh. There are a few more small things about the chassis. There is a new matte display option and a new speaker system. But I’m going to tell you right now that using a 2023 framework laptop 13 feels just like using a 2022 framework laptop. The experiences are basically identical.

And that’s mostly good. Last year’s laptop was fine. It wasn’t my favorite thing in the world, with a slightly more flimsy and plasticky build, not to mention a plain look like you often see at this price point, but it was okay. Framework has always struck me as a company that is very much attuned to what its customers need, and things like ease of repair and upgradability are more important to them than premium builds.

Still, some of the perks the chassis brought last year remain. The bright, 2256 x 1504, 3:2 display is a unique find. The speakers are excellent. The laptop is quite portable, weighing in at just under three pounds. But most important (to me, at least) is that the Framework fixed the biggest complaint about its laptops last year. Battery life used to be bad. And reader, now that’s cool.

My favorite aspect of the Framework laptop has always been the port selection. Specifically, you choose the ports for yourself, inserting up to four expansion cards of your choice into the deck. what fun! I went for one USB-C and one USB-A on each side because I’m boring like that, but Framework has “re-optimized” the HDMI and DisplayPort expansion cards for the 2023 model to allow devices to stay inside. to be enabled. Low power states, so you can select them if you’re feeling adventurous. (MicroSD, audio, Ethernet, and storage expansion are also available.)

I also can’t praise this 13.5-inch, 3:2 display enough. The extra vertical space feels roomy for multitasking, and I appreciate how much text I can see at once when I’m writing a long draft (like this one). I also prefer the new matte screen as it brings back less glare than last year’s glossy screen – but the nice thing about the frame is that you can choose whatever you want. The bezels can be customized in a range of colors – currently black, white and orange, along with green, purple, red and translucent. Look, I’m not a DIY person. But give me a purple bezel, and I’ll have no choice but to buy it.

The touchpad remains smooth with an easy click. I’ll note that this is the only part of the chassis that actually gets smudged; After a week or two of use, it had a very visible blob in the middle. The keyboard, which is well backlit with satisfying travel and click, had an easier time staying clean. I still wish you could customize the touchpad, similar to how you can customize the keycaps, but Framework at least sells cables and kits so you can replace it if it ever breaks (or is just too becomes gross).

The new speakers are an improvement. Where they delivered somewhat thin audio last year, this year’s model sounds much fuller, easily filling a large room at maximum volume. My measurements didn’t hit an average of 80 decibels (which the framework claimed we’d see), but the speakers came pretty close. Shoppers should note that the new speakers appear to be exclusive to the Intel model of the Framework 13; The original kit will continue in AMD systems, and the framework says it’s “audio circuitry tuning”.

The rest of the video call experience remains perfectly acceptable. The 1080p, 60Hz webcam produced a somewhat grainy but generally fine picture. There is no problem even with dual microphones. The camera and microphone both have a hardware privacy switch in the top bezel, which is handy – although I’ll nitpick that they’re a similar shade of black to the bezels around them, which makes them annoyingly hard to tell apart can make I literally shone my phone’s flashlight at them a couple of times because I had no feeling around.

Inside, the Framework’s performance is strong. You can configure the device with basically whatever combination of specs you want, but I found the Performance prebuilt unit, which costs $1,469 and includes a Core i7-1360P, 16GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and a 61Wh battery . , It’s on the pricey side — the Dell XPS 13 has the same specs with a less powerful Core i7 going for just $1,099 as of this writing — but you can save some money if you have some parts lying around. and swap them can make a DIY kit yourself.

Personally, if I were shopping for this, I’d probably go for the Core i5-1340P/8GB/256GB base model—except it has a significantly smaller battery, and you can’t get that without upgrading the processor to a Core i7. Can’t upgrade battery. , even if you go for the DIY kit. (There are obviously complicated assembly line reasons for this; that’s the whole point.)

The 1360P I’m testing is more than adequate for my Chrome-based workload, and I never encountered overheating or fan noise when I worked in my dozen Chrome tabs and a few other apps, most often Spotify With Streaming Overtop. In fact, I didn’t do anything that caused the fans to spin even on battery saver mode. It’s certainly a much quieter experience than the Dell XPS 13. Even some light photo work in Lightroom happened at a pleasant pace.

In benchmark testing, the Framework handily beat our XPS 13 in single-core, multicore, and graphics benchmarks. It also outperformed both the M2 MacBook Air and the M2 MacBook Pro on CPU tests, but not on graphics—the Apple remains on top for GPU-intensive tasks. We’re seeing about a 20 to 30 percent increase in performance compared to the framework unit we tested last year.

profile received warm However, during these benchmark tests, the CPU repeatedly spiked to 100°C. Keyboard toasted. Of course, my personal workload clearly wasn’t giving the Core i7 close to that kind of workout, and even work in Premiere and Lightroom was enjoyable.

And then we come to the most pleasant surprise brought by this framework laptop. OK, so this shouldn’t really have been a surprise. The Framework, as I mentioned, equips the Performance System with a 61Wh battery, compared to the 55Wh available in last year’s model. (The latter also comes with the base model, as noted above—it’s fair to assume that one will have a shorter lifespan than this display configuration.) It’s also claimed that we’ll see “20 to 30 percent battery life improvement.” across a range of real-world use cases. Still, you never know with those claims, and I’ve certainly been burned before. So I’m happy to report that I got nine hours and 12 minutes of continuous usage from this device. That’s one of the longest lifespans I’ve seen in an Intel laptop… I don’t even know how long it is. some time. That’s great.

I had basically two concerns about the Framework laptop I reviewed last year. Its repairability was both appealing and commendable, but short battery life and thin audio made it a rough sell for its price. I imagine market research of the framework would have uncovered similar complaints because they fixed both problems big time. That basically leaves the generic, plasticky look and feel as the only real knocks on this device – and they, of course, won’t be a problem for everyone.

These changes make the device a more attractive buy over something like the XPS 13 than it did last year. The XPS is beautiful and sturdy in a way that the Framework is not. But the framework now has several other advantages, upgradeability aside: it has a better screen, a better port selection, better audio, a excess Quieter and cooler chassis, and better battery life. Of course, the framework is also a good deal more expensive, which I think is a decent reminder that even in a world where every company under the sun stresses stability as a core element of its gadgets However, the cost of actual user-repair is still .

Photography by Monica Chin

Update May 17th, 2:23PM ET: Added benchmark score. This article was originally published on May 16 at 11:00 AM ET.