Framework’s franken-laptop is again with huge chip upgrades and acquainted frustrations

Framework did it once more. It promised modular, upgradeable, and user-repairable laptops the place different producers dare not enterprise or have outright failed. And it’s delivered.

The 2025 model of the Framework Laptop 16 comes with not solely new AMD Ryzen AI CPU choices, but in addition Wi-Fi 7, a extra highly effective USB-C charger, redesigned cooling, and a brand new webcam — all of that are additionally bought individually, so current house owners can improve. But the largest bump by far is a extra highly effective user-replaceable graphics card. The modular, detachable GPU is what separates the Laptop 16 from every other laptop computer in the marketplace. When it introduced the Laptop 16, Framework referred to as upgradable graphics the “holy grail.” Even after the Laptop 16 launched, the corporate was at occasions cagey about whether or not it might ship future upgrades. Now it has, within the type of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, providing a large enchancment in graphics efficiency over the last-gen AMD Radeon card.

The authentic Laptop 16 was scorching, loud, and creaky, and admittedly, it felt a bit unfinished — a few of which improved over time. The new mannequin is a couple of small steps ahead in some ways, and a leap ahead in graphics energy, but it surely’s nonetheless a great distance from polished.

The base mannequin prebuilt Framework Laptop 16 begins at $1,799 with no discrete graphics. Our evaluate unit is a DIY Edition with an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 mainboard, an RTX 5070 graphics module, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. This configuration with a 240W USB-C charger prices $2,524 earlier than even including extras like extra enlargement playing cards, colourful spacers, an non-compulsory quantity pad, an RGB macro pad, or the usual enlargement bay module (in case you wish to go away the GPU butt at house to avoid wasting weight). The closest prebuilt model is the $2,449 Performance tier, which incorporates the 5070 and comes with a smaller 512GB SSD and a Windows 11 license.

Since that is a lot the identical laptop computer because the 2023 mannequin, house owners of the unique can improve their Laptop 16 piecemeal with new and improved second-gen components. The engaging new Ryzen AI 300-series mainboards with included Wi-Fi 7 module and Framework’s revised heatsink design price $749 to $1,049, whereas the standalone RTX 5070 graphics module is $699, and the brand new 240W USB-C charger to adequately energy them is $109, making this double-chip improve $1,557 to $1,857. That’s the worth of an entire laptop computer.

Other enhancements add up additional, together with a second-gen 1080p webcam ($39), extra inflexible second-gen prime cowl lid ($139), and second-gen show ($279). The show {hardware} is definitely the identical, however with a firmware replace for Nvidia G-Sync as an alternative of the first-gen’s AMD FreeSync help. Unfortunately, you probably have a first-gen Framework 16 and wish to take full benefit of the brand new GPU module, you’ll have to spend $279 on a show that’s hardware-identical to the one you have already got; you may’t change that firmware your self. That’s massively disappointing, and it pushes the price of a GPU improve to almost a thousand {dollars}.

Framework CEO Nirav Patel instructed The Verge in an e-mail, “Our display vendor hasn’t been able to create a technical solution that would enable firmware updateability on the panel we use in Framework Laptop 16, whether in users’ hands or in our own service centers.” And when requested about any kind of VRR for the first-gen show, Patel added, “Unfortunately VRR is not possible with the NVIDIA GPU and 1st gen display.”

The eight-core Ryzen AI 7 350 mainboard, in the meantime, is modestly sooner than the last-gen Ryzen 9 7940HS, with Geekbench CPU, Cinebench, and PugetBench Photoshop good points as excessive as 21 % and as little as simply 1.5 %. (There’s additionally a 12-core Ryzen AI 7 370 mainboard possibility, which I didn’t check. But primarily based on my benchmarks from the Razer Blade 16, its fundamental profit is multi-core efficiency — scoring 15 % larger than the 350 in our Photoshop check.)

The new graphics card is the larger replace. Graphics-intensive exams just like the Geekbench GPU benchmark and 3DMark’s Time Spy present 64 % and 34 % enhancements, respectively. In totally rasterized gaming benchmarks throughout Black Myth: Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077, the brand new Laptop 16 yielded a couple of 36 to 50 % improve in common body charges over the unique Radeon RX 7700S module. The delta will increase additional when utilizing Nvidia’s DLSS 4 rendering on the brand new mannequin in comparison with the last-gen with AMD’s FSR 3.1.

I used to be capable of play Battlefield 6 at its High graphics preset utilizing the panel’s native 2560 x 1600 decision and preserve a constant 80 to 90fps with DLSS 4 set to Quality. Turning on body technology boosted that to round 130 to 140fps, with 3x Multi Frame Generation eclipsing the panel’s 165Hz refresh fee. And I performed BF6 with the Laptop really on my lap, the place it bought very heat however not unbearably scorching (although I’d be much less tolerant and far sweatier in the summertime).

The authentic Laptop 16 bought particularly scorching, and below load, its followers appeared like a small jet engine. Framework redesigned the thermal administration system with new heatsinks and followers, and it makes an enormous distinction. I torture examined each outdated and new fashions with a looping Black Myth: Wukong benchmark for over half-hour. The outdated Ryzen 9 7940HS averaged 58 levels Celsius and reached a piping scorching 93C; the brand new AMD Ryzen 7 AI 350 CPU averaged an inside temperature of 50C and peaked at 64C. The new Laptop 16 nonetheless will get loud, but it surely’s noticeably quieter. Instead of a continuing jetlike whine, it’s extra like white noise — albeit fairly loud white noise when the laptop computer’s actually pushing it.

As with different Framework units, the Laptop 16’s flexibility is its nice power. It wouldn’t be a Framework with out swappable enlargement playing cards — of which the Laptop 16 maintains six, for 3 customizable ports on both sides; you may cost the laptop computer from any of the rear 4. And the keyboard and trackpad are much more versatile than on Framework’s different laptops. You can middle them and fill the edges with colourful spacers, or you may put a macropad or quantity pad both to the left or proper, and align the keyboard and trackpad accordingly.

The keyboard is offered with both white or RGB backlighting, and in a large number of language choices (or with clear keycaps). It’s one of many higher pocket book keyboards, with a contact of the Laptop 13’s pillowy really feel and deep key journey, however with firmer tactile suggestions. And it’s totally customizable utilizing QMK. The mechanical trackpad is nice, if barely small for a laptop computer of this dimension (particularly in comparison with these on the 16-inch MacBook Pro and Razer Blade 16), and having the liberty to left- or right-align is exclusive.

Unfortunately, Framework’s spacer-heavy design is ingenious in concept and infuriating in apply. The elements typically don’t line up fairly proper — you may really feel the perimeters below your wrists — and it creaks an entire lot. It simply doesn’t really feel like one thing that prices two and a half thousand {dollars}.

Framework included a prototype trackpad with a 3D-printed edge-to-edge encompass, and as quickly as I attempted it I by no means wished to return to these annoying spacers. This one tweak to the Laptop 16’s design made it really feel a tiny bit extra like utilizing one thing extra nicely put-together, like an Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. Even although the prototype encompass is reasonable plastic and the spacers are made from aluminum, I used to be glad to ditch the frequent creaking. You can print your own trackpad surround for now, however I’d wish to see Framework promote a correct all-metal different. It’d be silly to count on a totally user-serviceable laptop computer to be as smooth and seamless as a MacBook Pro, however I want it didn’t really feel like such an erector set.

The lack of polish pops up in different areas. The IPS panel is crisp, with a 2560 x 1600 decision and as much as 165Hz refresh fee, identical to the unique. Its downside is a very aggressive, erratic auto-brightness: slightly than a clean fade up or down, it will increase and reduces in seen steps, like somebody secretly hitting the brightness keys for you, attempting to guess what you need. I requested Framework if this habits is likely to be improved, however rep Eric Schumacher gave solely a lukewarm assertion: “We’ll continue to do post-launch firmware updates to improve user experience and resolve issues found by customers.”

And whereas Framework says the lid is sturdier than earlier than, it’s nonetheless not sturdy sufficient. Closing it fastidiously from the middle is okay, and it’s ever-so-slightly extra strong than the first-gen in that spot. But seize a nook and gently pull or push the display screen, and it’s flex metropolis. Other barely lackluster elements embody the audio system, which sound flat and lifeless till you crank them, and the webcam, which is sharp however typically darkish and muddy in low gentle.

Battery life throughout my regular workday of many Chrome tabs, incessant Slack messaging, and simultaneous Spotify or Twitch streams was fairly good for a machine with discrete graphics, although it often lasted a max of six-ish hours as an alternative of a full eight-hour workday.

But the place the second-gen Laptop 16 has faltered essentially the most thus far is in its reliability. It crashed round six occasions within the first two days, each whereas on battery and whereas plugged in — and typically whereas waking it up from sleep or when plugging it into energy. It bought barely higher after some preliminary BIOS and driver updates, but it surely nonetheless crashed one other half dozen occasions over the following week.

In the 2 days since I put in the three.04 BIOS replace that will likely be transport to prospects, it’s solely crashed as soon as. Framework appears to be enhancing the steadiness of the Laptop 16, very like it did after the primary one launched, but it surely may not be out of the woods simply but. I’ll need to preserve testing it after additional updates.

It’s simple to admire Framework’s dedication to repairability and upgradability, and its total execution has been strong. The skinny and light-weight Laptop 13 has slowly been refined into a superb all-around package deal, and the corporate’s Laptop 12 and Desktop each got here out of the gate sturdy. Its greatest laptop computer nonetheless feels essentially the most like a beta check.

The Laptop 16 is now up to date with 2025 {hardware}, however its structural rigidity, match, and end nonetheless come up brief. I’m hoping the incremental refinements will proceed; one thing like a single-piece steel trackpad encompass would go a great distance. Because of the worth, it’s onerous to disclaim the temptation of non-upgradeable gaming laptops which are thinner and sleeker, such because the ROG Zephyrus G16, or extra highly effective. But perhaps Framework can Ship of Theseus its method to a design that looks like much less of a compromise.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge