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Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition: 30-second review
Unlike the mass of other slimline high-power laptops out there, the Framework Laptop 13 instantly stands out with a completely different approach from most of the manufacturers. Whilst at first glance, it features the same matte silver finish and slimline profile that we’ve come to expect from premium laptops, when it comes to the specifications and build quality, it’s completely different as you take control of how the laptop is configured to suit either your budget or your needs.
To put this in perspective, if you go to the Apple website and start to order the latest MacBook Pro, you can configure the RAM, CPU, and storage alongside a few other smaller options, but the port configuration is fixed. If, in the future, you need to upgrade the RAM because you’re doing 4K or 8K video editing or you need a bit more storage, then you’ll probably need to buy a completely new machine or plug in some external accessories.
Here, with the Framework Laptop 13, and for that matter, all Framework machines, that upgrade process is far easier. Unlike other manufacturers, where you basically have to replace the entire machine, here, all you do is upgrade the components that you need. Since its launch over four years ago, those original machines are still fully upgraded to one similar to the model that I’m looking at today.
Everything from the mainboard that contains the CPU and GPU to the ports, keyboard, and screen can be replaced. So, if your machine is damaged, no issue whatsoever — just purchase whichever part has broken, and it’ll take you roughly 10 minutes to replace it. Likewise, if you want to have a graphics and CPU upgrade, the mainboard will just pop out, and you can pop in the new one. If you decide you want USB Type-C ports surrounding the laptop, there are four modular expansion cards that can be quickly popped in and taken out.
The DIY approach certainly appeals, especially if you’re working for a small business where IT support is limited and you need laptops that are going to be easily repairable and upgradable when needed. I was really impressed with the robustness of the machine, and although there was a slight issue with the screen surround when the machine arrived, it was easy enough to quickly replace.
When it comes to performance, it’s great to see that the Framework hasn’t used the DIY approach as a gimmick or as an excuse to pare back the performance. With the latest AI-powered AMD CPU and GPU, it can match most other premium laptops of similar specifications.
When it comes to performance, it’s at the higher end of the mid-range, great for Office and admin tasks, light to medium content creation, image and video editing and some light gaming.
So, is the Framework DIY approach really valid? By the end of this test, I was really impressed with the build quality and upgradability and even more impressed by the performance of this laptop.
Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? From £899 / $899
- When is it out? Available now
- Where can you get it? Directly from Framework
One of the great things about the Framework Laptop is that you can go in at the entry level, and to be honest, for that base-level model, it doesn’t cost a great deal. But then, as your budget allows or your needs grow, you can upgrade the components to match exactly what you need.
So, if you’re looking for a little bit more than an upper mid-range laptop at the outset, you can upgrade to a premium laptop when you want. When you break down the cost of a full replacement, the Framework does look a little cheaper.
At the base level, the cheapest machine is about $900 / £900. If you want to max that machine out, you’re looking at considerably more — the model I’ve reviewed here comes in at a little over $2000 / £2000.
Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition: Specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
Graphics: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
RAM: 16GB DDR5 SDRAM
Storage: WD Black 1TB M.2
Left Ports: 2 x Expansion Cards
Rear Ports: 2 x Expansion Cards
Available ports and storage: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DP, Ethernet, 250GB, 1TB, MicroSD, SD
Connectivity:
Audio: 3.5mm, Stereo 2W speakers
Camera: 1080p 30fps
Size: 296 x 229 x 15mm
OS installed: None
Accessories: DIY Kit
Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition: Design
Quite unlike any other laptop on the market, this 13-inch screen, slimline model will initially look like any standard laptop to anyone oblivious to what exactly the Framework is. However, once you open up the screen and start to take a closer look, you start to see, even on the surface and even if you haven’t built it yourself, the small configurable differences that really mark the Framework out against all its competition.
When it comes to design and build, it is fully DIY and modular. So not only do you install all the components (although it does come partially preinstalled with the configuration that you’ve asked for), but it also enables you to plug in expansion cards around the edge so that you can configure the ports in exactly the way that you want.
When it comes to the main set of components, there are screws underneath the laptop which can loosen. Then, the keyboard itself can be lifted away once disconnected. Once the keyboard is moved to the side, you can then see the full layout of the laptop before you. From the mainboard with CPU and GPU module to the RAM, SSD, Wi-Fi cards and, for that matter, pretty much everything else, all can be removed in a few minutes and replaced with an updated version.
This is the ultimate in serviceability and also means that you have the upgrade path from an older-generation machine to a newer-generation machine by just replacing a few of the internal parts.
Even if you’re completely new to laptops and building your own computers, the process of putting this one together is extremely easy. It’s really just a case of following the extremely detailed Framework instructions online.
When it comes to size and weight, this laptop is exceptionally slim, considering the power it possesses. It weighs in at 1.32kg and measures 296 x 229 x 15mm, not including the rubber foot on the base of the machine.
Checking over the build quality, it is exceptionally high. Even though this is a DIY machine, you have the usual metal casing that is common with premium laptops, and this features a good amount of venting on the base and across the back, enabling plenty of airflow through this small laptop.
Finally, the most obvious sign that this laptop is something different is those expansion cards that surround the side of the laptop. These are small, generally quickly removable, and a great design feature. They are held in place by a small locking mechanism and connect to the machine with a USB Type-C connector, so all very easy and toolless.
Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition: Features
Framework Laptop 13, like the company’s entire range, is extremely desirable — and not for the usual reasons of high performance and aesthetics, though it ticks a box in both these areas. Rather, the key feature of Framework 13 is the fact that it is fully customisable, upgradable and repairable, making it a great option for small to medium-sized businesses where you might not have a dedicated IT professional on site. In the long term as well, even if you spec these machines out at their maximum when newer components, CPUs, GPUs, or RAM or storage need to be upgraded, then all of this can be done quickly without needing to buy a new machine and with very little technical knowledge, ultimately saving you and your company a huge amount of money.
Being DIY, I did have some concerns over the potential build quality. However, once the Framework Laptop 13 arrived and I’d been using it for a good month, there was very little here that I would worry about. Out in the field being used for photography and video projects, the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series CPU, coupled with the AI 9 HX 370 GPU, are both surprisingly powerful for such a compact machine, enabling you to edit reasonably sized projects in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve without too much issue. The fact that it also comes with a good array of ports, which you obviously configure yourself, also means that it can connect to larger storage when needed.
As in many laptops, you do have the choice of what operating system you want to be installed, and you can either get the Framework to preinstall this or, as I did with our review version, install a copy of Windows 11 Home and Linux Ubuntu 25. There are, as ever, a few initial issues with installing Windows, primarily the network adapter, but this is where the Framework really comes into its own with the online guides.
While you can buy a pre-configured Framework Laptop 13 from the Framework website, part of the fun is actually configuring all of the specifications as much as you want. Then, when the laptop arrives, all of the base configuration is done for you, and all you need to do is pop in the RAM and SSD modules and keyboard and then install whichever operating system you want.
Whilst our review machine came preinstalled with 1TB WD Black and 32GB of RAM, if you need more storage or more RAM, then you can upgrade that to a huge 8TB of storage and 96GB of high-speed DDR5 RAM.
One of the surprise features of this DIY machine is just how slim and well-built it is. When it comes to the thickness of the main body, it’s just 15mm, with another millimetre for the rubber foot at the back. It’s beautifully designed, and the slimline profile will fit easily in any laptop bag. At 1.3kg, it’s also relatively light.
Powering the laptop is a 61Wh battery, which during the test lasted a good 5 to 6 hours for general use — working with Word, Chrome, DaVinci Resolve, and Photoshop in Lightroom. Again, as with all of the components, if the battery life does start to reduce, then it’s nice and easy to pop that battery out, send it off for recycling, and pop a new battery in.
Of course, the screen is always going to be a huge feature of any laptop of this type. To that end, it features a 13.5-inch screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, and there is a matte option as well for creators who prefer a less glossy screen. The resolution for our 2.8K monitor is 2880 x 1920. Also standard is a webcam built into the screen, which offers a 1080p image and video resolution, ideal for team meetings. If you’re worried about privacy, then there is a very nice privacy feature for the webcam as well.
When you configure the Framework 13, you get a range of choices for the keyboard. Again, this is slimline with 1.5mm key travel, adjustable backlight, and a wide range of language and layout options. In our review sample, I’ve gone for the UK edition of the keyboard, but there are plenty of other options available depending on wherever you’re based in the world.
Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition: Performance
Benchmark scores
CrystalDiskMark Read: 5256.17 MB/s
CrystalDiskMark Write: 4932.27 MB/s
Geekbench CPU Multi: 12716
Geekbench CPU Single: 2737 MB/s
Geekbench GPU: 26748
PCMark Overall: 7127
Cinebench CPU Multi:
Cinebench CPU Single:
Fire Strike Overall: 6548
Fire Strike Graphics: 7311
Fire Strike Physics: 24132
Fire Strike Combined: 2278
Starting out with the Framework, Laptop 13 is something a little different from most laptop computers, primarily because you have to put it all together and not just register the software.
What I liked, having never built a laptop before (although I have delved into them), is the fact that Framework has given you a really good, clear set of guides to help you through installing all of the components that are required, from the SSD to the RAM, and later down the road, if you need to change the battery, screen, Wi-Fi card or full CPU and GPU module, then there are clear guides on how to do it on the Framework website.
While the build quality is superb generally, there are a few quirks with the design. The silver finish expansion cards, for instance, have a slightly different finish to the casing of the laptop. However, some of the others are transparent plastic, and these fit much more nicely into the design of the casing.
Another thing that can be a little tricky is removing them. There’s a small button by each, which needs to be pushed down, and then, using a bit of force, you can pull each out. This does mean they can’t easily fall out, but at the same time, sometimes they’re just a little tricky to remove.
One of the major components that does need installing is the keyboard. Typing with this is really nice and smooth, although one issue I had with the keyboard is the arrow keys, which are really tightly squashed down at the bottom right of the keyboard. Another issue is the trackpad. The click height is definitely different towards the bottom compared with the top, which, when you’re used to many other premium laptops, can feel a little odd and takes a bit of getting used to.
Once all the hardware is in place, you have the option to install Windows, Linux, or even another operating system if you wish.
Starting out with Linux, the installation process is quick and easy, installing essentially from a USB key and then running all the usual applications. Once everything was operational, using Blender, DaVinci Resolve, and GIMP proved just how powerful this machine was, and using Ubuntu 25 gave it the feeling of an operating system and hardware that were perfectly matched.
While I like to and do use Ubuntu for some applications, I usually have it set as a second boot option on my desktop machine. Primarily, for work and education, I will be using Windows 11 Home or Pro.
The process of installing Windows 11 Home onto the Framework Laptop 13 is a little bit complicated, as the network driver isn’t readily available. You need to use the Rufus.exe USB key preparation tool in order to store and install Windows 11 Home ISO onto a USB and then onto the laptop so that you can do an Internet installation. Then, once Windows is up and running, you can install the drivers for networking and Wi-Fi. To do all of this, you will need another machine in use through the setup process.
Once Windows 11 was installed, I opted to go with the Home edition and was instantly impressed with the performance. Installing all of the usual apps, including Microsoft Office and the Adobe Creative Suite, alongside a few games just to really push the system showed what it was capable of.
These days, there are very few PCs that I’ve looked at which aren’t able to run the Windows suite of applications smoothly, and as they’re native to the operating system, switching between Word, Excel, and PowerPoint was quick and easy. So, for an office machine, this particular model proved to be exceptionally good and fast.
Switching over to image editing with images shot on the Sony Alpha 7 Mark IV, once again, the speed of the machine definitely came into its own. The fact there was a decent amount of storage to hold images on the internal drive was also very welcome. Making complex edits, applying multiple-layer enhancements and exporting to InDesign proved that the machine was more than capable when it came to handling demanding applications.
However, I will say that the 13.5-inch screen, while a great size for documents, is just a touch too small for me when it comes to creative work. That said, with the HDMI expansion card popped into the side, I was able to hook up to a larger 4K monitor, and here, the power of the machine really came into its own, enabling smooth editing of both images and 4K video.
Another point about the laptop, especially when it came to thinking about its role as a larger system, was the internal speakers. I’ve got used to really good speakers in laptops, but here they are just slightly lacklustre. They’re okay for a little bit of monitoring, and there is a 3.5mm jack on the side for headphones.
When it came to the benchmarks, I was ultimately impressed with the overall performance across all applications, considering just how compact this laptop is and the fact that you have the ability to upgrade as and when you need it.
Looking at the benchmarks, the CPU tests in Geekbench and PCMark both highlighted that this small machine is ideally suited to all Windows applications and is able to handle processing, video conferencing, and general day-to-day office tasks with absolutely no issues. The CPU Multi test in Geekbench came back with a result of 12716, and PCMark ultimately gave the score of 7127 with a Windows Experience score of a very respectable 8.2.
Moving on to creative applications, Lightroom and Photoshop ran without issue; brush strokes, applying gradients, and adding layers were all fast and handled smoothly. Again, looking at that Geekbench CPU score, coupled with compute benchmarks, showed how well it was able to handle the graphics and image processing.
One thing that was really interesting to see was just how quickly it rendered thumbnails within Adobe Bridge. The SSD transfer rates at around 5,000MB/s enabled the fast read and write of files. This translated to relatively fast rendering of thumbnails within Bridge. Although, for all creative applications, the screen real estate was, as I’ve previously mentioned, just a little limited.
To really push the abilities of the machine, I checked out benchmarking within 3DMark. Here, that CPU and GPU unit really came into its own. For a machine of this size and positioning, its ability to handle the rendering of 3D graphics was impressive, enabling me to play some of the latest games, including Hogwarts Legacy, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, smoothly. Although I did have to reduce some of the graphical settings, this was reflected in the results of the 3DMark benchmarking, which essentially highlighted mid-level gaming performance. But the system is going to be pushed if you expect high-level rendering.
One issue that I did come across is that this machine is quite power-hungry, so for day-to-day use, I was getting around 6-8 hours, but then far less when video editing or gaming.
Finally, because I work in the creative sector, I just wanted to check out how well it was going to be able to edit 4K videos. Taking footage shot once again on the Sony Alpha 7 Mark IV and editing in DaVinci Resolve, I was impressed with just how well the machine was able to cope with simple edits up to 15 minutes in length.
I must admit, due to the size of the internal SSD, I did utilise a Lacie Rugged SSD Pro5 connected to the USB Type-C port for storage. But once again, the machine was able to handle everything with relative ease.
Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition: Final verdict
I’ve heard a lot about these framework laptops, and having used one for the past month, I can confirm that they are exceptionally good machines, not just a gimmick with the DIY approach. The fact that you essentially go out, buy the machine, and that machine is going to last with you for many years, and all you need to do is update some of the components, is a feature that I really like and one that I wish some of the major manufacturers would also adopt.
When it comes to the performance, I was impressed with just how well it was able to cope with most of the applications that I threw at it. It handled native Windows applications such as Microsoft Office without issue, and in fact, the specification of this laptop is well beyond what you actually need to run most of these programs. Pushing the system a little bit further with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, again, it handled image editing without issue, although the real estate was just a little bit tight.
Moving on to editing video, again, as long as we’re not handling log or RAW format video, the machine had no issues with simple, straight edits. I was able to handle two mid-length productions without any issues, providing decent render times and a steady workflow.
Finally, really pushing the machine by playing a few games, we start to see the limitations of such a small device. The fans do kick in, and when you feel the base of the laptop, it does feel warm to the touch. Ultimately, you are able to play some of the latest graphics-intensive games, albeit with slightly lower graphical settings, and this was all reflected in the decent benchmark results.
At the end of the test, it’s easy to say the framework definitely has its place in the market. If you’re ecologically minded, if you like recycling, and the idea of having a laptop that is basically going to be with you for years, with the ability to upgrade, customise and repair as needed, then spend that little bit extra now and buy a Framework. They’re superb.
If you’re not bothered and you just want a good, fast machine, then there are plenty of other cheaper options out there, but none will give you the satisfaction that a Framework will.
Should I buy the Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition?
|
Value |
Initially, the top-spec machine might seem expensive, but the fact you can upgrade, customise, and repair makes it great value |
4 |
|
Design |
I love the DIY approach, with plenty of main board options that enable you to build as you need |
5 |
|
Features |
From the base level up, it’s a great set of features. It’s just a shame the battery is slightly lacking. |
4.5 |
|
Performance |
Not just a gimmick — the performance matches the hype for a mid-to-high-end multi-use laptop |
4.5 |
|
Overalls |
Quality, upgradeability and performance come together perfectly in this compact DIY laptop |
4.5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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