I expect this will be a massive performance uplift from my ancient ThinkPad T431s, and I don’t need as much portability as I did when I bought that back in college.
- Windows 11
- Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU
- 64GB DDR5-5600 CL40 RAM, will bring my own
- 1TB WD_BLACK SN850X M.2 2280 NVMe SSD PCIe Gen4 purchased cheap on Facebook
- No dGPU for now, just being to play Overcooked final boss will already be a massive upgrade.
- RGB Clear ANSI keyboard, though would prefer Combo ANSI/ISO/JIS keyboard layout - #6 by Micah_Lindstrom
- Keyboard sticker labels
- RGB macropad, this layout
- RGB matrix spacers (website) (forum thread)
- Lavender bezel. Transparent would be sick but I respect Framework for not accepting the environmental cost from poor yields
- 180W USB-C Power Adapter (US/CA Plug)
- Expansion cards
- 3×USB-C
- 2×USB-A
- 1×HDMI
- DBrand skin “Kind of Purple” and/or “Ultramatte Teardown”
Likely buy in future:
- $500-$1000 discrete GPU and a 5k2k 40" display sometime for eye candy like MS Flight Simulator
- More keyboard sticker labels
- $20 Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth LE Audio card, waiting for an AMD RZ800 series card using Filogic 360 platform or better
- Carrying bag, maybe backpack from lttstore.com?
My reasonings:
- CPU not the best the price/performance upgrade, but it enables curve optimizer and (maybe in future) undervolting and EXPO support which could be fun to play with. It has a slightly faster CPU and iGPU.
- RAM likely to be ~$215 Kingston KF556S40IBK2-64. Alternately the G.Skill F5-5600S4040A32GX2-RS also from Framework’s official compatibility list, but it seems less common in this forum and Reddit. Framework’s RAM at $320 is better validated/more stable, but more expensive with (slightly) more latency.
- Keyboard Stickers like Keyshorts transparent background with colored symbols, but not totally sure yet. Maybe start with something DIY until I have a layout locked down. Would be much more interested in Keyshorts if I didn’t have to buy the alphabet characters. KeyOverlay has all the symbols and languages I could want and is cheap, but sometimes strange colors like blue and grey instead of black? Such a strange color choice. KeyOverlay Custom is another appealing option. Maybe start with the cheap KeyOverlay packs, then if/when I’m really satisfied with my layout splurge for Keyshorts.
- DBrand Ultramatte Teardown looks really awesome. But it only covers top for $32 and optionally touchpad for $10; one reason I’m buying is for scratch protection. Kind of Purple with logo cutout protects everything for $55 and leaves an open canvas if I decide I want to add my own stickers too. Or I could get both for $90, having teardown on cover with lavender on the rest. I’m having a really hard time deciding. Wish I knew how well the purple will (mis)match the bezel.