Come on. I’m not the only one thinking about a AMD version of the Laptop 12. All of us want it, especially us AMD fanboys who need a affordable, repairable, upgradeable notebook which also turns into a tablet with a stylus. It’s all in our dreams, but could it happen? Could Framework work their magic to make it come true? Let’s see. BTW, what processor would come as an equivalent to the i3 or the i5s that this thing is shipping with?
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I don’t know, but I recently looked at CPUs for an unrelated project and it seems like Intel is generally more cost/energy efficient on the cheaper/slower spectrum, while AMD is great at making fast chips for a reasonable price. Given that the Framework 12 is targeted to be affordable and relatively slow, going with Intel was probably a good choice. And I’m not sure that going for an AMD processor in the same price/speed range would make sense.
Going for an AMD processor would definitely make sense if Framework were to also release a faster, more expensive Framework 12 variant, but nothing like that has been announced, yet.
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Yeah, unfortunately, the lowest end “AI 300” processor AMD released is roughly equivalent to the 7640U (in terms of where it lines up in the product stack). It can technically be configured down to a 15 watt TDP (which is what the Intel processors they’ve chosen are, not counting boost), but I think it’s probably still a more expensive processor. There doesn’t seem to be a current equivalent from AMD. Technically, I suppose there’s nothing stopping them from putting in a Ryzen AI 5 340 and configuring it down to 15 watts. But then I wonder if the performance would still be enough better than the Intel processors they went with in order to justify the price difference.
Granted, the difference in price is kind of an assumption, based on the fact that the AI 300 line is AMD’s newest, and the i3 and i5 processors Framework chose are 13th gen processors from a couple years ago.
Another consideration is how much Ryzen processors benefit from fast memory. Only having one slot means only single channel memory. I don’t know how much difference that would make, but you’re never going to get optimal performance out of any processor, especially AMD, with only one slot. So chasing maximum performance with the FW 12 is probably not going to be a good value proposition.
Edit: Also, welcome to the community!
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Using an AMD CPU would imply a different mainboard and then Framework could theoretically use different RAM as well, couldn’t they?
Even if the frame of the laptop is not designed for performance, it would be nice to have an (expensive) upgrade path, rather than having to replace the device when the user outgrows the Intel chip.
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Possibly, but they intended this to be a cheaper, smaller alternative. I think the size is part of the constraint. A second RAM socket and a cooler to handle a higher power chip would likely be really tough to fit in the smaller chassis. And with the smaller battery than what you get in even the FW 13, battery life wouldn’t be great.
Still, nothing wrong with expressing interest. If there is enough of a market for something, maybe Framework will decide it’s worth the time.
Personally, I think the ideal upgrade would be to a hypothetical future processor that is more powerful, simply because it is more efficient. Something like Apple’s M series. Maybe Intel/AMD/Snapdragon/etc. will come up with something compelling that gets better performance in a 15 watt package than Framework has to choose from right now. I’d love to see something like that as an upgrade option down the road. Of course, something like that which doesn’t require soldered RAM is a bit of a pipe dream right now.
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“Different RAM” would likely mean soldered RAM in this case (to be space efficient and for optimal performance and energy efficiency). Or possibly one of those new RAM connectors, but they don’t seem to be established yet.
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Same here.
Paying 1000€+ for an i5 and a 50Wh battery, I don’t think it’s really worth it..
Sure the quality is there, but for that price I can get a Lenovo 2in1 with a top tier touchscreen (by Wacoom, which I can use to draw on it, not only note taking), bigger battery, and better chip. And with still a decent spare parts support by Lenovo.
I know that the Framework Laptop 12 just opened for pre-orders not that long ago, but I am wondering if there’d be any plans to launch and AMD version? Even if it’s like the lower based amd cpu’s considering the price point for the laptop.
I don’t remember if this question was at all brought up during the presentation beforehand or not, but if it wasn’t, would anyone else be interested to see such a thing? I would, so I’d be one of few right now.
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