I can’t tell by the way you’ve worded your post, but just wanted to make sure you are aware that there are no 240W usb-c power adapters on the market yet.
They didn’t release a 180W first because they chose it over a 240W, they developed it first because they were the first to make one.
I had a feeling that was the case, but wasn’t sure. I assume it’s only a matter of time until they arrive though.
One thing I’ve not seen in other reviews that I’m curious about for my specific “workload,” what is the input lag like in the built-in monitor? A not-insignificant part of why i want a laptop this beefy is I wanted a portable setup to bring to my fighting game locals, I’d like to know if it’s usable (<10ms) or if I should make sure I have an external monitor
well the tech specs specify 9ms rise+fall time, and i haven’t heard anyone complain about the response time.
I’m happy with the input lag on the built-in monitor. I have a 240 Hz 1ms monitor (HW unboxed measured it at ~2-3ms if I recall correctly), and I am quite satisfied with the FW16 internal display. I play Overwatch 2 on it at ~130 Hz, and the game is very enjoyable (several steps above playable and nearly as good as my desktop rig). I can notice a difference between the FW16’s display and my 240 Hz monitor, but it’s slight. For example, I spent several hours playing Overwatch 2 on my FW16 with the desktop not 20ft away without feeling compelled to switch to the desktop. Overall, I’d say it’s solid.
Here’s my impressions after about a week with device:
Build Quality
The build quality feels really solid for the most part. It is a bit heavy with the gpu module installed, as expected, but with the default module, it’s actually very noticeably lighter in my hand, and in my backpack. Both modules seem to have very good tolerances in terms of their fitment to the body of the machine, and don’t have any play once installed. They feel very solidly attached. The only pain points so far have been the spacers next to the touchpad being a bit loose. There’s maybe .5mm of play in one of them that I notice if I look for it, and they aren’t completely flush with the surrounding modules and frame. During general use, it is a total non issue though because I only notice those flaws when looking/poking at the deck, not using it normally to rest my hands.
I was a bit concerned about the magnesium frame because of some bad impressions I had with an LG Gram in the past, but the bottom case is extremely rigid, and inspires the same amount of confidence as the framework 13, or other aluminum unibody laptops.
Performance and Thermals
The machine is fast as expected with a zen 4 apu inside. I’ve compiled a number of big code bases including firefox, and it chews right through them as fast as you’d expect. The fan noise and thermals are impressively good when it’s just the cpu running. Paradoxically, it seems like the device is actually a bit quieter with smaller default module in back, but both are silent for standard use, and relatively quiet for heavy cpu loads. It even works well when on my lap because it has a top intake in addition to the bottom one, and all the exhaust is out the side.
For light gaming, it is also very quiet. 2d games like Balatro, Slay the Princess, or FTL all run next to silent for me at capped 60fps.
The flipside of the coin is that engaging the GPU (either integrated, or dedicated) to a significant degree does get quite a bit louder. This is expected, as most gaming laptops have very loud fans to cool 100+ watts of gpu. Compared to the apple silicon macs with big gpus though, it is much louder. I would say that if you plan on gaming on it, or using the gpu for other heavy workloads, you should definitely consider headhpones for audio fidelity, and maybe avoid using it in quiet offices where you would bother others. It’s at least not a bad pitch for the fans though, and I wouldn’t mind it as background noise while working in my own home.
Software Experience
I’ve spent a lot of my time with the machine so far testing out different Linux installs. I have been considering trying out NixOS for some months now, and I finally took the plunge with this new laptop. I also installed Arch at first to get a grip on things with a familiar system. All I can say is that everything basically just works. It’s more like using a desktop with known compatible components than the standard rigamarole of quirks and workarounds you get with linux on laptops - especially those with dedicated gpus. I was really suprised at how seamless having a dGPU in the system is using the DRI_PRIME environment variable, or gnome’s built in dGPU selection to only power on the dGPU when I needed it. I did some measurements of power consumption, and there really wasn’t a significant power savings for desktop use with the default module compared to having the 7700s in there. I haven’t touched it yet, but I think it is worth mentioning that the keyboard is qmk compatible which is a huge quality of life boost for anyone that has even a passing familiarity with the software, or a willingness to learn it. It is so much more flexible and lower overhead than proprietary keyboard management software, and it’s great fun for the tinkerers out there. I already have a couple layout modifications I want to add, and possibly even an extra keyboard layer, and qmk/via make that possible.
Inputs and Outputs
The keyboard is a different feel compared to the Framework 13, and I can see how some people would say that it is “spongier”, but imo, it comes down to personal preference. I actually prefer the softer (both tactile and sound wise) keyboard on the 16 to the more clacky keyboard on the 13. I don’t find my typing speed or accuracy is much different between the two though, and I prefer the deeper travel compared to competitors from Apple etc. It’s nothing spectacular, but it is very usable, and the layout is very well thought out. I especially like the full size right shift key, and the well separated arrow keys that I can press with my pinky by feel/muscle memory. My only wish for future keyboards would be an ortholinear layout with more keys under my thumbs so I could really exercise those qmk features.
The screen is also very usable. It isn’t anything breathtaking, but it is very practical. I have one of those fancy new 4k 240hz Oleds on my desktop, so I’m comparing it it pretty much the best out there, and it looks very vibrant. It obviously has the standard LCD downsides like backlight bleed and blooming in dark rooms, but with anything other than super dark content/pure black on the screen its easy to ignore. The colors pop, and the refresh rate and decent response times make desktop use so much more fluid compared to the 60hz panels on the framework 13. Even comparing it to pristine oled response times, it is very good for desktop use, and for the sort of gaming you’ll be able to do on the 7700s. I’ll also say that the adaptive sync is very well implemented. I pushed it really hard on both the desktop, and in some 3d games with low framerates and high variability and saw no flickering, or added judder, which isn’t a given.
EDIT: I was recently made aware that adaptive sync is bugged on linux at the moment. I was just negligent and thought it was working when my compositor failed to apply the setting silently. I’ve confirmed that it doesn’t show as adaptive sync capable in linux for me. There is a Kernel patch submitted by a community member though that should fix it, but it may be a while before that is back ported to stable kernels, or for the latest kernel to incorporate it. My bad! [ANNOUNCEMENT] Adaptive Sync / Freesync / VRR not working
Battery Life
The battery life is fine for my needs. It’s not incredible like the apple silicon machines, but it is very usable. I’ve done minimal tuning on the linux side - just install PPD and let it do its thing. I’m seeing about 8W idle usage, and 12W with the screen pushed up to higher brightness. With standard web browsing, or video streaming, it stays below 20W usage, and I rarely saw it go over 30w for any desktop usage, including demanding things like copying large files in the background, or installing large updates over the internet. That puts me at an easy 5-6 hours with mixed usage, without having to worry too much about keeping all my background apps closed, or any aggressive power saving measures. It would be cool to see a 99Wh battery in the future, maybe with improvements to chemistry like happened on the Framework 13 after a few years, but I’m not missing it right now.
Compared to the Framework 13
I have a refurbished framework 13 with the lowest end 11th gen intel part that I’ve been using for about a year now. I really love that machine, but it had some things that were limiting or frustrating. The two big ones were the thermals/noise and the performance. The intel chip was great for light workloads, but once it started to get stressed, it got really loud, and would get easily suffocated when used on my lap. Even just playing a youtube video above 1080p (yes even with hardware accelerated playback) would make the fan spin up quite a bit. The framework 16 basically solves both of these issues. It has way more performance on tap, and can actually play 3d games other than ps2 era ones, or minecraft. It is also much quieter, even under a decent amount of load. The keyboard deck does get a bit warm, especially if you push the machine while it is also charging rapidly, but never uncomfortably so. I imagine once Summer rolls around, it will be a bit more annoying, but so far I’m not bothered.
The touchpad is an upgrade in some subtle but important ways. It is slightly bigger which is nice, though it could have been bigger yet… I think i"m fine with it how it is though because at least for me, I don’t have to disable it while typing at this size. It also has a much more satisfying, and easier to actuate click. I mostly just used tap to click on the 13 because the diving board mechanism was too stiff for my taste. On the 16, it is a much better actuation pressure imo (maybe 30% easier to press?), and it also has a much more satisfying low pitched click.
I prefer the revised keyboard layout with the slightly different arrow keys, but that will probably come down to personal preference.
Having a high refresh rate screen is also a huge quality of life improvement imo, even for desktop work. Scrolling feels so much smoother, and the desktop just feels more responsive in general.
It is a lot heaver, and bulkier, but it still fits in my backpack. I imagine there are a lot of backpacks it wouldn’t fit in though. The charger being light and compact makes up for that somewhat though. I don’t think it is unreasonably big, but it would definitely be harder to carry around one handed which I sometimes did with the 13 around the house.
As far as the build quality, there are some upgrades and downgrades. The hinge feels a lot more sturdy, and the bezel is much more securely affixed. The keyboard deck has more flex though, and the fact that there are seems on it definitely makes it feel less solid even if it is still very rigid internally.
Final Thoughts
I think this device is a dream come true for a specific kind of user. For me, the repairability and upgradeability are incredible, but I would still be interested in the machine with a more conventional build just because of the incredible attention to detail with things like the hardware compatibility, and the commitment to a no-nonsense package that provides sensible hardware combinations that are tuned for usability, not just marketing bullet points. I think if you are looking for something that is the best value for gaming, or has the most premium design and build quality, this isn’t it, but if you just want a really functional laptop, especially if you run linux, this machine just works, and it inspires a lot more confidence for the future than other devices that tend to rot after 4-5 years and the end of official support. 2 grand is a lot of money for a laptop, but I will say anecdotally that I spent 2 grand on an m2 macbook pro last year, and ended up returning it because despite the great build quality and battery life, it just felt too compromised. I felt like I had to baby it because repairs were so expensive, and I felt like every time I wanted to do something with it, apple just said no, or made it harder - soldered storage and memory, difficult to dual boot, mac OS just being generally like a nagging parent rather than a helpful tool imo (sorry not sorry lol).
I don’t plan on returning this laptop. I wouldn’t recommend it to my mom, but I would definitely recommend it to someone like me.
FTL
I misread the caption as “A man of quantity”
For general purpose i’m starting to recommend the FW13, the 16 is for us XD
Yeah, I think for most uses, the 7840u in the 13 is already overkill, and it’s a great all arounder. And for those just after a good Windows gaming experience, there are much better value laptops that are built well (not even mentioning how much more performance per dollar you can get with a desktop… For 2 grand you can get a 7800x3d platform and a 4080 lmao). But the framework 16 is offering something unique for sure, which is exciting for me personally even if it is a bit more niche than pre release hype might have lead one to believe.
I’ll do a user video. Do you have something specific you want me to test? I’m in batch 7.
well im basically consuming anything fw16 related XD but i like to see normal use of the keyboard. Cause every “tech youtuber” are like checking the keyboard flex and for me thats not really a big deal cause normal people don’t press hard on a keyoard for it to flex. I just want to see someone just talking about the typing experience and not pressing on a laptop and saying OMG it flex… of course it does…
As a gamer, I have played “God of War” yesterday under Linux / Vulkan 8.x on the RS7700S.
The one thing to keep in mind is that GoW needs to grab focus on the mouse - so when you start it, don’t do something else or you won’t have camera movements with then mouse in game.
On the first start also, as it computes all the shaders, the computer gets really loud → all fan’s powering up to max RPM. But once the shaders done - the FAN RPM goes down. You still hear them, but that’s about it. Temps CPU/GPU is around 75|9⁰C (checked after I stopped playing).
The keyboard flex test is really something I never understood. Using the “International English - Linux here”.
Honestly - who hammers onto the keyboard? It is really nice writing on it (can compare to a Dell Latitude 7400, a KDE Slimbook, a HP Chromebook and a FW13 here).
For writing text, coding and gaming - all OK for me (PS: as a piano player, I also have strong fingers). But I don’t really “feel” any flex when using it in all usage types.
Recently got my Framework 16 (batch 3), and am loving it.
Specs:
DIY Edition
- System: Ryzen 9 7940HS
- Memory: 32GB (2 x 16) DDR5 5600 (Crucial CT2K16G56C46S5)
- OS: Windows 11 Pro
- AMD Radeon RX 7700S Graphics
- Numpad Module
Review:
Here’s a (short?) summary of my first week:
First of all, this thing is a work of engineering art. Every detail is stunning in how well thought out it is, and how easy everything is to alter and get into.
Brought my own SSD, RAM, and OS, and set the laptop up in a couple hours (counting creating a install drive, the actual windows install, driver downloads, and OS customization). Super easy, I put both sticks of memory in initially and it worked pretty much immediately (maybe about 45 seconds of memory training on first boot). Install videos and guides were great too.
The cooling package was immediately impressive while stress testing, especially in comparison to other 16 inch laptops. I know the design of this thing is chunky, but it’s for good reason… I think it would be hard to thermal throttle at max fan speeds, and for a CPU intensive load, the underside of the expansion bay is cool to the touch, and vice versa. The fan noise is a little higher pitched than other laptops, but not louder, and fans never come on to a noticeable degree in school/web/regular use. In games and higher intensity programs, sure, they’re there, but nothing to complain about (I use headphones anyway, so take that as you will).
The expansion bay is sweet. While I only have the graphics module, testing taking it out and putting it back in is awesome. Seamless fit, slides easily, and replacing an entire laptop GPU with 6 screws is something else.
The input modules are nice, and in my opinion, while there are small gaps/edges between the spacers and the trackpad, after using the laptop normally, these just blend into the background. You definitely cant feel they’re there on your wrists, and while you can move them slightly when they’re locked in, you’d have to intend to. The trackpad is smooth, feels good, and its clicks are solid. Maybe a bit stiff in my opinion, but the glide in tracking is great. While it could be a bit bigger, there’s really no use case I can see where it being this size hampers laptop use, so I’m fine with the size. Keyboard flex is nonexistent for me, and even pressing down hard, there’s no feeling of movement or visible deflection. I like the deeper travel.
Expansion cards are expansion cards… they’re sweet, the switch to unlock them is nice, and working on designing some of my own is pretty fun.
Overall, this thing is so cool. From the product to the mindset of the company, I think I’m in love.
Awesome! thanks for the info! Im currently using an Asus Vivobook, so any keyboard will feel like an upgrade. For my desktop well theres no competition to the Nuphy Keyboard, but for laptops i don’t have a high standard to beat
So far I am loving the 16. The trackpad spacers can be a bit wonky looking but I don’t mind it too much. I also haven’t really found keyboard flex to be an issue. Everything runs great so far.
My only complaint is that the battery seems to be draining even when the computer is on standby and the lid is closed.
I am running the overkill spec with Windows 11.
I am sure it will be a simple fix/just how the computer is.
With the system being so geared toward repairability the usual anxiety associated with “my computer is potentially acting funny” just isn’t there for me.
At long last, the review you’ve undoubtedly all been waiting for. After two weeks, I think my opinions on the product are fairly well developed. I’d like to focus on the more controversial, subjective areas, as you can refer to the professionals for performance testing.
First, some context. I feel I’m more of a casual nerd. I don’t have many specific or demanding needs. I bought this for personal use, to do programming and video editing on the couch or on the go, and of course to support the cause. My fleet includes:
• Latitude E7250 (12.5”, 5th gen i5), refurbished, for average stuff on Windows or Linux (Manjaro)
• 2015 MacBook Air 13”, bought used, for Mac things
• Optiplex 7010 (3rd gen i7, 16GB, datacenter HDD), refurbished, for heavier work
• 2020-era AMD DIY machine (3700X, 32GB, 5700XT) for fun stuff and video editing
• 2010 Toshiba Satellite 16”, bought new, an absolute monstrosity, retired in 2019, just keeping it around for funsies
I also have experience with dozens of other models through refurbishing donated laptops, but nothing quite like the Framework 16. So how do I like it?
Configuration:
- Ryzen 7, DIY (64GB G.Skill kit, 2TB 2280, 1TB 2230)
- GPU module
- RGB US English Keyboard
- Numpad
- At least one of each expansion card, currently 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, audio jack, and MicroSD installed
- Black bezel
- FW charger
- Dual booting Windows 10 and Fedora 39
Keyboard: It’s fine. It’s not especially pleasurable, but it’s not dull. I’d say I enjoy it more than a MacBook, but not quite as much as an older Thinkpad or even a mid-late 2000’s Dell. I don’t know what people are complaining about with flex. I know we all type with varying levels of force, but I can nail this thing to a degree which I’d consider unreasonable and it feels perfectly solid to me. The RGB modes it ships with are very cool, and that is absolutely worth some points. The numpad feels like the keyboard. I haven’t done any customization of either, but that’s a very cool prospect that I’ll get around to playing with eventually.
Fit & Finish: Everything is exceptional except…drum roll…the trackpad and spacers. The aluminum is just too thin to hold its flatness, if it was ever flat to begin with. Thankfully it is just as easy to reshape them oneself, though it’s a bit absurd to need to do so. This is definitely an area for improvement, as these things are literally a safety hazard. I scratched my wrist three times writing this, and snagged an arm hair. Perhaps if they slotted into each other, they could at least mate more evenly and reduce exposed edges? I don’t know, Framework doesn’t pay me enough to do their engineering, though I’m happy to discuss that.
Trackpad: The trackpad itself is surprisingly OK. I really prefer physical buttons, but this one somehow makes up for that simply by being big. I like how big it is, and for some reason that distracts me from the lack of buttons.
Display: Best I’ve ever used. I’ve used MacBooks up to a 2019 and they’re always great, but not one this size. I also think I prefer matte to glossy. As for the alleged flex, I don’t find it concerning. It’s thin and wide and therefore less rigid than anything else I own. However, I don’t actually have, nor have I used, anything this thin and wide, so it’s not really a fair comparison. Would I use it in a tornado? Maybe not. Would I open and close it one handed? Yes. And I do.
Weight: For the dimensions, I find it rather light even with the GPU module. This is obviously a measurable property so go ahead and compare the weight to your favorite laptops, but I think it’s reasonable for the size and I find it fairly well distributed. Slightly rear-heavy with the GPU module, but with the display being so thin and light, it feels uncommonly firmly planted on my squishy lap with such a low center of gravity. That’s a bit of a unique feeling for me, and I like it a lot. Body to display weight ratio: the next big metric to obsess over.
Noise: I haven’t pushed it yet, but aside from initial setup, I haven’t heard a peep. That said, when the fans did spin up that one time, they were loud (GPU module). Would I game with this in a coffee shop? No. Would I game in a coffee shop? Also no.
Overall: This thing is freakin’ cool, and I love it! I of course love that I can reconfigure it for any mission and I can replace it part by part until they stop making compatible parts, but I also love it as a laptop. The keyboard and numpad are nice, the screen is awesome, the battery life is surprisingly good, even the button-less (ick) trackpad is very, very OK. I’m not just soothing the cognitive dissonance of literally spending more on one laptop than I did on the last 4 computers I’ve purchased/built combined. I genuinely enjoy using this thing. Excellent work, Framework!
(edited for weird grammar, added config)
Nice review!! Thanks.
Did you find a noticeable difference between battery life under Windows 10 and Fedora?
Honestly, I’ve barely used Windows thus far as I’ve been really enjoying getting to know Fedora, so I can’t give a very scientific assessment. Still, even understanding Windows was probably doing a lot of admin and updating with a new installation, it sure seemed to burn battery faster than Fedora. It’s probably a minimal difference once everything is settled, but my experience dual-booting Windows 10 and Manjaro on my little Dell has been that Windows wastes more battery. There’s a lot going on there and it’s hard to make a truly fair comparison between OS’s, but you can’t deny that Windows by default is a lot busier than at least any Linux distro I’ve ever used, so it does make intuitive sense that it’s more power-hungry. Still, it’s probably a minimal difference, maybe 10% or so tops.
After receiving my Framework 16 (Batch 2) 2 weeks ago, I have quite a bit to say about it.
As a preamble, I’m a Linux power-user using NixOS as my preferred distro and haven’t had many personal laptops myself, the Framework 16 is my first personal laptop.
In the past I have used lots of ThinkPads, ranging from the T470, T480 to a T490 and a couple MacBooks at work.
Configuration:
- Ryzen 9 7940HS
- No GPU module
- 32GB Crucial 5600MT/s RAM
- 2TB WD_ Black SN850x
- Black bezel (Bring the transparent bezel to the FW16)
- Blank ANSI keyboard
- Black spacers
- Framework charger
- Basically one of every expansion card
The CPU, iGPU & Thermals
The CPU is an absolute beast for my tasks and easily clocks to up to over 5.6GHz and stays very cool. Since I don’t have the GPU module, the laptop stays very quiet throughout almost any tasks. Even when compiling large codebases, the fans barely ever ramp up or the laptop gets hot.
The iGPU also works exceptionally well and can handle 4k video, light gaming and GPU-accelerated tasks without struggle.
Battery life
I have yet to do any tuning other than installing power-profiles-daemon. Under NixOS with Hyprland and PPD set to balanced it idles at around 10-11W with 50% screen brightness, connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off. I’m not using VRR or ABM, since I’m waiting for Kernel 6.9 for both of those.
I haven’t yet used the laptop for more than a few hours, but so far, by approximation, it should last a bit under 8 hours with no real optimizations.
With the Framework charger, the battery is fully charged in roughly 2 hours.
Display
One of the best laptop displays I have ever used, the brightness, high contrast and wide color fidelity make it very enjoyable to code on and consume content. With this display, it has been the first time, I actually really liked the standard Linux font rendering. With normal 1080p displays almost all fonts personally for me under Linux looked weird and not sharp, with this display it’s the complete opposite.
The colors on the display are very vibrant, and the blacks are deep black and not grayish.
The claims about screen flex seem absurd and overexaggerated, while the screen does have some flex, it doesn’t feel flimsy or like it can be easily damaged. I don’t think the screen would ever break due to screen flex or normal usage.
Keyboard
It’s fine and definitely in the higher segment of laptop keyboards, but not comparable to older ThinkPad keyboards or normal mechanical keyboards. It has more than enough travel for my taste, and after a bit of adjustment, it feels very comfortable to type on.
I haven’t noticed any explicit keyboard flex while typing or even when pushing on it.
Being able to adjust layers and modify the keyboard with QMK is a huge feature I wish more laptops had. I currently have two layer shift buttons set to left alt and right alt. Left alt activates my vim and shortcuts layer. Right alt activates the number layer and special characters I use often.
Trackpad
Very nice feeling and fun to use. Size is perfect, even if it could be a bit bigger. The palm rejection works like you would expect it to and does its job. Only thing that I had to adjust to, was that tap-to-click for some reason doesn’t work near the bottom edges.
Weight
For being a powerful 16-inch laptop, it is rather light, and the size is perfectly adequate. It doesn’t feel bulky or inadequate in a professional setting like many other gaming or powerful laptops.
Design, Fit & Finish
I am a huge fan of the sharp and only slight rounded edges design language of the whole laptop. The Aluminum makes the laptop feel high-quality and rigid. The laptop looks modern and not out-of-place in a professional environment or public.
The trackpad spacers have a slight bump with my machine, but it doesn’t bother me or looks weird. Some people complained about having sharp edges in the trackpad spacers, which I have not noticed while using it. The color variation of the trackpad spacers is barely noticeable and heavily depends on the lighting conditions.
Linux setup
Setting up NixOS was a breeze and everything worked out of the box (Fingerprint reader, s2idle sleep, webcam, mic, ambient light sensor, Wi-Fi, etc.). For the time being, I’m using the NixOS-hardware module for the Framework 13 AMD version, until an official Framework 16 module is merged, which I might even do myself if no one else does it.
Updating firmware using fwupd and the LVFS couldn’t have been easier, updating the mainboard firmware to a beta version took 2 minutes. My WD_Black nvme can also receive updates through fwupd, which is nice.
So far I have only stumbled upon one issue, that after sleeping with s2idle the domain name resolution would not come back, despite wpa_supplicant being connected and able to complete requests. I know that some other people with an AMD framework had similar issues, but I can’t find any of those threads again.
Overall
I am very happy I made the purchase and didn’t cancel over the first negative reviews during the pre-order phase. I am glad to support the vision Framework has towards the push of bringing repairable, re-usable and well-built devices back into the mainstream consumer market. Knowing your expensive laptop isn’t just e-waste after a few years because the battery died, or the hardware is outdated gives me a good feeling when using the laptop and justifies the price of it. I’m excited to at some point repurpose the old motherboard as a home-server, media station or secondary computer.
Another thing that I as a tinkerer very much enjoy are the open documentations of the whole laptop and possibilities you have with tinkering with it or developing your own modules. Other manufacturers make it purposefully hard to do this, while Framework encourages it.
Linux compatibility is awesome, and so is the whole community and team around Framework.