Hi guys, I was very fortunate to receive a Framework 13 7640u as a Christmas present from my parents about a month ago, and I figured you guys would like a review, so here goes.
Config: My current configuration is a DIY edition Ryzen 5 7640u with 2x USB-A, 2x USB-C, and an HDMI expansion card. Since I got the DIY edition, I ended up buying an SK hynix P41 Platinum 1TB and Crucial (2x8GB) 5600 MHz RAM. I also bought the FW 65W charger. So, I’ve been using my FW as my daily driver, and I love it so far! I’m a high school student, and my school provides every student with Chromebooks. My FW has been a very welcome upgrade. All my school work is done using Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail, so I haven’t really done any taxing work on the FW. But if I did, I don’t doubt the FW would be able to handle it just fine. As for battery life, I’ve been getting anywhere from 7-9 hours, which was pleasantly surprising. I was a little worried the battery life wouldn’t be good enough to get through all my classes, but I was wrong. Some things that I do to preserve battery life are as follows: I keep the brightness between 0-20%, Bluetooth is permanently off unless I’m using my AirPods, I’ve turned down the power button brightness in the BIOS, and I keep the camera and mic off unless I’m using them. I don’t know if that actually makes a difference, but I still keep them off anyway. The mic and webcam are actually a lot better than what I expected, which is a plus. I know everyone complains about the speakers, but I don’t think they’re that bad. I’m using an audio preset for the laptop from someone on here, and that definitely helped a lot.
Pros:
- Screen: I love the screen; it’s extremely bright coming from my Chromebook, and it’s nice and sharp. The 16:10 aspect ratio is great for schoolwork as I read a lot of PDFs. I’m just really bummed that it’s not a touchscreen, but it is what it is. If it were any other laptop that lacked a touchscreen, I wouldn’t have bought it, but knowing that it’s a Framework, there’s always the option to upgrade.
- Keyboard: I love the keyboard, and it’s super comfortable to type on. My only complaint is that the F12 key brings you to the FW website. I wish this key was blank, and you could remap it to whatever you want, but not a dealbreaker.
- Physical shutoff switches for the camera and mic: Self-explanatory.
- Performance: Performance has been great with no notable fan noise or heat output. The only caveat I’ve had to this is the laptop struggled to run a modded version of NCAA 14 through RPCS3.
- Build quality: Build quality is great, and the laptop feels nice and sturdy. I’m prone to dropping things, so I’m curious to see how it holds up when I inevitably do. However, the great thing is if something breaks, I can always replace it.
- Battery life: Daily, I average about 7-9 hours, which was a pleasant surprise. I was so worried about battery life because, since I’m in a wheelchair, it’s not the easiest for me to plug stuff into outlets, but so far, it’s been a non-issue. I even bought a 65W 24,000 mAh battery bank, but I’ve found myself rarely needing to use it.
Cons:
- Occasional Watchdog blue screen error: Hoping it will get fixed through a BIOS update. I’ve only had it happen to me three times since owning the laptop, but it’s still annoying.
- Tiny bit of screen wobble: I notice sometimes whenever I touch the screen, it’s a little wobbly, almost has some springiness to it. This doesn’t really bother me, and it probably can be resolved through the 4kg hinges.
- Expansion cards are tough to remove: (But this could be because I only have one hand.)
- The fact that there’s only 4 expansion ports: (Would’ve loved six or even 5, but oh well.)
- No touchscreen: Now, the fact that there’s no touchscreen is my biggest pain point with this laptop. A touchscreen would just make my life so much easier, but unfortunately, there’s not one out right now. I’m hoping that when the 16’s come out of the preorder stage, they’ll drop a touchscreen for the 13, but IDK.
- No full-size SD card reader expansion card: I know that they’re potentially coming out with one, and I’ll be buying it when they do. I don’t really use SD cards that much, only when working with Raspberry Pis and stuff, but I still want a full-size reader in case I need it.
- No numpad: Not a huge deal; it just would’ve been nice.
Conclusion: I love this laptop, and it will definitely be my daily laptop for years to come. I honestly don’t have too many complaints besides the minor ones I listed above. I know that I was extremely fortunate to receive this laptop as a Christmas gift, and I’ll appreciate it for years to come. If you have any questions feel free to ask!