Highlights from the Framework (2nd Gen) Event

[Matt_Hartley]

We went live this morning at the Framework (2nd Gen) Event with our biggest set of announcements yet: Framework Desktop, Framework Laptop 12, and the new Ryzen AI 300 Series Framework Laptop 13. You can watch a recording of the livestream on our YouTube channel.

We started out by introducing the latest version of Framework Laptop 13 with AMD’s new Ryzen AI 300 Series processors. Pre-orders on this are open now, starting at $899, with the first batch shipping in April. We now have a 12-core Ryzen 9 option with awesome graphics performance, Wi-Fi 7, and a new keyboard structure that reduces resonance when your speakers are cranked up. We’ve also brought back the Translucent Bezel in four colors along with six new translucent USB-C Expansion Cards! This is our 7th iteration on Framework Laptop 13, and we’re committed to continuing to deliver on the promise of product longevity with it for many years to come.

We then shared the One Key Module, enabling developers to create custom keyboard layouts for Framework Laptop 16. We’ll have this on the Framework Marketplace later this year. We’re just getting started with the first generation of Framework Laptop 16, and we’ll be backing it up with the same philosophy around upgrades that we’ve shown on Framework Laptop 13.

We then introduced our next new product category, the Framework Desktop. Pre-orders are open now on this as well, starting at $1099, with shipments starting in early Q3. This is a tiny, 4.5L machine with massive performance inside using AMD’s new Ryzen AI Max processors. These bring up to 16 CPU cores, up to 128GB of memory shared across CPU, GPU, and NPU, discrete-level graphics performance. This makes it an awesome gaming, workstation, and AI crunching machine, all in an unassuming little form factor that you can carry with you. We also followed PC standards everywhere we could: the Mainboard is a MiniITX form factor, so you can drop it into your preferred case. This is just an amazing machine, and we can’t wait for you to try it.

Finally, we gave a sneak peek at Framework Laptop 12, bringing our mission and product philosophy to a much broader audience. This is a 12.2” 2-in-1 convertible with touch and stylus support, powered by 13th Gen Intel Core processors. We also designed it in a set of five colorways. We’ll be sharing a lot more on Framework Laptop 12 before we open pre-orders in April and start shipping mid-year.

[earthling]

Good to see Zen 5 making it in, although was hoping to see FW16 updates too, or an in-between size (like 15"). I also hope the FW16 will get LPCAMM2 with the next revision!

[Filip_S]

Why are you keeping new product development in such secrecy to the last moment? I mean it’s not like other manufacturers are lining up to copy your ideas. (We may kind of wish they were.) You could definitely get great feedback from the community early on and make the products better. Even great product design teams sometimes overlook some obvious opportunity for improvement.

[Francis]

I am sure they want to avoid talking about something that might not materialize or happen to come to market later than expected.
Someone might pretend they commited to it… But I am sure that the proper disclosure would avoid the issue. People are smart enough to understand that sometime things don’t work as expected.
I too wish they would provide more visibility on what to expect.

[inverse]

I think it’s pretty safe to say the FW16 is dead even if they claim that “things are on the roadmap”. I can see them killing it quietly and I’ll be shocked if we ever see a new mainboard or GPU.

[inffy]

What GPU were you thinking they could show right now? The newest AMDs are not “out” yet. I would guess we will see a new GPU before the summer

[Brian_B]

I’d love to know if the required WiFi-7 card for the new HX370 board in FW13 will actually be available before a batch 1 preorder for when the board arrives. Memory and storage, I’m good. But was hoping a required component would also be available for pre-order.

[Dmitry_Elsakov]

BTW - if you mention that one - AMD RZ717 Wi-Fi 7, it’s MediaTek based and it’s not a great option. WiFi 7 limited to 160MHz and I believe it would be glitchy as previous ones…
Note: It available on eBay

I would suggest to look at the Qualcomm QCNCM865, which is also WiFi 7 / BT 5.3 and working great on current FW13 and FW16 (I have both with that card installed). Working great on Ubuntu as well as on Win 11 (however there required drivers to load beforehand and disable AMD BT Audio in Device Manager as it’s conflicting with BT). Speeds are 1.3Gbits over WiFi 7 for me (for Ubuntu ~650Mbits though), no issues so far.

Note 2: Intel BE200 / Intel BE202 not working on AMD Motherboards - crashing FW on starting BIOS checks.

[Reza]

Why would they?
My guess is they want to upgrade it properly to have a big impact.
And maybe with nvidia GPU as the external module. I don’t think they will kill it.