Hey guys, I wanted to give a six-month review of my experience with the Framework 13, so here it goes. I was fortunate to receive the Framework as a Christmas and birthday present from my parents. Originally, I would have gotten a laptop for graduation, but since the Framework is upgradeable, I ended up receiving it early and have absolutely loved it for the past few months. Here’s my configuration:
- Ryzen 5 7640u
- 2x8GB Crucial CT2K8G56C46S5 RAM (16GB, which is fine for my needs as I’m not doing anything too demanding)
- SX Hynix P41 Platinum 1TB SSD
- 2x USB-C expansion cards
- 1x USB-A expansion card
- 1x HDMI 3rd gen expansion card
- 1 extra USB-A expansion card (not in the laptop)
- Bought the Framework charger
- Running Windows 11
My workload admittedly isn’t super taxing; I use G Suite for school work—Google Drive, Google Docs, Gmail, etc. I also watch YouTube and listen to Spotify primarily with earbuds. Since graduating high school, I mainly use the Framework for general web browsing and media consumption. I’ve also made some software tweaks that addressed a few of my initial concerns about the Framework (which I’ll touch on later).
Pros:
Screen: I love the screen; it’s extremely bright compared to my Chromebook, and it’s nice and sharp. The 16:10 aspect ratio is perfect for schoolwork, especially for reading PDFs. Although it’s not touchscreen, which I initially wished for, knowing that it’s a Framework means there’s always the option to upgrade. For people like me who use it for schoolwork or non-gaming activities, the stock screen is accurate and ideal.
Keyboard: The keyboard is fantastic and very comfortable to type on. Initially, I mentioned in my review that the F12 key couldn’t be remapped, but a community tool now allows for remapping. I currently have mine set to open the task manager.
Physical shutoff switches for camera and mic: These are excellent for privacy and battery life, as I frequently disable the camera and mic.
Performance: Performance has been great with no noticeable fan noise or heat output. The only hiccup I encountered was when running a modded version of NCAA 14 through RPCS3; otherwise, it handles everything else smoothly.
Build quality: The build quality is top-notch, and the laptop feels sturdy. Being disabled, I’m quite tough on my tech, and the Framework has held up beautifully, aside from a few scratches on the bottom cover. The great thing is that if something breaks, I can easily replace it.
Battery life: I average about 7-9 hours daily, which was a pleasant surprise. I was initially concerned about battery life due to accessibility issues with outlets (since I’m in a wheelchair), but so far, it hasn’t been an issue. I even bought a 65W 24,000 mAh battery bank, but I rarely need to use it.
Cons:
- I initially encountered an occasional Watchdog blue screen error, which has been resolved with a new BIOS update.
- There’s a slight screen wobble, which doesn’t bother me much but might annoy others.
- Removing the expansion cards can be tricky; they haven’t loosened up much over six months, though I don’t swap them frequently.
- There are only 4 expansion ports; however, new options like Josh Cook’s dual USB-C card are becoming available.
- The lack of a touchscreen remains my biggest pain point. A touchscreen would greatly enhance usability, especially for someone like me. I was hoping one would be available by now.
- Initially, there was no full-size SD card reader expansion card, but that’s no longer the case, and I plan to order it when it’s in stock.
- The absence of a numpad, while not a big deal, would have been a nice addition.
Battery life optimizations: Here are a few things I did to maximize battery life:
- Keep camera & mic disabled and enable them only when needed.
- Keep Bluetooth off and turn it on only when necessary.
- Keep keyboard backlight off unless needed.
- Set the power LED to the dimmest setting in the BIOS.
- Set the iGPU to auto in the BIOS.
- Keep Windows battery saver on all the time.
- Set the laptop to best battery life mode.
- Minimize startup apps.
- Keep screen brightness between 0-25%, as even the lowest setting is bright enough.
- Set hibernate to start when the lid is closed to avoid battery drain.
Sound/AirPods: If you’re experiencing issues with AirPods on Windows 11, disabling the AirPods mic in Windows settings can resolve frequent disconnection problems. Additionally, using the FX Sound app with a specific sound profile can significantly enhance speaker performance.
Conclusion: I love this laptop and plan to use it as my daily driver for years to come. I don’t have many complaints aside from the minor ones listed above. I feel extremely fortunate to have received this as a gift and appreciate it greatly. Moving forward, my biggest hopes are for Framework to release a version with a navy blue bezel and touchscreen. If they could make that happen, it would be the ultimate upgrade for me. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!