Vote for desired future Framework form factors

General Topics
1

I was wondering if we could have an official vote on which form factors the community wants Framework to make, for instance:
15-16 inch performance laptop with dedicated GPU
12-13 inch 2-in-1
14-15 inch powerful and portable with low power dedicated GPU
Others?

1 Like
2

My vote would be to start with a 2 in 1 touchscreen option. After that, seems like a lot of desire for 15"

1 Like
3

i like the idea of it having a dedicated gpu but i donā€™t like the idea of it being heavier and bulkier and i think that it would mess with the ease of repairability. i think that if the 14 or 15 inch laptop with support for external gpus then that would be the better option.

4

Iā€™m thinking a chassis size that would fit current model motherboards and a separate daughter card gpu that connects to the motherboard either through the display connector or usb/thunderbolt. The gpu card can double as a passthru for the expansion cards. This way the gpu will be upgradable instead of upgrading the entire motherboard and discrete graphics will have the option for a mux controller to switch between internal gpu or discrete gpu based on application usage. A dedicate port card designed for external display would be a natural bonus which will by pass the need for a mux controller.

2 Likes
5

14-15" light dedicated GPU but defo touchscreen as well

6

Touch screen has been a big request at the moment from the community. In addition, I have several artistic friends with failing Lenovo 2-in-1s all less than a 1-2 years old that would swap to something they can repair themselves with the same or better performance in a heartbeat, as most of their devices have the exact same CPU as the base Framework.

Personally, five years ago I would have loved a dGPU option, but nowadays with the advent of eGPUs and their availability (minus the GPU haha, shortages are hell), itā€™s just easier to use an eGPU if youā€™re a student+creator like me who wants to only have one computer, or want your Framework to run mid-to-high-spec games. Sure you miss out on the ā€˜console gamer getting a laptop for school and wants to try PC gamingā€™ market because of the enthusiast requirement (researching cards, enclosures, power, cablesā€¦), but Iā€™d argue thatā€™s pretty niche and doesnā€™t really have much overlap with the repair community as a lot of of us are enthusiasts already (side note: I canā€™t wait to see the sales figures on the percentages of units that were prebuilt vs diy).

7

a powerfull (CAD / editing) maschine would be amazing, best with a 15-16inch screen and obviously a dedicated GPU that and a Swiss keyboard layout would mean we (as a IT company) could start selling Framework laptops to our clients.

8

15-16 inch? Why this midle size you make a small size make the maximum size 17inch

9

Iā€™d like to update this with new info.

Intelā€™s Arc GPU will be the next big thing in tech, and as Framework has already shown an interest at tapping cutting-edge tech, an Arc dGPU would absolutely be a great addition to the Framework ecosystem. It splits the gap perfectly because of its ability to sync and split tasks with an Intel eGPU! As a (perhaps misguided) fanboy of Intel, this is now my most anticipated mainboard that would come out in the next 5 years or so!

10

How about Framework - Clear Edition with transparent body and keyboard. (and possibly larger battery as thicker case as a consequence)

4 Likes
11

Surely it would be relatively simple for them to ship a new hinge and a new touchscreen to turn the laptop that they currently sell into a 2-in-1?

1 Like
12

My ideal would be a 17 inch laptop with the same keyboard (no numberpad), similar quality screen, better speakers, more battery life. I wouldnā€™t even care if it was just the enclosure and I had to use my same hardware.

13

I want a 15". 17" is too big, I had one at university and never again.

14

for me I would like a ā€œdesktop replacementā€ 17 inch and an external GPU like suggested a thunderport based MXM card? and if ALL new motherboards supported the external GPU AND NO external GPU the motherboard once to ā€œoldā€ for GAMING could be ā€œretiredā€ to a small laptop chassis like the current thin and light model

1 Like
15

15.2" dGPU with a 3:2 screen ā€“ 2560x1708, 90Hz. 6 expansion ports. This is just me dreaming, I imagine such a panel isnā€™t easily available. No 2-in-1, no camera, no microphone. If I need the latter two, Iā€™ll just get dedicated options for both that have better quality.

16

I would like to see a 15-15.6" option with room for a 2.5" drive. We burn through engineering laptops at work due to lack of interchangeable parts. We typically dock them for all day CAD usage, so eGPUs and open source cooling solutions would reduce a lot of waste. I know desktops already have all the things I mentioned, but I donā€™t order equipment.

17

Same size but say 3-4mm thicker so the case can be beefed up, the battery also and the cooling.

Some of us can handle an extra 500Grams or half a pound. :grinning:

1 Like
18

Now that upgrade board kits are available, a modified chassis without a display is needed so that the old board can be reused. Modification should be an I/O cover where the display should be. using the same connector that drives the display would be awesome. Everything else can be the same base which makes it a keyboard desktop PC. Either offer a mod kit for the laptop or a complete redesigned chassis that takes full advantage of the mainboard. There are already 3D printer/CNC designs online to do this but an official product from the company would be nice.

19

On my wish list :smiley.
Its wise to wait and see next year what is going on with APUs. The gap between IGPU and dGPU is getting smaller. 5 years ago you would have a 3X increase between the smallest dGPU and the iGPU inside your intel. Now its almost the same. Next year they might not be any need for a dGPU in a laptop (like there is no need on PS5).

  • 16 incher (any form factor)
  • having a cooling for the APU at 60W = the same board but with a cooling for a H version with a bigger IGPU inside.
  • ALternatively : E-gpu as a module : like a much bigger module port that could house GPU + cooling for 30w
  • Same motherboard : one could switsh mainboard to the 16" laptop
    -Same trackpad : you could switsh them
  • Eventually same keyboard + numpad separate on the side.
  • Upward facing speakers
  • bigger battery

= Make a new laptop case, but not new parts