I really want to get a Framework Laptop because of the repairability, upgradeability and sustainability. I would like to know how I can spend the bare minimum to get a functional framework laptop, as I am on a limited budget and I can upgrade it later anyway. I can already use the RAM, SSD and charger from my old laptop and I am willing to salvage whatever else would be compatible, so I just need the Framework specific components.
Hello @Davidtatu222
Check for refurbished laptops in the marketplace, those are prebuilt, you will be getting RAM/Sotrage etc, so the price might not be as low, but do look through them if they are available in your locality.
Second option is DIY model, it will save you on RAM, Storage and charger. but everything else is part of the package. You will need to select at least 4 expansion cards. you could skip on them and use the ports directly on the main board [I don’t recommend it]… but they are only 10 bucks each for usb c.
Third option is, find someone who is selling their laptop in the community, or mainboard or chasse?
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Heya! There’s a subreddit for selling old Frameworks, iirc there’s also some on ebay!
The subreddit is called something along the lines of r/frameworkmarketplace
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Another thing to note is that once the AMD notebooks start selling, there will likely be a large amount of mainboards getting sold, so if you can find a deal on a used shell, or can’t find anything in your price range now, waiting a few months could lead to you getting some really good deals.
a) refurbished is the best option for cheap prices.
If there’s nothing available there, b) the cost of each previous gen reduces with each new gen.
Finally, if buying bleeding-edge and new, you can avoid Framework markup by c) buying the components (ram, ssd, os) elsewhere with deals or on Black Friday. I went the third route, and am very happy with the amount that I saved!
Note that for the AMD board at least, you will not be able to re-use your RAM, as it only accepts DDR5.
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I picked up a pretty decently spec’ed refurb model on the official frame.work marketplace. I’m sure there are second-hand deals through Ebay, Reddit, etc… you could scour for an even better deal. Might be worth considering amortized cost too since presumably you could hold onto the device for longer thanks to ease of repair/upgrade. I’ve been using mine for like 2-ish days now and aside from some early hiccups getting wi-fi card working, it’s been a great machine!