My Last Gaming Laptop

[Plouffe]

Can manufacturers finally get it right when it comes to upgradeable gaming laptops? Framework wants to try with the Framework 16, featuring a DGPU that only takes 6 screws and a few minutes of your time to swap out.

 

Buy a Framework Laptop 16: https://lmg.gg/okJWF

Buy a Lenovo Legion Slim 7i Gaming Laptop: https://lmg.gg/QxKF3 (Canada: https://lmg.gg/ino3S )

Buy an ASUS TUF A16 Gaming Laptop: https://lmg.gg/ZZSmy (Canada: https://lmg.gg/9iLof )

 

Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group.

 

 

[djksm]

finally

[Senzelian]

Looks pretty great and the price at ~2500€ at which I configured it isn't so bad either. Sure it's expensive, but if you're actually able to use a laptop like this for at least 10 years, then that's totally worth the cost.

[sounds]

I'm getting my kids into DIY PC stuff by letting them take apart old busted laptops and goof around in my work space where there are PC cases, power supplies, spare parts and lots of screwdrivers.

 

But maybe it's time to get a Framework for my oldest? 

[8tg]

Its still proprietary to the framework. This is no different than the Lenovo Y510P from years ago and its dual gpu thing with an ultrabay video card. 

 

And people with those still found a better solution to that:

 

And they went full circle to something similar to the concept of an egpu dock. Because having an internal swappable gpu is a gimmick at best, and locks you into a finite amount of potential upgrades made specifically for that hardware. In the case of the Y510p, there were none. But for the framework sure there will probably be more gpus down the line for it. But if they were able to make these boards, it sounds like they couldve just gone with MXM like everyone else (until that was dropped within the last few years) and allowed for extensive backwards compatibility as well.

 

Its proprietary to the framework laptop and a custom gpu design isnt exactly something hobbyists are going to casually DIY at home to make their own gpu modules. I dont see any purpose in it beyond the gimmick factor.

Which is fine in some sense, gimmick factor can be fun. But i absolutely hate the idea of the framework laptop presenting itself as this modifiable, upgradable, non proprietary machine thats supposed to be good for the environment by reducing ewaste since your machine can last longer. And then they have created these proprietary gpu modules to mimick something assorted broke nerds have been doing for the past 15 years.

[OperatorArcticFox]

Wow, now make it cheaper so I can afford one

[cenotaph]

If it was mentioned in the video I missed it, but was any testing done running games while the power brick is attached? Did the battery drain while doing so?

[GameTec_live]

Im wondering if the keyboard flex is still that bad if you have the keyboard shifted to the left when using a numpad...

[Ubersonic]

I gotta say considering Linus has previously slated Dell for their modular graphics laptops only having two GPUs too choose from it's a bit cringe to see the modular GPU aspect hyped when it only has one (midrange) option.

 

Also it's not that manufacturers have been struggling to make upgradable laptops, they just chose not to.  Flash back a decade and socketed CPUs and MXM graphics boards meant that when your gaming laptop started getting long in the tooth you could double your cores and advance your graphics a generation or two.

 

Having said that this is a good step forward, and as long as more options come out it looks like it has quite a bit of potential

[creat0r]

1 hour ago, 8tg said:

having an internal swappable gpu is a gimmick at best, and locks you into a finite amount of potential upgrades made specifically for that hardware

So true. Honestly I’m mind blown that so many people here are brainwashed into believing Framework is some kind of God sent miracle here to save us. It’s not, they’re a company, they’re not your friends and only wants your money. Framework is expensive, provides weak hardware for the price and locks you into their ecosystem of replacement parts. Some parts of this laptop seems like it’ll break easily, which is where Frameworks reoccurring revenue stream will come from: people who needs to buy new parts from them contentiously.

 

Edit: also consider the environmental aspect of users replacing and throwing away parts contentiously, in the end it might add up more e-waste than a quality laptop that lasts for many years.

Edited January 23 by creat0r
Environmental aspect

[Orion_]

4 minutes ago, creat0r said:

 locks you into their ecosystem of replacement parts. 

As opposed to being able to choose from the WEALTH of other laptop upgrade part options... OH, wait, there aren't any....

 

 

Really hope to see them add XMG style water cooling to these if they really start aiming for a modular gaming laptop. 

 

[creat0r]

1 minute ago, Orion_ said:

As opposed to being able to choose from the WEALTH of other laptop upgrade part options... OH, wait, there aren't any....

 

That’s exactly my point… the only option is to buy more from Framework when anything stops working and pay whatever price they want to charge. It’s a monopoly ecosystem just like Apple, but with hardware instead of software. And even though other companies (probably) technically could manufacture replacement parts for Framework, this is a niece product which is why that is unlikely to happen. 

[Orion_]

2 minutes ago, creat0r said:

That’s exactly my point… the only option is to buy more from Framework when anything stops working and pay whatever price they want to charge. It’s a monopoly ecosystem just like Apple, but with hardware instead of software. And even though other companies (probably) technically could manufacture replacement parts for Framework, this is a niece product which is why that is unlikely to happen. 

But your point is completely moot. No other company is offering upgrades aside from buying an entirely new laptop. This is like complaining that you can change the tires on your car instead of buying an entirely new one...

[creat0r]

3 minutes ago, Orion_ said:

But your point is completely moot. No other company is offering upgrades aside from buying an entirely new laptop. This is like complaining that you can change the tires on your car instead of buying an entirely new one...

No, I’m saying a laptop with proprietary low-quality components (look at the keyboard as an example) might end up generating more e-waste in the end than a quality laptop that doesn’t need to be replaced as often. Plus I doubt many people will use this for 10 years, as soon as gen 2 or 3 comes out that fixes some of the obvious shortcomings of this gen 1 version many here will buy a new one anyway.

[JawaRyan]

I want to like the Framework so bad, but the fans were so loud that I couldn't stand it. 

 

Acer fans are not even as loud and they are known for their terrible laptop cooling...

[the9thdude]

1 hour ago, JawaRyan said:

I want to like the Framework so bad, but the fans were so loud that I couldn't stand it. 

 

Acer fans are not even as loud and they are known for their terrible laptop cooling...

That's the duality of laptop: less noise for higher temps, or lower temps for more noise. Every manufacturer has to follow it, even Apple. The only time you can get away with it is with a desktop with >120mm fans.

[JawaRyan]

7 minutes ago, the9thdude said:

That's the duality of laptop: less noise for higher temps, or lower temps for more noise. Every manufacturer has to follow it, even Apple. The only time you can get away with it is with a desktop with >120mm fans.

I know all about laptop cooling and associated noise - but this is a 16" laptop with fans louder than 90% of the other 16" laptops I've ever tested and with middling performance.

[NunyasBidness]

Soooooo, what thickness thermal pads were used to prop up the KB?  I'm in batch 8 and would like to get some of the appropriate thickness, and have it on hand for when I assemble my FrameWork 16...

[LMGcommunity]

41 minutes ago, NunyasBidness said:

Soooooo, what thickness thermal pads were used to prop up the KB?  I'm in batch 8 and would like to get some of the appropriate thickness, and have it on hand for when I assemble my FrameWork 16...

0.5mm and 1mm

[jack20591]

You can't really claim it's an unbiased review and then open it up to mod the keyboard because of how bad it is....

[Shah M]

Totally off topic, but Jawa (the Sponsor) is an awesome name for a used (scavenged) PC part seller.

[crazzp]

39 minutes ago, jack20591 said:

You can't really claim it's an unbiased review

Don't think they claim anything about being unbiased. No review/opinion can be free of bias. 

[2dfx]

Going to be unfortunate when the company eventually goes bankrupt in 2027 and all this progress will be for naught.

[JawaRyan]

3 hours ago, Shah M said:

Totally off topic, but Jawa (the Sponsor) is an awesome name for a used (scavenged) PC part seller.

we appreciate you saying as much - I had nothing to do with the naming (I came in after the platform was establish and in beta) but I'm a huge Star Wars nerd...

[Levent]

I dont get it. If keyboard flex was that easy to "fix" why a $2500+ device comes like that from factory? That is a major turn off.