The right antidote to fashionable tech

Design and Keyboard

• Unchanged light-weight aluminium body from its predecessor
• Modular ports are a implausible characteristic
• Responsive keyboard, though a meagre trackpad

The precise appear and feel of this 2025 Framework Laptop computer 13 mannequin hasn’t modified, with Framework sticking with the identical compact chassis you’ll discover on the Intel Core Extremely Sequence 1 iteration.

It comes with a silver aluminium body that’s slim and svelte and goes a protracted option to remind me of the 10-year-old 2015 MacBook Air. It’s sturdy and simply transportable at 1.3kg, and I’ve had no points slinging this right into a bag to tackle my travels after I’ve been out and about for work in latest days.

For port choice, I’d normally speak in regards to the pitfalls of a laptop computer, and why it wants extra ports. Nevertheless, with this DIY model of the Framework Laptop computer 13, the one particular person you’d should blame for the ports is your self, as Framework has saved with the identical ingenious modular technique.

The ports are available their very own little containers, in various completely different colors, and to place them in, you are taking one and slide it into the grooved slot on the underside of the laptop computer till it clicks, and that’s it. You’ll be able to select which ports you need on the net configurator and make this laptop computer fit your wants. For mine, I had a variety to select from, and kitted it out with three USB-C ports and a USB-A within the 4 slots. Mine additionally got here with a DisplayPort for extra typical show out, which is helpful.

You even have the choice so as to add the whole lot from an Ethernet port to an HDMI and Micro SD, and even add as much as 1TB of storage as an enlargement card. All of them join through USB-C to the laptop computer’s important board with ease, and work as an exterior SSD would, it appears.

Framework says setting this laptop computer up, together with constructing it, ought to take between 10 and 20 minutes, and in going by way of the method with their helpful net information, it took me round 20 minutes to go from a pile of items – SSD, RAM, keyboard and bezel – to a functioning laptop computer that simply wanted an working system. 

Given the benefit of understanding the directions and the very fact you solely want a T5 screwdriver for undoing and fastening a few screws, it’s fairly idiotproof, and will be finished with out a lot technical data. I fairly loved the entire strategy of placing it collectively.

Being a extra compact body means the Framework Laptop computer 13’s keyboard tray is smaller with fewer keys. You get the same old alphanumeric keys, in addition to a operate row and arrow keys within the backside proper nook. The keys themselves have fairly a tactile really feel with a shorter journey that made them really feel fairly responsive in writing up 1000’s of phrases a day for work. It is usually backlit with a dimmer white backlight for after-dark working.

The trackpad isn’t a robust level, although. It’s completely superb for common navigation, though it lacks the silky clean and responsive surfaces I’ve gotten used to on premium ultrabooks that sit on the identical worth as this one.

Show and Audio system

• Upgraded show offers smoother movement and extra element
• Respectable black degree and distinction for an IPS display
• Audio system are superb for primary workloads

By default, the Framework Laptop computer 13 ships with a 13.5-inch 2256×1504 decision matte show with a standard-issue 60Hz refresh charge, though should you pay an additional £130/$130, you may get the stronger display my pattern has – a 13.5-inch 2880×1920 120Hz display that advantages from extra element and smoother on-screen motion due to a better refresh charge with a pleasing 3:2 facet ratio.

This isn’t an OLED display, so we aren’t getting the deep blacks and immense distinction ratio chances are you’ll count on from a laptop computer at this worth, however its 0.25 and 1640:1 outcomes out of the field are nonetheless fairly respectable for an IPS display.

With a measured 500 nits of peak SDR brightness, on-screen content material additionally has a good quantity of pop, whereas that larger decision additionally offers it some good element.

Color accuracy right here is affordable, with 99% protection of the mainstream sRGB house giving correct colors for productiveness workloads, whereas the 81% DCI-P3 and 77% Adobe RGB outcomes imply chances are you’ll be higher off with one other display should you’re endeavor inventive, colour-sensitive workloads loads.

Framework hasn’t modified the audio system with this 2025 version of the 13-inch mannequin, opting for a similar pair of 2-watt downwards-firing choices. They aren’t the most effective issues on the planet, however they’ve first rate quantity and physique and are superb for common listening.

Efficiency

• Ryzen AI 7 350 presents stable energy
• Built-in graphics are simply okay
• Storage and RAM are fully configurable

As talked about beforehand, this laptop computer is accessible with three processor choices, with mine transport with the center youngster within the Ryzen AI 7 350. That is an eight-core and 16-thread processor with a lift clock of as much as 5GHz that appears to be fairly a good possibility for each efficiency and effectivity.

With this in thoughts, scores in each Geekbench 6 and Cinebench R23 are stable by way of single-core speeds towards its extra highly effective brother, the Ryzen AI HX 370, in comparably priced ultrabooks such because the Asus Zenbook S 16 (2024).

Multi-core efficiency is sweet too, sitting someplace between the M3 and M4 MacBook Airs, that means this laptop computer within reason as much as snuff for extra intensive duties. Nevertheless, it nonetheless isn’t as highly effective because the Intel Core Extremely 9 285H powerhouse within the MSI Status 16 AI Evo (2025) or the M4 chip within the base MacBook Professional.

You get a Radeon 860M iGPU with this chip that’s simply okay for 3D-oriented or graphically intensive workloads. It isn’t as robust because the beefier built-in graphics within the top-end Ryzen AI HX 370, and means solely actual informal gaming can be potential right here.

RAM and storage are, as with plenty of this laptop computer, as much as you. Framework will spec this laptop computer for you with as much as 64GB of quick DDR5-5600 RAM and even as much as an 8TB WD SN850X SSD if you want. For my possibility, I opted for 32GB of Essential DDR5-5600 CL46 SODIMM laptop computer RAM, and a mid-range PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD in a 2TB Essential P310. 

This laptop computer helps ‘customary’ M.2 2280 size drives, for ease of use, and Framework has an inventory of suitable RAM with this laptop computer accessible on its web site should you aren’t positive what to go for.

With this in thoughts, there’s sufficient RAM capability for extra intensive duties, whereas the SSD right here is famous as a quick one in my testing, with respective sequential reads and writes of 7002.83MB/s and 6308.00 MB/s.

Software program

• Alternative of working methods, together with Home windows and Linux
• Home windows set up course of with Rufus is simple
• No bloatware, though Copilot+ PC performance is current

As with the design part, usually I’d bemoan a laptop computer for having an excessive amount of bloatware or pointless system software program, however that isn’t the case once more with the Framework Laptop computer 13.

You may have the choice both to have it preinstalled with Home windows 11 Residence or Skilled, or you’ll be able to carry your personal OS, be it Home windows, or Arch or Fedora Linux distros. For comfort, I selected to put in Home windows 11 Residence on the 2TB Essential P310 I had within the system.

Doing so is as straightforward as should you’ve ever put in Home windows on a brand new PC or to troubleshoot an previous one, due to Framework’s step-by-step information to obtain a Home windows 11 ISO and create set up media with the helpful Rufus software on an exterior flash drive or SSD you’ve gotten spare.

It is a obligatory third-party resolution with these Ryzen AI 300 variations, in accordance with Framework, as there aren’t correct Home windows 11 community drivers for the AMD Wi-Fi playing cards contained in the system. Because of this, it’s a must to create a bootable Home windows installer that removes the necessity for an internet Microsoft account at setup.

As soon as Home windows 11 has loaded in, it is advisable seize a driver package deal from Framework’s web site, which is an executable that auto-installs community, graphics, sound drivers and extra in addition to, earlier than auto-restarting into a correct, clear Home windows 11 atmosphere with no bloatware or further software program to talk of.

With that Ryzen AI 7 350 chip inside, it means this Framework laptop computer has all of the options of one in all Microsoft’s designated Copilot+ PCs, for higher or worse. This consists of generative AI within the Paint and Photographs app and the intelligent webcam results for background blur, sustaining eye contact and extra, though Microsoft’s controversial Recall characteristic continues to be lacking.

Battery Life

• Lasted for 10 hours and 31 minutes within the battery take a look at
• Able to lasting for one to 2 working days

Framework doesn’t present a selected estimate for this laptop computer’s endurance, though it comes with a pretty big 61Whr cell that, mixed with the effectivity of its internals, ought to lead to first rate longevity.

Within the PCMark 10 battery take a look at with the show on the requisite 150 nits, the Framework Laptop computer 13 lasted for 10 hours and 31 minutes. That meets our standard 10-hour goal for laptops, though it falls fairly a way behind the 12-16 hours and longer we’ve tended to notice fashionable ultrabooks to final for. The truth is, it’s barely half of the comparably priced Dell Professional 14 Premium‘s close to 23-hour consequence.

My pattern additionally got here with the 60W USB-C brick, which is a purchasable further on the net configurator for £40/$55. It might get the laptop computer again to 50% in 40 minutes, whereas a full cost took 106 minutes. That’s okay, if a bit gradual on the total cost entrance.

Do you have to purchase it?