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If you're a PC hardware geek who's been dreaming of a laptop that you can upgrade far beyond the life cycle of a typical machine, Framework's modular notebooks must seem like a miracle. The American company has a straightforward pitch: What if your laptop could be nearly as customizable as a desktop, with the ability to swap components out for repairs and upgrades? What if we could put an end to disposable hardware? We were intrigued by Framework's original 13-inch notebook and its Chromebook variant, despite some rough edges and a basic design. Now, with the Framework Laptop 16, the company is targeting the most demanding and (arguably) hardest group of PC users to please: Gamers.
Framework has already proved it can build compelling modular laptops, but can the Laptop 16 cram in powerful graphics, a fast display and other components to keep up with the likes of Alienware, Razer and ASUS? Sort of, it turns out — and there are plenty of other tradeoffs for living the modular laptop dream. Hardware quirks abound, battery life is mediocre and it still looks like a totally generic machine. But how many other notebooks could let you completely upgrade your CPU or GPU in a few years? Who else offers a customizable keyboard setup? In those respects, the Framework 16 stands alone.
[...] I was genuinely bummed to discover that it was a fairly mediocre gaming machine, at least for its high price.
What do you think? Is having a laptop that you can upgrade more important than having the fastest laptop on the block? What price would you pay for being able to upgrade your hardware?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 20 2024, @12:25AM
> All that heat has to go somewhere ...
A friend used to work at an IBM plant and got me hooked on their lightly used ThinkPads, something over 20 years ago. I don't game and don't need super speed at all and the ThinkPads last a long time. To keep them cool I mostly have mine elevated off the desk on a wire rack that is about 5" high (130mm), and use a full sized keyboard. Or, if it has to sit on a desk, I set it on two pencils (eraser ends toward the back) to make a little air clearance underneath. When I vacuum out the keyboard (maybe 2x/year) I use a piece of fine screen over the hose to keep from sucking off a key, and also vacuum at the vents to clear some of the dust collected by the fan(s).