Framework has earned itself a popularity. It’s one in every of the few electronics companies on this planet making an are attempting to repair the e-slay deliver with repairable and upgradable laptops. The Framework Pc laptop 16 series is the largest and most important laptop within the corporate’s lineup, that contains faster chips, extra hot-swappable ports, and mighty extra customization alternate choices.

Nonetheless its most spectacular characteristic, when it first launched in early 2024, change into the promise of upgradable graphics. It change into an intrepid thought at the time, as you in total can’t upgrade or swap quite so a lot of the inner formula of a laptop outdoor of reminiscence. Alternatively, with the introduction of the RTX 5070 Graphics Module, Framework is making unprejudiced on that promise.

A Utopian Encourage Plot

The fetch of the Framework Pc laptop 16 hasn’t changed since its preliminary originate. That’s both unprejudiced and rotten. Although Framework doesn’t market it as a gaming laptop, there are a bunch of uninteresting giveaways. You’ve received per-key RGB backlighting, big bezels, and a reasonably thick, 0.71-scamper chassis. It additionally has the Graphics Module on the serve, which resembles the “thermal shelf” former in gaming laptops for ventilation, and at times even port placement. On the Framework Pc laptop 16, it houses the graphics module, which enables you to upgrade the GPU within the future, destroy free the laptop. That’s exactly what I did.

I upgraded a 2024 Framework Pc laptop 16 with both the brand new mainboard and graphics module, which gave me a unprejudiced sense of how eager the system is. It’s no longer rotten, thanks to the considerate fetch and worthwhile records. Getting into into the procedure is innovative, beginning with unlocking the spacers to the left and dazzling of the touchpad. The spacers, touchpad, and keyboard can then all be eradicated without any screws or finicky ribbons. Then there’s a steel plate that shields the total formula below, and requires 16 screws to be eradicated, and a ribbon connector. Whenever you’ve performed that, it’s correct a number of screws for the battery, and also you’re at times there.

There are two open slots for storage, stacked dazzling on top of every different. The secondary SSD goes under and wants to be the smaller, sq. layout (M.2 2230), whereas the longer, same old M.2 2280 layout goes on top. Correct luxuriate in earlier than, it comes with six growth slots, which may possibly well be Framework’s hot-swappable ports, letting you location up them in no matter map fits your wants. The graphics module additionally has an extra USB-C port at the serve, which system you face up to seven total ports.

Whenever you are upgrading the total mainboard luxuriate in I change into, there are a number of trickier parts of the upgrade direction of, namely the energy button and speakers. These both require in moderation inserting a number of diminutive ribbons accurate into a connector. The Wi-Fi module’s antenna cables additionally gave me some grief this time around. They’re little, and they don’t click in luxuriate in quite so a lot of the different connections. Overall, there are extra transferring parts right here than on the Framework Pc laptop 13, but I change into silent impressed by how fleet I swapped out the total motherboard of this laptop.

Most critically, there’s the brand new graphics module itself, which now comes with an choice for an Nvidia RTX 5070. It’s a uninteresting-straightforward upgrade. Whenever you fetch the spacers, keyboard, and touchpad off (which takes seconds), it’s correct three screws hidden below the compartment to free up the extinct module. You don’t even prefer to grab away the steel plate. Pop within the brand new module, which snaps in with a enjoyable click (luxuriate in quite so a lot of the laptop’s parts). And proper luxuriate in that, you fetch gotten got long previous from built-in graphics to discrete. By no system has there been such an ingenious and winning implementation of collectively with discrete graphics to a laptop.

Quality Where It Counts

None of this will in all probability in all probability matter if the different formula of the laptop weren’t fine quality. I’m at ease to bid that the touchpad and keyboard are extra special; the touchpad feels gentle and responsive, as does typing on the keyboard. I know no longer each person appreciates the RGB dazzling, but the backlighting is constant and has three brightness ranges.

The customization of the keyboard is tidy too, allowing you so that you may possibly possibly add a number pad or RGB macropad module to the dazzling. I’d silent luxuriate in to gaze extra alternate choices available within the future, even though. I change into hoping Framework would add different keyboard layout alternate choices, in all probability one with fleshy-dimension arrow keys—or even even an add-on with big macro keys. The flexibility to customize this segment of the laptop has rather lots of potential, but it silent doesn’t in actuality feel completely realized.

There’s lots to luxuriate in about this bid. It’s tantalizing, with a 2560 x 1600-pixel resolution and a 165-Hz refresh price. There are gaming laptops with faster refresh rates, but for an RTX 5070, 165 Hz is masses. It’s extra than correct a unprejudiced gaming display masks masks, even though—it’s one in every of the absolute top IPS screens you’ll rep on a laptop. It maxes out at 480 nits of brightness, and the color coverage is impossible (100% sRGB and ninety nine percent Adobe RGB). I change into impressed with the calibration, with a median color error of 0.88. Remark creators, photographers, and video editors may possibly additionally unprejudiced no longer luxuriate in the matte bid, but or no longer it is an in any other case dazzling display masks masks.

The speakers and webcam are only common. It uses a 1080p webcam that is rather subpar. The audio is respectable for much less than stereo speakers, barely ample for video calls, and the occasional video or music playback. Nonetheless they are not as successfully rounded as different high-cease creator laptops luxuriate in the Dell 16 Top class or Razer Blade 16, which fetch up to 6-speaker sound techniques.

Together with Graphics

Upgradable discrete graphics are a mountainous deal. I are making an are attempting to give Framework the total accolades for reaching this, because or no longer it has been a dream for goodbye. Nonetheless efficiency does matter, because upgrading to the Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics module is never always exactly low-cost. It charges an extra $650 whenever you are procuring the machine contemporary, whereas or no longer it is a $699 upgrade whenever you are coming from the genuine Framework Pc laptop 16.

Between that and the prospective $300 CPU upgrade you are going to are making an are attempting to fetch—the AMD Ryzen 9 HX 370—the laptop will originate at $2,449, and it can well only depart up once you add different formula luxuriate in reminiscence and storage. To position things in standpoint, the extremely high-cease Razer Blade 16 with the RTX 5070 is around $2,300 (even though it continuously dips on sale below $2,000). With the Framework Pc laptop 16, you are paying extra for the skill to swap out parts within the future.

Fortunately, what you fetch in return is solid gaming efficiency. It be barely ample to give you an choice of taking half in in native resolution in some games, similar to Cyberpunk 2077. The frame rates you survey above had been all tested at the best graphics preset without enabling upscaling or ray tracing, so that it is seemingly you’ll well possibly additionally fetch increased frame rates by losing the settings. I luxuriate in that there may possibly be ample efficiency to let avid gamers resolve smoother gameplay or sharper visuals hoping on the game and the form of play. Of the games I tested, Dark Myth: Wukong change into the one real title that couldn’t depart without problems at the max graphics settings. The RTX 5070 only has 8 GB of VRAM, which is its biggest deficiency in AAA titles, unlike the desktop GPU of the same name, which has 12 GB.

The change-off in collectively with a discrete graphics card is in battery lifestyles, even though or no longer it is no longer as rotten as it is seemingly you’ll well possibly judge. Despite having correct as important graphics, the Framework Pc laptop 16 silent nets around 25 percent extra battery lifestyles than the more inexpensive gaming laptops available. In my making an are attempting out, it lasted for terminate to nine hours in native video playback. That will equate to mighty much less in an precise-lifestyles workload—I change into getting closer to five hours in my in trend on daily basis work. One bizarre unprejudiced accurate thing about the machine is that you may possibly repeatedly grasp away the graphics module in thunder so that you can fetch a number of extra hours of battery lifestyles whereas touring, and also you impact no longer thought to play games.

Among the spectacular things about the Framework Pc laptop 16 is that it runs completely off USB-C energy. The 240-watt GaN energy charger is no bigger than a passe charger, yet it must energy the total machine, graphics integrated. Correct uncover definite to in actuality pronounce all sides of the integrated charger to fetch the fleshy efficiency.

The Framework laptops had been conceived and designed earlier than the fresh changes in laptop pricing. Now you can aquire a terribly big laptop for $650—even much less in some unspecified time in the future of mountainous gross sales events. Sadly, Framework’s pricing doesn’t tend to alternate, and the corporate doesn’t sell by strategy of third-birthday celebration outlets. Nonetheless there may possibly be an viewers for a repairable, sustainable, and now extra important laptop—whether you wish it to depart Linux or Home windows. Correct be ready to pay a top class.