Pre-order Framework’s Modular Gaming Laptop 16 Now Available
Preorders for Framework’s modular Laptop 16 are now open in several countries including the US, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, and Australia. The company’s initial gaming laptop model can be purchased as a DIY system without an operating system, starting at $1,399. Alternatively, pre-built versions are available starting at $1,799.
The machine is delivered with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS or AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor; DIY versions start at $1,399 and $1,699 respectively. You can use it with the processor’s integrated graphics card, or pay $1,799 or $2,099 for an off-the-shelf model with discrete Radeon RX 7700S graphics.
Of course, the company’s modular focus sets the Laptop 16 apart from the many same-y laptops at your local electronics store. The plan is that its expansion slot system will allow you to upgrade its graphics (and other hardware) over time without buying a whole new machine. Its top layer, including the keyboard and numeric keypad, is also user-configurable. It makes for an ambitious gaming laptop plan, but so far the company has backed the less powerful (but also modular) Laptop 13, the first version of which was released in 2021.
The Framework Laptop 16 has a 16-inch 2560 x 1600 screen with a 165 Hz refresh rate (with FreeSync). The brightness of the screen can reach 500 nits, and it has a contrast ratio of 1500:1 and 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The laptop has an 85 Wh battery, which Framework claims retains 80 percent capacity after 1,000 charges. (The company says it’s “easy to replace” if needed.) It supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, and has a 1080p webcam with dual microphones and hardware privacy switches. It also includes a fingerprint scanner that is compatible with Windows and Linux.
The company follows a batch order system and expects to deliver the first round in the last quarter of 2023. Framework says a limited number of pre-orders that include a valid AMD Radeon GPU will receive a free download code for the anticipated Starfield: Premium. Edition. (CEO Nirav Patel says game codes will arrive before its early release.) You can pre-order the Laptop 16 now from the company’s website.
