Every few years, your laptop slows down, a port stops working, the battery holds less charge, or a hinge cracks. The manufacturer's answer is almost always the same: buy a new one. The entire device gets replaced because one part failed or fell behind.
Framework was founded to make that unnecessary. Its laptops are built so that individual components can be swapped, upgraded, and repaired without replacing the whole machine. The battery, ports, RAM, storage, mainboard, and even the display are all user-replaceable. It is a fundamentally different relationship between a person and a laptop.
What Makes Framework Different
Most laptop manufacturers solder components directly to the board, glue bezels shut, and use proprietary screws to make opening the device difficult. Framework does the opposite.
Every Framework laptop is designed around repairability as a first principle rather than an afterthought. Open one up and you find standard screws, clearly labelled connectors, and components that pull free without special tools. Framework publishes full repair guides, sells every spare part directly on its website, and provides CAD design files so that third parties and community members can create their own accessories and modules.
This is not a niche experiment. Framework has shipped hundreds of thousands of laptops across multiple generations and has built a growing ecosystem of parts, expansion cards, and compatible components.
The Expansion Card System
The most visible expression of Framework's modular philosophy is its Expansion Card system.
Along the sides of every Framework laptop are slots that accept small cartridge-sized cards. Each card adds a port of your choosing: USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, microSD, a full SD card slot, an audio jack, or even a small SSD. You pick the combination you want and slot them in. If your needs change, you swap the cards out.
This means a developer who needs multiple USB-C connections for debugging can have exactly that. A photographer who needs a card reader can add one. A presenter who regularly plugs into projectors via HDMI can keep that slot permanently occupied. Everyone gets the ports they actually use rather than the ports the manufacturer decided to include.
Cards slot in and out in seconds without any tools. The laptop ships with a set of your choice and additional cards are available individually from Framework's marketplace at reasonable prices.
The Framework Laptop 13 Pro
Framework's current flagship portable is the Laptop 13 Pro, which represents a significant step forward from earlier models. It has a CNC-machined aluminium chassis that feels noticeably more solid than previous Framework hardware, something reviewers noted as a meaningful improvement after earlier models received mild criticism for rigidity.
The display is a custom-built 13.5-inch LTPS LCD panel with a 2880x1920 resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio. The 3:2 ratio provides more vertical screen space than the widescreen 16:9 format used by most laptops, which is significantly better for documents, code, and web browsing where vertical height matters more than horizontal width.
Processor options include Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors built on Panther Lake architecture alongside AMD Ryzen AI 300 series options. Both platforms bring capable NPUs for on-device AI features, strong single-core performance, and efficient power management. The 13 Pro supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5X memory using the new LPCAMM2 memory format, which is modular and user-replaceable, and PCIe Gen 5 SSD compatibility for fast storage. Battery capacity is 74Wh, which Framework claims delivers over 20 hours of 4K video streaming.
The critical detail that sets this apart from a conventional thin-and-light is backward compatibility. Framework's Laptop 13 mainboards are designed to work with components from previous generations. If you own an earlier Framework Laptop 13, many parts from the 13 Pro are compatible with your existing machine, and vice versa. This means upgrading does not require buying everything from scratch.
The Framework Laptop 16
Where the Laptop 13 targets portability, the Laptop 16 targets capability.
The 16 introduces the Expansion Bay system, a larger modular slot on the back of the chassis that accepts performance hardware rather than just ports. The primary use case is discrete graphics. A dedicated GPU module slots into the Expansion Bay, giving the Laptop 16 desktop-class graphics performance in a portable form. When you no longer need it, you remove it and the laptop becomes lighter.
An OcuLink Devkit also connects through the Expansion Bay for external PCIe connectivity, enabling external GPU setups and advanced peripherals. This level of hardware flexibility does not exist in any comparable laptop.
The 2026 Laptop 16 also introduced a redesigned one-piece haptic touchpad and keyboard with improved tactile feedback, addressing earlier versions where the modular keyboard area occasionally felt less cohesive than a traditional laptop. The bezel uses 98 percent post-consumer recycled polycarbonate, part of Framework's broader commitment to reducing the environmental impact of electronics manufacturing.
The Sustainability Argument
The case for Framework goes beyond personal convenience. It is a direct challenge to the way the electronics industry operates.
The average laptop lasts around three to four years before most people replace it. Framework is explicitly designed to last much longer. If your processor becomes too slow for your work, you buy a new mainboard and keep everything else. If the battery degrades after four years, you buy a replacement battery and install it in ten minutes. If a port stops working, you remove that expansion card and slot in a new one.
This means the aluminium chassis, the display, the keyboard, the trackpad, and all the structural components of the laptop remain in use for much longer than a conventional device would survive. Framework calculates that this approach dramatically reduces electronic waste compared to the conventional full-device replacement cycle.
The open-source dimension reinforces this. Framework publishes CAD design files, technical documentation, and firmware source code. Community members have used these to create custom expansion cards, replacement parts, and accessories that Framework itself does not make. This creates a living ecosystem around the hardware that independent manufacturers and enthusiasts can contribute to.
Who Framework Is Actually For
Framework laptops are not for everyone, and the company is honest about that.
The person who benefits most from a Framework laptop is someone who plans to own a laptop for five or more years, who values the ability to repair it themselves or through a local shop, who does not want to be locked into a manufacturer's restricted ecosystem, and who cares about sustainability beyond marketing language.
Developers are a primary audience. Framework officially certifies its laptops for Ubuntu, Fedora, and NixOS, and the Linux compatibility is genuine rather than incidental. The company's forums are full of users running various Linux distributions and contributing driver improvements.
Power users who want port flexibility, professionals who need long-term repairability, and anyone who has grown frustrated with the laptop industry's trend toward thinner but less fixable devices will find Framework's approach compelling.
Framework is less suited to someone who prioritises the thinnest and lightest possible device at any cost, or who wants a completely optimised out-of-the-box experience without thinking about components. The laptop is not the thinnest in its class, the modularity adds some weight compared to a sealed equivalent, and setting it up requires more engagement than simply unboxing a MacBook Air.
The Bigger Picture
Framework is not just selling laptops. It is making a sustained argument that the electronics industry has made a mistake in prioritising disposability and closed ecosystems over longevity and repairability.
That argument has found an audience. Right-to-repair legislation has gained momentum globally in the same period Framework has grown, and the company has positioned itself as proof that repairable, upgradeable devices are commercially viable rather than merely idealistic. Major manufacturers have noticed. Apple now publishes repair manuals and sells parts for some devices. Google has made certain Pixel parts available. None of them have gone as far as Framework.
The Framework Laptop 13 Pro and Laptop 16 are the most complete expression of this philosophy yet. They are the best evidence that a laptop designed to be owned rather than replaced can also be a laptop people actually want to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a complete beginner repair a Framework laptop?
Yes for most common repairs. Battery replacement, RAM upgrades, SSD swaps, and expansion card changes require only a screwdriver and basic confidence. Framework provides step-by-step repair guides with photos for every procedure, and its community forums are active and helpful. Mainboard replacement is more involved but is still within reach for anyone comfortable following detailed instructions.
Is Framework compatible with Windows and Linux?
Framework laptops ship with a choice of Windows 11 Home or Pro, or without an operating system for users who want to install Linux. Ubuntu, Fedora, and NixOS are officially certified by Framework. Community members also run Arch, Debian, and other distributions successfully. Driver support is strong because Framework's open approach encourages driver contributions from the community.
Does the modular design make Framework laptops heavier than alternatives?
Slightly. The Framework Laptop 13 Pro weighs around 1.4kg, which is not the lightest 13-inch laptop available but is competitive with many alternatives in its class. The Expansion Card slots, reinforced chassis, and replaceable components add some weight compared to a device where everything is soldered and glued. For most users the trade-off is worth it, but anyone for whom weight is the primary purchase criterion may prefer an ultra-light sealed device.
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