Framework Laptop 13 (2025): Upgradeable & Repairable

The Framework Laptop 13 (2025) isn’t a lot a new computer system, per se, as it is a refresh of several of the parts of the prior Framework Laptop computer 13. Apart from a brand-new CPU (and the mainboard it comes packaged on) and a revised keyboard, much of this brand-new Framework Laptop computer 13 is identical to the version examined in 2014. While this similarity may deficient an exciting system to update to from earlier versions, especially when thinking about the $1,946 price for the setup examined here, current Framework Laptop computer 13 proprietors get to enjoy the much more cost effective upgrade path that establishes Framework aside from its completing brands. The mainboard in our test system is just $699 after all.

Gen 2 Keyboard Performance

The Framework Laptop computer 13’s new Gen 2 keyboard is mostly gratifying. After a little over an hour of usage, I was able to obtain up to a typing rate of 115 words per minute with 97 percent accuracy in Monkeytype, and by the end of my testing, I bumped that to 121 words per minute and 98 percent precision. On an extraordinary keyboard, I discover I can go a bit faster with still more accuracy, however that’s not a bad result for the Framework Laptop computer 13.

The Structure Laptop computer 13 is an excellent laptop computer all about, however without factoring in its crucial differentiating attribute, it stops working to rise to greatness. There are still plenty of variables you’ll want to take into consideration, like whether you often tend to sell or provide away your old laptop computers as hand-me-downs– choices the Structure Laptop 13 prevents. If you often tend to upgrade your laptop every couple of years to keep its performance up-to-speed, the Structure Laptop 13 gives you an excellent piece of equipment and the capacity of enhancing value the longer you maintain it in solution with upgrades via the years.

The speakers are similarly utilitarian. They can push out a suitable quantity of volume focused in the mid-range, offering human voices lots of sound, but they can drop off substantially at the low end and can sound boxed in depending upon what’s having fun. They supply a nice sufficient performance for songs, however not an excellent one, especially with their doing not have bass.

Display and Color Accuracy

The screen on the Structure Laptop computer 13, as configured, is terrific. It’s not winning any honors for its high quality, however its energy is excellent. The screen obtains exceptionally bright, reaching virtually 540 nits in my testing. That, incorporated with its exceptional anti-glare coating, makes it incredibly visible in many problems. For its dimension, it’s sharp, and the 120Hz rejuvenate price makes everything smooth. Also its contrast is remarkably strong for an IPS display screen, getting to 1710:1 in my screening. Shade isn’t its solid suit. It uses a solid one hundred percent insurance coverage of the sRGB color area, but it shows up lacking in DCI-P3 shade, where it just achieves 86 percent insurance coverage.

What’s important right here is that you’re still getting an excellent laptop if you make that up front financial investment. By contrast, if you already have a Structure Laptop 13 and desire to update to this one, you do not require to pay the $1,946 this total system prices– you can just get the $699 baseboard rather, or also the $999 Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 baseboard to come also more detailed to the OmniBook Ultra 14’s specs.

The Structure Laptop 13 (2025) isn’t so a lot a brand-new computer, per se, as it is a refresh of some of the components of the previous Framework Laptop computer 13. Many will certainly sit flush with the side of the laptop computer, but size restraints suggested that the Ethernet card had to stick out from the side of the laptop.

The new Framework Laptop computer 13 is constructed around AMD’s new Strix Point Ryzen AI 300 collection CPUs with incorporated graphics and discrete XDNA 2 NPUs. Each base arrangement consists of a 2256 × 1504 matte display, yet Framework offers a $140 upgrade to a 2880 × 1920 matte display screen with a 120Hz rejuvenate rate (albeit additionally with rounded edges).

The trackpad included on the laptop is modestly sized, offering suitable width and height for swiping and multi-finger motions. It’s nowhere near as substantial as I’ve seen on some Asus or Dell laptop computers, yet it’s a decent size and avoids running right into my hand while I’m typing.

In raw CPU efficiency, the Framework Laptop 13 obtains even more of a leg up. It extensively outperforms the MSI laptop here, highlighting the Framework’s reliable air conditioning, which always aids to maintain the encode times from stretching on.

For signing right into the system, the Framework Laptop computer 13 has a square finger print reader on top right corner, over the keyboard. This has serviced occasion, however like numerous fingerprint viewers on Windows laptops I’ve evaluated, it’s not extremely regular.

The front slot on either side has limited transmission capacity, so a USB-C module on those slots will only provide USB 3.2 rates, and DisplayPort modules will just supply DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3. Structure has likewise noted that utilizing USB-A modules in the rear slots will come with higher power consumption.

Framework 13: Design and Construction

The 2025 Framework Laptop 13 does not truly change a lot from its precursors, and that’s deliberately. Given that Framework’s laptops are upgradeable, they include a regular framework that new parts can slot into. This brand-new model proceeds to feature the exact same all-aluminum building and construction of its precursors, and incorporates that silver with a black keyboard.

Mark is a self-employed tech author and equipment customer. As an enthusiastic value-seeker, he has actually wound up digging himself deep right into nearly every edge of technology, evaluating numerous hundred items varying from Laptop computers and ssds to home theater projectors and e-bikes. He’s always wanting to see just how the following best point stacks up.

The Framework Laptop computer 13 falls behind similarly priced systems in lots of ways, making it a bit of a high-pressure salesmanship for customers wanting to obtain a brand-new machine. However its reparability and more inexpensive upgrade pathway can make it a lot more compelling worth for certain kinds of individuals.

Even the older Framework Laptop computer 13 baseboard had faster graphics efficiency in 3DMark. In everyday operation, the Framework Laptop 13 held up well enough, and it offers even more than the Snapdragon X Elite in the ThinkPad, however it won’t do a lot beyond light pc gaming.

Our examination system included a transparent purple display screen bezel that harkened back to old N64 controllers. The display didn’t get the most affordable bezels either, boasting thicker top and bottom bezels than you ‘d commonly discover on a similarly valued laptop in 2025.

On the silver lining, the Structure Laptop computer 13 is reasonably durable for daily use. It doesn’t rather match its video clip playback performance, yet I was able to extend the battery for 8-hour workdays quite continually, albeit with the illumination somewhat reduced at 50 percent.

Performance and Benchmarks

The base arrangements provided come with no storage, memory, running growth, charger, or system cards to provide the laptop I/O like USB-C ports or HDMI. You can pick these products while configuring your laptop computer, and they’ll increase the cost in turn. You’re able to avoid these items and avoid the extra price at checkout if you currently have any of these. If you don’t have these and require to have a ready-to-use laptop computer, the actual base price will certainly transform a little bit. The $989 base climbs to $1,109 for a total laptop computer, and that’s still before including a $139 Windows permit (you could make use of Linux for free rather) and a $59 charger.

Connectivity on the Framework Laptop computer 13 is what you construct from it. Beyond an integrated 3.5 mm audio jack, the system consists of four slots for personalized I/O, and Structure provides USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, 2.5 Gb Ethernet, DisplayPort, microSD, and SD card slot modules. Most will rest flush with the side of the laptop, but dimension restraints meant that the Ethernet card needed to stick out from the side of the laptop.

Structure’s I/O choices are good for a laptop this dimension, and the versatility might be rewarding for some. There are absolutely laptop computers in this course that use even worse and much more minimal I/O. That claimed, you can locate designs that have more. Usually you will not find full-size DisplayPort, yet other than that, you can discover versions with numerous USB-A and USB-C ports, microSD or full-size SD, and an HDMI port.

This upgradeability might make the Framework Laptop computer 13 an engaging choice for sure types of customers who seek efficiency upgrades yet want uniformity or else. However, for those who need a reliable system today and delight in periodic modifications, a number of our favorite laptops are offered at lower prices. Also if upgrades in the future are more expensive, you can attempt to defray those future prices with the sale of your old equipment or just enjoy the second life it can have in the hands of a close friend or member of the family.

It’s remarkably slim for an upgradeable system, and it’s not overly flexible. The screen hinge is a little bit wiggly. After opening it or making modifications, it will certainly shake for a number of seconds prior to coming to a rest. Or else, the system really feels rather tough.

This inevitably may leave some aspects of the Structure Laptop computer 13 hanging back, but given that it’s normally respectable all around, you a minimum of will not get stuck with bitter pills. There are still plenty of variables you’ll intend to think about, like whether you have a tendency to market or give away your old laptop computers as hand-me-downs– alternatives the Structure Laptop 13 precludes. Yet if you tend to update your laptop computer every couple of years to keep its efficiency up-to-speed, the Structure Laptop computer 13 provides you a good piece of hardware and the possibility of increasing worth the longer you keep it in service with upgrades with the years.

The new Framework Laptop 13 places on a great program, however not the absolute finest. It’s a step up over its earlier configuration, which operated on an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. In the all natural PCMark 10 examination, the Framework Laptop 13 stays up to date with its competitors generally. It doesn’t have adequate horse power to draw away from the back by any vast margins. The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 and Lenovo Yoga Exercise Slim 9i 14 (Gen 10) put it in a tough place, as both cost much less but run faster general.

In our 4K video playback examination, the Framework Laptop 13 ran for just over 11 hours. The MSI Summit 13 AI+ Evo took it even further with over 21 hours of runtime.

Battery Life

The Framework Laptop computer 13’s 62.3 Wh battery is one of the smallest in this team, however it’s stone’s throw off. Just the ThinkPad’s 58Wh battery is smaller. It stands to factor that the Framework may suffer a slightly shorter battery life as a result, yet it got on considerably worse than expected.

In the effort to make it obtainable, Framework appears to have battled some with seamlessness. There’s a clear joint in between the reduced and top panels of the base, and while they fit fairly very closely around the sides, they do not at the front edge. The front edge is held with each other with just 2 screws in each edge, and this setup doesn’t produce enough pressure between, leaving an unsightly void in between the panels.

The Structure Laptop 13 is certainly powerful among its competition, with much faster CPU efficiency than the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V-powered rivals in multi-core workloads and keeping a healthy lead over the Snapdragon-powered ThinkPad. It steps up significantly from the earlier Intel chip on offer from Structure.

The cam on the Structure Laptop 13 is good. It supplies 1080p resolution and has a relatively vast angle, making it simple to mount yourself. While it winds up with a great deal of noise in low-light scenes, it does a great task increasing the direct exposure to stay clear of crushed shadows while likewise avoiding clipped highlights.

The Structure Laptop 13 is a good laptop all over, yet without factoring in its essential separating function, it stops working to rise to achievement. At any type of given moment, when you have the option in between getting this Structure version and all its component components or opting for something else from completing laptop makers, you can obtain an extra experienced machine for your cash by choosing the last. It’s a challenge of up front price that will likely constantly hinder the Structure Laptop computer 13.

Each side features four ports for different I/O models, which have a fairly smart preserving mechanism. They slide on rails and have a little catch to lock them right into area. They fit in firmly, however they additionally show unattractive and unequal seams. Sadly, that simply appears to be the expense of customizability, and it might be a tradeoff worth making.

The mic isn’t so excellent. Also in a silent room, I sounded a bit far-off, and there was some room resemble. Both the video camera and microphones have equipment switches on top of the display screen bezel for disabling them. These are nice to see, though they feel a little flimsier than the rest of the laptop’s develop.