Framework’s Laptop 16, A Compartmentalized Gaming Laptop

Not Perfect, But A Very Good Start

Ars Technica had a chance to check out the new Framework Laptop 16, a gaming version of their modular Laptop 13.  It keeps the same ability to swap around inputs and outputs without needing to shut the machine off but it adds one new interesting feature.  The Laptop 16 has a replaceable GPU module, to allow you to eventually upgrade the AMD Radeon RX 7700S.  The GPU connection is an unspecified PCIe 8x, which is actually a physical interposer composed of two surfaces filled with copper contacts for data and power, pressed up against each other with screws.    You would presumably have to shut the laptop off to swap the GPU once Framework starts selling other models.

All is not perfect however, with this model as only certain Framework ports will support true 40Gbps speeds of USB 4, or offer display output and some draw extra power if you stuck a USB-A card in it.  This is different from the previous Intel only version, where there were no limitations to any of the ports.  As long as you pay attention to where you are plugging in the components that shouldn’t be an issue. 

Click the link above to see how well it performed when it was run through Ars Technica’s battery of benchmarks.