Framework gives its modular laptops 13th-gen Intel CPUs and (finally) an AMD option
Enlarge / Time for an upgrade-new Framework Laptop 13 motherboards can be purchased new or installed into the Framework Laptop you already have. (credit: Framework)
For the second year in a row, Framework has announced new upgrades for its modular, repairable Framework Laptop that can be installed directly in older versions of the Framework Laptop. There are two motherboards: one with a predictable upgrade from 12th-generation Intel Core CPUs to 13th-generation chips and one that brings AMD's Ryzen laptop processors to the Framework Laptop for the first time.
Framework has also formally renamed its first laptop design; the 13-inch model picks up the "Framework Laptop 13" retronym to distinguish it from the new Framework 16 gaming laptop.
We know a little more about the Intel version of the laptop. There are versions with a 12-core (4 P-cores, 8 E-cores) Core i5-1340P and Core i7-1360P, and a high-end version with a 14-core (6 P-cores, 8 E-cores) Core i7-1370P. These P-series processors were partly responsible for the most recent Framework Laptop's mediocre battery life, but the company says the 13th-generation CPUs are more battery-efficient and that it has made further "firmware optimizations" to improve runtime. All Intel models continue to use DDR4-3200 memory, so if you upgrade your motherboard, the RAM can be swapped along with the SSD you're using.