Review: New Framework Laptop 16 takes a fresh stab at the upgradeable laptop GPU
The original Framework Laptop 16 was trying to crack a problem that laptop makers have wrestled with on and off for years: Can you deliver a reasonably powerful, portable workstation and gaming laptop that supports graphics card upgrades just like a desktop PC?
| Specs at a glance: Framework Laptop 16 (2025) | |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 25H2 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (4 Zen 5 cores, 4 Zen 5c cores) |
| RAM | 32GB DDR5-5600 (upgradeable) |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 860M (integrated)/Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (dedicated) |
| SSD | 1TB Western Digital Black SN770 |
| Battery | 85 WHr |
| Display | 16-inch 2560*1600 165 Hz matte non-touchscreen |
| Connectivity | 6x recessed USB-C ports (2x USB 4, 4x USB 3.2) with customizable Expansion Card" dongles |
| Weight | 4.63 pounds (2.1 kg) without GPU, 5.29 pounds (2.4 kg) with GPU |
| Price as tested | Roughly $2,649 for pre-built edition; $2,517 for DIY edition with no OS |
Even in these days of mostly incremental, not-too-exciting GPU upgrades, the graphics card in a gaming PC or graphics-centric workstation will still feel its age faster than your CPU will. And the chance to upgrade that one component for hundreds of dollars instead of spending thousands replacing the entire machine is an appealing proposition.
Upgradeable, swappable GPUs would also make your laptop more flexible-you can pick and choose from various GPUs from multiple vendors based on what you want and need, whether that's raw performance, power efficiency, Linux support, or CUDA capabilities.