Framework Laptop 13 is Framework's first product. Initially branded simply as Framework Laptop, the company rebranded the product as Framework Laptop 13 in 2023 to distinguish it from the newly-announced Framework Laptop 16.
The initial version featured 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs, but it has since been updated with 12th and 13th Gen Intel CPUS, as well as AMD 7040 series offerings.
Framework Laptop 13 has four expansion card slots. The keyboard and bezel can also be easily swapped to add more customization.
Framework Laptop 13 is available in pre-built and DIY configurations. Though the initial intent was for consumers to assemble the entire laptop themselves, DIY edition laptops come mostly pre-assembled for legal and practical reasons. Shipping components individually would require more packing material and a physically larger package, which would increase shipping costs. It would also change the package's import designation, which would add additional tariffs and duties. 1 Shipping lithium ion batteries that are not installed in a device adds additional restrictions as well. 2
The first batches of DIY edition laptops had consumers install their own RAM, SSD, Wifi and Expansion cards. After receiving feedback that the WiFi module was difficult to install, Framework began installing it at the factory. 3
Beginning with 13th Gen Intel Core and AMD 7040 Series, DIY edition Framework Laptop 13s ship without the input cover and bezel installed in order to add more customization options and optimize the number of SKUs required. [citation needed]
DIY Edition laptops are fully assembled at the factory for quality assurance testing before being partially disasembled and packaged. 4. For this reason, if a customer buys all the parts --- including a power adapter and Windows license --- from Framework's marketplace, DIY Edition laptops are slightly more expensive when compared to a similarly configured pre-built.
In October 2021, Framework switched the audio codec from Realtek ALC295 to the Tempo 92HD95B due to chip shortages. 5
Batch 1 of 12th Gen Intel Core began shipping in July 2022. Compared to 11th Gen Intel Core, it included the following changes:
- Improved CNC alluminum top cover
- RTC battery no longer required
Linus Tech Tips incorrectly claimed that 12th Gen also shipped with new 4 kg hinges. 6 In fact, it shipped with the same 3.3 kg hinges as 11th gen, but 4 kg hinges were added to the marketplace.
Batch 1 of 13th Gen Intel Core began shipping in May 2023 after it was announced at the same time as AMD 7040 series. Compared to 12th Gen Intel Core, it included the following changes:
- Matte display
- Improved 3.5 kg hinges.
- RTC battery not included by default (Though an ML1220 battery holder can be populated for standalone use)
- Louder 80 dB speakers
- WiFi card bracket to hold keep antennas connected while handling the card
Laptops configured with a Core i7 CPU also include a higher-capacity 61 watt hour battery.
Batch 1 of AMD 7040 series began mass production in September 2023 after it was announced at the same time as 13th Gen Intel Core. Compared to 12th Gen Intel Core, it included the following changes:
- Matte display
- Improved 3.5 kg hinges.
- RTC battery not included by default (Though a battery with a 2-pin connector can be populated for standalone use)
- 2-pin RTC battery connector
- Return to the RealTek ALC295 Audio CODEC
- WiFi card bracket to hold keep antennas connected while handling the card
Devices configured with a Ryzen 7 CPU also include the higher-capacity 61 watt hour battery.
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Parts other than the motherboard that were changed between generations
| Parts | 11th Gen Intel Core 7 | 12th Gen Intel Core 8 | 13th Gen Intel Core 9 | AMD Ryzen 7040 Series 10 | Intel Core Ultra Series 1 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processors | Intel Core i5-1135G7: - 4 cores - Up to 4.2 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 80EU Intel Core i7-1165G7: - 4 cores - Up to 4.7 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 96EU Intel Core i7-1185G7: - 4 cores - Up to 4.8 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 96EU |
Intel Core i5-1240P: - 4 P-cores + 8 E-cores - Up to 4.4 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 80EU Intel Core i7-1260P: - 4 P-cores + 8 E-cores - Up to 4.7 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 96EU Intel Core i7-1280P: - 6 P-cores + 8 E-cores - Up to 4.8 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 96EU |
Intel Core i5-1340P: - 4 P-cores + 8 E-cores - Up to 4.6 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 80EU Intel Core i7-1360P: - 4 P-cores + 8 E-cores - Up to 5.0 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 96EU Intel Core i7-1370P: - 6 P-cores + 8 E-cores - Up to 5.2 GHz - Iris Xe Graphics 96EU |
AMD Ryzen 5 7640U: - 6 cores - Up to 4.9 GHz - Radeon 760M Graphics AMD Ryzen 7 7840U: - 8 cores - Up to 5.1 GHz - Radeon 780M Graphics |
Intel Core Ultra 5 125H: - 4 P-cores + 8 E-cores + 2 LP E-cores - Up to 4.5 GHz - Arc Graphics 7 Xe-cores Intel Core Ultra 7 155H: - 6 P-cores + 8 E-cores + 2 LP E-cores - Up to 4.8 GHz - Arc Graphics 8 Xe-cores Intel Core Ultra 7 165H: - 6 P-cores + 8 E-cores + 2 LP E-cores - Up to 5.0 GHz - Arc Graphics 8 Xe-cores |
| Mainboard Features | - 4x USB4 12 - 2x DDR4 SODIMM ram slots 13 - RTC battery required 14 - Realtek ALC295 Audio CODEC 5 14 - Switched to Tempo 92HD95B Audio CODEC due to chip shortages 5 |
- 4x Thunderbolt 4 12 - 2x DDR4 SODIMM ram slots 13 - RTC battery optional (included) 14 - Tempo 92HD95B Audio CODEC 14 |
- 4x Thunderbolt 4 9 - 2x DDR4 SODIMM ram slots 13 - RTC battery not included (battery holder) 14 - Tempo 92HD95B Audio CODEC 14 |
- 2x USB4 40 Gbps + 1x USB 3.2 10 Gbps with DP + 1x USB 3.2 10 Gbps 10 - 2x DDR5 ram slots 15 - RTC battery not included (2-pin connector) 14 - Realtek ALC295 Audio CODEC 14 |
- 4x USB4 11 - 2x DDR5 ram slots 16 |
| Battery | Battery - 55Wh | Battery - 55Wh | Battery - 61Wh Still 55Wh on Core i5 model 17 |
Battery - 61Wh Still 55Wh on Ryzen 5 model 17 |
Battery - 61Wh |
| Display | Display Kit - Original | Display Kit - Original | Display Kit - Matte Anti-glare matte coating 17 |
Display Kit - Matte Anti-glare matte coating, Display Kit - 2.8K offered later 17 16 |
Display Kit - 2.8K Higher resolution, refresh rate, brightness, and contrast. Has rounded corners. 16 |
| Cooler | Heatsink and Fan Kit (11th Gen Intel Core) | Heatsink and Fan Kit (12th/13th Gen Intel Core) | Heatsink and Fan Kit (12th/13th Gen Intel Core) | Heatsink and Fan Kit (AMD Ryzen 7040 Series) Adjusted to match shape of CPU die 18 |
Heatsink and Fan Kit (Intel Core Ultra Series 1) Improved heatpipes and ventilation, adjusted to match shape of CPU die 19 |
| Hinge | Hinge Kit - 3.3kg | Hinge Kit - 3.3kg | Hinge Kit (2nd Gen) - 3.5kg Increased screen stability 17 |
Hinge Kit (2nd Gen) - 3.5kg Increased screen stability 17 |
Hinge Kit (2nd Gen) - 3.5kg Increased screen stability 17 |
| Memory | DDR4-3200 | DDR4-3200 | DDR4-3200 | DDR5-5600 Newer memory standard required by processor |
DDR5-5600 Newer memory standard required by processor |
| Speaker Kit | Speaker Kit - Original | Speaker Kit - Original | Speaker Kit - 80dB Louder at the cost of audio fidelity 20 |
Speaker Kit - Original Higher audio fidelity at the cost of loudness 20 |
Speaker Kit - 80dB Louder at the cost of audio fidelity 20 |
| Top Cover | Top Cover Kit - Original | Top Cover - CNC CNC Machined for improved rigidity 21 |
Top Cover - CNC 21 | Top Cover - CNC | Top Cover - CNC |
| Webcam | Webcam Module (11th Gen Intel Core) | Webcam Module (1st Gen) 2-3mW power saving due to changed bias resistors 22 |
Webcam Module (1st Gen) 2-3mW power saving due to changed bias resistors 22 |
Webcam Module (1st Gen) 2-3mW power saving due to changed bias resistors 22, Webcam Module (2nd Gen) offered later 16 |
Webcam Module (2nd Gen) New microphones and camera sensor with pixel binning for improved quality 16 |
| Wi-Fi | Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 vPro on pre-built Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 vPro on DIY edition 23 |
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 vPro Switched to Wi-Fi 6E AX210 on all Intel models 24 |
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 vPro 9 | AMD RZ616 Wi-Fi 6E Uses RZ616 following AMD recommendations 10 |
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 vPro 25 |
Footnotes
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https://frame.work/blog/the-evolution-of-the-framework-laptop-diy-edition ↩
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https://fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/Shipping-Lithium-Batteries-via-FedEx-Ground.pdf ↩
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https://guides.frame.work/Guide/Framework+Laptop+13+DIY+Edition+Quick+Start+Guide ↩
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https://frame.work/blog/solving-for-silicon-shortages ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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https://frame.work/products/laptop-13-gen-intel?tab=specs ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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https://frame.work/products/laptop-13-gen-amd?tab=specs ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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https://frame.work/products/laptop13-intel-ultra-1?tab=specs ↩ ↩2
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https://frame.work/blog/framework-laptops-are-now-thunderbolt-4-certified ↩ ↩2
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https://frame.work/blog/whats-new-in-this-years-framework-laptop-13-part2 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8
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https://frame.work/blog/announcing-the-framework-laptop-13-powered-by-amd-ryzen ↩
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https://frame.work/blog/introducing-the-new-framework-laptop-13-with-intel-core-ultra-series-1-processors ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
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https://frame.work/blog/whats-new-in-this-years-framework-laptop-13-part1 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
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https://frame.work/blog/whats-new-in-this-years-framework-laptop-13-part2 ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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https://frame.work/blog/introducing-the-new-and-upgraded-framework-laptop ↩ ↩2
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https://discord.com/channels/900151360903868476/945756024579686420/1182563816580595712 ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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https://community.frame.work/t/intel-no-longer-manufacturing-ax200/3944/4 ↩
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https://knowledgebase.frame.work/en_us/using-ax201-wifi-card-with-windows-11-By1iIcV2q ↩