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The Framework Laptop 13 is a well-known product at Frandroid. It’s the epitome of a repairable and modular portable computer, tested by us multiple times in both Intel and AMD versions, and it even serves as my daily Ubuntu machine.
This time, Framework returns with a significantly different device. While it shares the name “Laptop 13,” the “Pro” suffix is not just for show: from the first touch, it’s clear this is a different beast. The materials are upgraded, the build is sturdier, and the finish is the best we’ve seen from the manufacturer yet.
Featured are a fully machined aluminum chassis, a finally touch-enabled screen, a haptic touchpad, an Intel “Panther Lake” processor, and notably, modular RAM in a format not previously seen in a laptop of this size. All these features come at a price, and it’s not cheap.
Technical Specifications
| Specifications | Details of the Tested Configuration |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra X9 388H “Panther Lake” (16 cores, up to 5.1 GHz) + AI Boost NPU |
| Graphics Card | Intel Arc B390 (iGPU, 12 Xe3 cores, up to 2.5 GHz) |
| RAM | 64 GB LPDDR5X-8533 in LPCAMM2 format (modular, up to 96 GB) |
| Storage | WD_BLACK SN7100 2 TB, M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 5 (DIY version SSD choice) |
| Screen | Touch IPS LCD, 13.5-inch 3:2, 2880 x 1920, 30-120 Hz, matte, 700 nits claimed |
| Ports | 4 Expansion Card slots (Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 2.1, and 140 W charging on all 4), headphone jack |
| Network | Wi-Fi 7 (Intel BE211) |
| Webcam | 1080p at 30 fps (9.2 Mpx sensor), physical shutters for camera and mics |
| Audio | 2 side speakers of 2 W each, Dolby Atmos under Windows |
| Battery | 74.45 Wh, 100 W GaN USB-C charger (optional) |
| Dimensions | 296.63 x 228.98 x 15.85 mm |
| Weight | 1.44 kg with 4 expansion modules |
| System | Windows 11 or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (optional, or none in DIY version) |
| Warranty | 2 years (European Union) |
| Price of the Tested Config | €3,543 (X9 388H, 64 GB, 2 TB); recommended config from €2,854 |
The unit for this test was provided by Framework.
A DIY PC, Assembled in Fifteen Minutes
This test began with a screwdriver. I received the Laptop 13 Pro in DIY form, disassembled: I had to install the screen bezel, keyboard-touchpad module, RAM, and SSD before first boot. Set aside ten to fifteen minutes, watch in hand, and I could have gone further since Framework can deliver the machine in even more detached pieces, including the screen.
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For those new to the brand, a bit about the concept. Framework is a young American company founded on an idea contrary to the entire industry: treating the laptop as a desktop tower.
In a desktop, no one throws away their machine just because the processor ages. You change the motherboard, add memory, replace the SSD, and the case calmly endures through the years. That’s exactly the logic applied here, in a format just 15.85 mm thick: each component evolves independently of the others, at the pace of your needs and your budget.
Everything is guided, everything is documented. When you open the machine, each part has a QR code that links to its data sheet, features, and step-by-step replacement tutorials.
A hardware issue in three years? You order the part from the manufacturer’s online store and replace it yourself. That’s the whole philosophy of the brand, and here it’s pushed further than ever before.
The showpiece is the RAM. On almost all recent ultrabooks, LPDDR5X is soldered to the motherboard: it’s impossible to add more, and the configuration chosen at purchase follows you until the end. Framework uses the LPCAMM2 format here, a small removable module that combines the low power consumption of LPDDR5X with the possibility of swapping it out.
You can buy the machine with 16 or 32 GB today, and upgrade to 64 or even 96 GB in two years if your needs change.
In the current context of soaring RAM prices, this is a very concrete argument: rather than overpaying for a large configuration now, you can spread the expense. The only downside is that the LPCAMM2 format remains rare in the market in 2026. The modules exist, but you have to look for them, and the prices follow the DRAM market crisis.
The same logic applies to the rest: the SSD is a standard M.2 2280, the Wi-Fi card is replaceable, and most importantly, the entire motherboard can be exchanged. Framework introduces almost yearly new Intel or AMD motherboards compatible with its existing chassis: you keep the screen, keyboard, touchpad, battery, RAM, and SSD, and only change the heart of the machine. We’ve already done this several times, on both the Laptop 16 and the standard Laptop 13, and it works really well. The Laptop 13 Pro follows in this tradition.
A small bonus appreciated by DIY enthusiasts: at Framework, the replaced motherboard isn’t doomed to the trash. The brand’s old motherboards can start a second life in a small case, transformed into a mini desktop PC or a home server.
Beyond the wallet, it’s also a real ecological argument: in a market where millions of laptops end up as electronic waste due to a single aging component, this approach tangibly changes the lifespan of the equipment.
Design and Ergonomics
This was my main criticism of Frameworks until now. The finish wasn’t the issue, but the perceived quality remained behind the competition at the same price.
The Laptop 13 Pro corrects this. The chassis is now fully CNC machined from 6063 aluminum (with 75% recycled aluminum on the covers, Framework notes). The result is immediately noticeable in hand: it’s rigid, dense, without any creaking. We’re finally at the level we expect from a premium machine.
Regarding the size: 15.85 mm thick and 1.44 kg with the four modules, it’s thicker and heavier than some Asus ultraportables or the MacBook Air. It’s the price of modularity, with connectors, screws, and replaceable parts everywhere where the competition solders and glues. The trade-off seems largely acceptable, but it’s worth noting.
The keyboard is one of my very pleasant surprises. The 1.5 mm travel is substantial, with a real typing sensation. I even find it better than a MacBook’s: there’s more travel, more substance under the fingers.
And thanks to the new all-metal entry cover, the plate doesn’t sink anywhere, even when typing hard at the center. It’s a high-quality keyboard.
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The touchpad also takes a real step up. It’s Framework’s first haptic touchpad: there’s no physical mechanism that depresses, but four piezoelectric elements that simulate a click through vibration, with uniform feedback across the surface and adjustable intensity.
The click feels the same at the top and bottom of the pad. This has often been a weak point for laptops compared to Macs; here, it’s resolved.
In terms of connectivity, we find the brand’s signature system: four Expansion Card slots in which you clip the ports of your choice. Good news, all four slots are identical this time and accept Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort 2.1, and charging up to 140 W. I opted for a very simple configuration, three USB-Cs and one full-size USB-A, but you can choose HDMI, DisplayPort, a card reader, additional storage, or even Ethernet. The latter module protrudes a bit from the chassis, but it works very well. A dongle? Never heard of it.
The technical principle of these expansion cards is disarmingly simple: each module is actually a small adapter that slips into an internal USB-C slot. This is what makes the system reliable and durable, since the cards purchased for a previous Framework remain usable, and the catalog is regularly enriched, up to storage modules of 250 GB or 1 TB that act as an SSD integrated into the chassis. You compose your connectivity according to your day.
Finally, a special mention for the audio, which I did not expect at this level. The two 2 W side speakers offer real spatialization, with a very well reproduced stereo effect, and Dolby Atmos compatibility under Windows enhances immersion on compatible content. The 1080p webcam and mics retain their physical shutters, and the fingerprint reader is compatible with Windows Hello as well as libfprint under Linux.
A Matte, Well-Born Touchscreen
An important note: I have not yet been able to run a colorimetric probe on this panel. Precise measurements (coverage of color spaces, DeltaE, actual brightness) will complete this test. Therefore, what follows is based on my perception and the figures announced by Framework.
My impression is excellent. The 13.5-inch 3:2 IPS LCD panel displays 2880 x 1920 pixels, with variable refresh rates from 30 to 120 Hz. Framework claims 700 nits at peak, 100% sRGB space, and calibration performed panel by panel in the factory. In use, the colors are beautiful, the viewing angles very good, the brightness more than sufficient, and the matte treatment almost entirely eliminates reflections. The screen is also touch-sensitive, a first for a Framework.
I take a position that might stir reactions: better a good IPS LCD screen than a bad OLED screen. Many buyers have in mind that OLED is always superior, but in this price range, glossy OLED panels often accumulate invasive reflections and disappointing rendering in office use. Framework has sought the right compromise for a work machine, and I think it has found it.
Windows 11, Ubuntu Later
I conducted this test under Windows 11, the OS that speaks to the widest audience. But Framework ensures full support for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and other Linux distributions, and I know that a good portion of the buyers of the Laptop 13 Pro will switch to Linux, for very good reasons.
On my previous Framework machines, I did not notice significant performance differences between Windows and Ubuntu, even in gaming and local AI: it’s primarily a matter of usage. I will revisit this machine under Ubuntu in a second phase.
Performance
Let’s get serious. My test configuration features the top of the platform: a Core Ultra X9 388H, Intel’s new “Panther Lake” architecture, supported by 64 GB of LPDDR5X-8533 shared between the CPU and GPU. All benchmarks were performed according to my usual protocol: Windows 11, high performance mode, machine plugged in, results compared to a base of laptops and mini-PCs already tested in the lab.
Individually, the Panther Lake core impresses. With 506 points in single-core under Cinebench 2026, the Laptop 13 Pro simply scores the best result of all my panel, including desktop mini-PCs. In everyday use, this translates to impeccable responsiveness: browsing, office work, light editing, everything responds instantly.
| CPU Benchmark | Measured Score |
| Cinebench 2026 single-core | 506 points (best score of the panel) |
| Cinebench 2026 multi-core | 3,844 points |
| Geekbench 6 single-core | 2,923 points |
| Geekbench 6 multi-core | 15,077 points |
| 7-Zip | 88,598 MIPS in multi, 8,666 in mono |
Memory and storage are two clear strengths. The LPDDR5X-8533 delivers 139.4 GB/s of bandwidth, a workstation-grade figure, and the WD_BLACK SN7100 SSD in PCIe Gen 5 reaches 6,800 MB/s in sequential read, 5,631 MB/s in write, and 811,000 IOPS in 4K random read.
Multi-core, Limited by the Format
However, as soon as you stress all the cores or the GPU over time, the thermal envelope of a 13-inch chassis has its cost. And I was able to quantify this very precisely, because I tested a desktop mini-PC equipped with exactly the same Arc B390 GPU and a CPU from the same family: the GMKtec EVO-T2S. With nearly identical components, only the chassis differs.
| Benchmark | GMKtec EVO-T2S (mini-PC) | Framework 13 Pro (laptop) | Difference |
| Cinebench 2026 multi | 4,345 | 3,844 | –
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 Maya Singh is a senior editor covering tablets and hybrid devices. Her work explores how these tools reshape digital productivity and learning. She also contributes to feature editorials on emerging tech.
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