Credit: Framework

It's been a busy year for Framework, the company behind the now well-established series of repairable, upgradeable, modular laptops (and one paradoxically less-upgradeable desktop). The company has launched a version of the Framework Laptop 13 with Ryzen AI processors, the new Framework Laptop 12, and the aforementioned desktop in the last six months, and last week, Framework teased that it still had "something big coming."

That "something big" turns out to be the first-ever update to the Framework Laptop 16, Framework's more powerful gaming-laptop-slash-mobile-workstation. Framework is updating the laptop with Ryzen AI processors and new integrated Radeon GPUs and is introducing a new graphics module with the mobile version of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5070—one that's also fully compatible with the original Laptop 16, for upgraders.

Preorders for the new laptop open today, and pricing starts at $1,499 for a DIY Edition without RAM, storage, an OS, or Expansion Cards, a $100 increase from the price of the first Framework Laptop 16. The first units will begin shipping in November.

While Framework has launched multiple updates for its original Laptop 13, this is the first time it has updated the hardware of one of its other computers. We wouldn't expect the just-launched Framework Laptop 12 or Framework Desktop to get an internal overhaul any time soon, but the Laptop 16 will be pushing 2-years-old by the time this upgrade launches.

The old Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU version of the Laptop 16 will still be available going forward at a slightly reduced starting price of $1,299 (for the DIY edition, before RAM and storage). The Ryzen 9 7940HS model will stick around until it sells out, at which point Framework says it's going away.

GPU details and G-Sync asterisks

The Laptop 16's new graphics module and cooling system, also exploded.
Credit: Framework

This RTX 5070 graphics module includes a redesigned heatsink and fan system, plus an additional built-in USB-C port that supports both display output and power input (potentially freeing up one of your Expansion Card slots for something else). Because of the additional power draw of the GPU and the other new components, Framework is switching to a 240 W default power supply for the new Framework Laptop 16, up from the previous 180 W power brick.

The laptop version of the RTX 5070 shares little in common with the desktop version of the same card, which comes with 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB and 6,144 shader cores instead of 4,608. The mobile 5070 is a closer relative of the desktop RTX 5060 Ti—both use Nvidia's GB206 GPU die, and both use 8GB of GDDR7 RAM on a 128-bit memory interface. Framework says it should be between 30 and 40 percent faster than the old Radeon RX 7700S in the first Laptop 16, but it's just as interesting for its support of Nvidia technologies like DLSS and CUDA and for its improved ray-tracing performance, even if the 8GB RAM limit may be frustrating for some games and professional workloads.

And there's one additional wrinkle for upgraders: Framework says the new second-generation version of the laptop's 16-inch screen (still 2560 x 1600, still 165 Hz, still a matte IPS display panel) will officially support Nvidia's G-Sync as well as AMD's FreeSync, where the old display only officially supports FreeSync.

Could some kind of firmware update add G-Sync support to existing displays? It sounds like it might be possible but that Framework hasn't figured out a solution yet.

"End-user firmware updates are something that our [display] supplier had never attempted before," a Framework representative told Ars. "This is something we've actively explored with them but have not yet found a technical solution for. Because of that, our recommendation for customers is that if they need G-Sync support, they should pick up the new (2nd Gen) version of the panel that has the new firmware. The original generation panel continues to support FreeSync."

Owners of the original display who don't want to buy a new one just for official G-Sync support may be able to use the same settings overrides available to desktop users whose displays support FreeSync but not G-Sync (older versions of G-Sync required dedicated hardware, but a "G-Sync Compatible" tier added a few years ago essentially enabled FreeSync support for GeForce GPUs in all but name). When we asked Framework whether this would be possible, the company said it's "focused on making sure the official out of the box support is there" for the new GPU matched with the new G-Sync-compatible screen. If forcibly enabling G-Sync on the old display is possible, it's not a solution Framework seems eager to endorse or support.

Framework says it's keeping the Radeon RX 7700S around, specifically citing "the maturity of [AMD's] open source Linux drivers." The module is getting the same updated cooling system as the RTX 5070, but don't expect performance to change much, if at all.

CPU changes and other improvements

The Laptop 16 retains its Expansion Bay on the back and six Expansion Card ports, three on each side.
Credit: Framework

Framework didn't say in its press release exactly which CPU models it was using, but it mentioned 8-core Ryzen 7 and 12-core Ryzen AI 300 chips, which points to the Ryzen AI 7 350 and either the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 or 375, CPUs that are a lot like the ones used in the most recent Framework Laptop 13. All the chips have a mix of four "big" Zen 5 cores and four to eight "little" Zen 5c cores with the same capabilities but lower clock speeds.

The Ryzen AI 7 chip has an eight-core integrated Radeon 860M GPU, and the Ryzen AI 9 chips have 16-core Radeon 890M GPUs, so Laptop 16 buyers who don't want the bulky graphics module will still get a decent boost if they only use integrated graphics.

Though the core design of the PC isn't changing, Framework is introducing a number of other tweaks and enhancements that should improve the overall experience. The laptop is getting Framework's second-generation 1080 p webcam module (compared to the first gen, it only records at 30 FPS instead of 60 FPS but has better image quality), a more rigid aluminum top cover with "reoptimized geometry," keyboards without Windows logos for Linux users, and keyboards with Microsoft's Copilot key for Windows users.

Framework is also improving the capabilities of the laptop's six USB-C Expansion Card bays, which can now support up to four simultaneous display outputs using two ports on each side; the original Laptop 16 supports two display outputs on one side and one display output on the other.

Like the original, the new laptop's motherboard has two RAM slots for up to 96GB of DDR5-5600 and a pair of M.2 storage slots for SSDs (one 80 mm long, one 30 mm long).

We'll need to test the upgrades to see how many of our original gripes about the "fascinating and flawed" original have been addressed. But with this first batch of upgrades, the Laptop 16 fulfills much of its original promise—it's another laptop you can easily upgrade and repair as old parts age or break and new ones are released.