The Future of Performance Laptops: Framework's Modular Design Revolutionizes Cooling and Upgradability

Framework, a company that specializes in modular and upgradable systems, has just unveiled its latest laptop design that promises to revolutionize the way we think about performance laptops. The device features a sleek and slim design, with a 16-inch screen that can be easily upgraded and customized by the user. But what's truly innovative about Framework's design is its modular system, which allows users to swap out various components, such as the CPU, motherboard, RAM, storage, and even the display, without having to replace the entire device.

One of the most significant advantages of Framework's modular design is its ability to address the cooling issue that has plagued high-performance laptops in the past. The system fans are located on this first module, which also features some NVMe slots. However, when users upgrade to a more powerful GPU, they must pair it with a larger and more capable thermal system, making the device thicker and extending its design at the back more noticeably. This problem was previously unsolvable, as Nvidia's new GPUs were too powerful for existing laptop cooling systems to handle.

Framework's modular system solves this issue by providing users with two types of modules: one that has some NVMe slots and a standard fan system, and another that features a discrete GPU. The idea behind these separate modules is to allow users to upgrade their GPU without having to replace the entire thermal system, making it easier and more practical for high-performance laptops.

Another unique feature of Framework's design is its focus on modularity and upgradability. Unlike companies like Lenovo or Asus, which make regular laptops that cannibalize their own modular laptop sales, Framework is all-in on this approach. With a strong incentive to excel in the modular laptop ecosystem, they can continue to innovate and improve their designs without worrying about sacrificing sales of their regular laptops.

Users can open up the device and replace various components, such as the CPU and motherboard, RAM, storage, and even the display. The keyboard deck is also modular, allowing users to swap it out for a standard layout or customize it with additional keys, such as a number pad or a trackpad that can be centered over the alpha keys.

Framework's approach to modular design has been met with enthusiasm from developers, who are excited about the prospect of open-source support and customization options. The company's commitment to making its system upgradable and repairable has resonated with many, who see it as a more sustainable and responsible approach to technology development.

In contrast, other companies like Alienware have been criticized for their focus on flashy designs that prioritize showmanship over substance. The contrast between Framework's modular design and Alienware's emphasis on attention-grabbing lights is striking, highlighting the tension between form and function in the world of high-performance laptops.

Despite its many advantages, Framework's system does come with some limitations. For example, there are no barrel plug connections on the sides of the device, which may limit the types of peripherals that can be used. However, this limitation may also be seen as a trade-off for the greater flexibility and upgradability offered by the modular design.

In terms of performance, Framework's system is likely to be powered by AMD's Zen 4 architecture paired with RDNA3 graphics. This combination promises to deliver powerful performance without the need for a discrete GPU, making it an attractive option for users who want high-performance without the hassle and expense of upgrading their laptop's cooling system.

Overall, Framework's modular design revolutionizes the way we think about performance laptops, offering users greater flexibility, upgradability, and customization options than ever before. With its focus on sustainability, repairability, and open-source support, this company is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of mobile computing.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enever since gaming laptops even became a thing there's this one problem that plagues the entire product category you cannot replace the graphics cards on these things because they're baked right onto the motherboard right you go out by this new gaming laptop it's super expensive and it's awesome for a little while but then a few years later when the new gpus come out you can't upgrade to it you literally have to buy a whole new system and it's it's ridiculous like now that I think about it what kind of idiot buys gaming laptops it's why people meme on gaming laptops so hard right it's not so much the price of the performance it's the fact that you can't upgrade the gpus but recently I saw this foreign wait you can do that so the company that made this is framework they made that 13-inch modular device that I reviewed before but now they have a 16 inch device it's more powerful it's more upgradable and it's more modular now on the back of this device is a rear mounted expansion Bay so this guy this laptop Chad is attaching a graphics module to a gaming laptop like this is one of the most interesting things I've seen in laptops this entire year now the idea of this isn't new like we've seen other companies attempt these upgradable Graphics module systems for devices but invariably those companies have always abandoned those projects prematurely like the most recent one is probably alienwares area 51m and other companies have tried this as well but it never pans out but I think there's two things that make it drastically different for Frameworks attempt at this so the first is that these modules are very cleverly designed and they're unlike anything we've seen before so they use a pcie 4x8 connection and you can connect like gpus nvmes AI accelerator cards basically anything that connects via PCI can be connected with this module but the other thing is that these modules contain is the system fans so like the device itself the laptop base unit doesn't have any fans in it you need to connect one of those expansion modules to cool the device but in doing so it allows you to change the cooling system based on the needs of the user so they have two kind of sample modules here so in this first module it has some nvme slots and the system fans there's no discrete GPU in here and this module is the same thickness as the regular laptop it's not a particularly thick device and doesn't extend out the back very much but they had a second module with a discrete GPU inside it and they have to pair this one with a bigger and more capable thermal system so it makes the module a bit thicker and it extends at the back a little bit more but the idea being when you get a more powerful GPU and you upgrade to it you get an appropriately a equipped thermal system for that new GPU and this is a problem that the previous attempts at this could not solve like even if you had a company that had upgradable gpus in the past you couldn't get an upgrade to the thermal system and that was one of the reasons why a lot of these companies just just continued these lines because Nvidia would make these new gpus awesome but they don't they the laptops couldn't handle the thermal output of the new gpus so you couldn't use them but this modular system it solves that now the second thing that's unique to framework is that its framework framework is a company that only deals with modular and upgradable and repairable systems right if you think about any other company that has attempted something like this so let's say like Lenovo or Asus or Alienware if they make a modular laptop system that gains traction and it's successful it's it takes away from the regular laptop sales you know what I'm saying like it's it cannibalizes their regular laptop sales to the point where there's just not a strong incentive to excel at the modular laptop ecosystem but with framework it's that's all they do there's so much incentive for them to figure out how to make this work and to stick with that program for the long term now on the 16 inch just like the 13 you can open it up and replace the CPU and motherboard uh the ram the storage the screen like all the good stuff can be swapped out and it now has six slots for other i o modules including a headphone jack that is now modular as well they removed that from the base unit of the device another neat thing the keyboard deck is modular you can swap it around and customize it so you can have a regular keyboard layout if you want that vanilla keyboard experience but if you want to you can pop off the panels on the sides and then reposition the keyboard to the left and drop in a number pad and you can reposition the track pad on the bottom so you can have it centered to the alpha keys or you can have it centered to the keyboard it's just really customizable with open source support for developers and I gotta say there was something about that ad that just resonated nicely with me like it's a little bit cheesy when they're drawing comparison to someone building a desktop and it's obviously stylized but there's something with the message that just it just felt good you know what I mean like these parts clicking in and out it just seemed like a practical new way for laptops to be and then the funny thing is that after I saw this video on the sidebar YouTube recommended this other AD from Alienware and the contrast was just my God like you know what Alienware wants you to do with their five thousand dollar laptop they want you to draw attention to you and your lights like what kind of messaging is that imagine being in the library reading a book and some dude comes in plugs in his laptop and it's like a flashbang went off don't be that guy there's a couple other things I noticed from the announcement the screen is a 16 by 10 aspect ratio but there's still a pretty sizable chin at the bottom so theoretically I think they could actually go with a taller aspect ratio if they offered a secondary screen uh like another option there's also no Barrel plug connections on the sides of the device so I'm assuming USBC charging maybe with that new 240 watt standard but that would limit how powerful the gpus could get in there like 240 Watts isn't a particularly powerful system but if I had to guess as to like what the chip was inside here my guess is that they go with AMD APS to start like a pretty powerful CPU and GPU combination so like Zen 4 rdna3 all in this like single chip without the discrete GPU and then if you want discrete gpus you can plug them up with the external modules in the back but dude this system is just so cool the idea of it and what it represents for the future of performance laptops seriously the coolest thing I've seen this year when it comes to the mobile computer space foreignever since gaming laptops even became a thing there's this one problem that plagues the entire product category you cannot replace the graphics cards on these things because they're baked right onto the motherboard right you go out by this new gaming laptop it's super expensive and it's awesome for a little while but then a few years later when the new gpus come out you can't upgrade to it you literally have to buy a whole new system and it's it's ridiculous like now that I think about it what kind of idiot buys gaming laptops it's why people meme on gaming laptops so hard right it's not so much the price of the performance it's the fact that you can't upgrade the gpus but recently I saw this foreign wait you can do that so the company that made this is framework they made that 13-inch modular device that I reviewed before but now they have a 16 inch device it's more powerful it's more upgradable and it's more modular now on the back of this device is a rear mounted expansion Bay so this guy this laptop Chad is attaching a graphics module to a gaming laptop like this is one of the most interesting things I've seen in laptops this entire year now the idea of this isn't new like we've seen other companies attempt these upgradable Graphics module systems for devices but invariably those companies have always abandoned those projects prematurely like the most recent one is probably alienwares area 51m and other companies have tried this as well but it never pans out but I think there's two things that make it drastically different for Frameworks attempt at this so the first is that these modules are very cleverly designed and they're unlike anything we've seen before so they use a pcie 4x8 connection and you can connect like gpus nvmes AI accelerator cards basically anything that connects via PCI can be connected with this module but the other thing is that these modules contain is the system fans so like the device itself the laptop base unit doesn't have any fans in it you need to connect one of those expansion modules to cool the device but in doing so it allows you to change the cooling system based on the needs of the user so they have two kind of sample modules here so in this first module it has some nvme slots and the system fans there's no discrete GPU in here and this module is the same thickness as the regular laptop it's not a particularly thick device and doesn't extend out the back very much but they had a second module with a discrete GPU inside it and they have to pair this one with a bigger and more capable thermal system so it makes the module a bit thicker and it extends at the back a little bit more but the idea being when you get a more powerful GPU and you upgrade to it you get an appropriately a equipped thermal system for that new GPU and this is a problem that the previous attempts at this could not solve like even if you had a company that had upgradable gpus in the past you couldn't get an upgrade to the thermal system and that was one of the reasons why a lot of these companies just just continued these lines because Nvidia would make these new gpus awesome but they don't they the laptops couldn't handle the thermal output of the new gpus so you couldn't use them but this modular system it solves that now the second thing that's unique to framework is that its framework framework is a company that only deals with modular and upgradable and repairable systems right if you think about any other company that has attempted something like this so let's say like Lenovo or Asus or Alienware if they make a modular laptop system that gains traction and it's successful it's it takes away from the regular laptop sales you know what I'm saying like it's it cannibalizes their regular laptop sales to the point where there's just not a strong incentive to excel at the modular laptop ecosystem but with framework it's that's all they do there's so much incentive for them to figure out how to make this work and to stick with that program for the long term now on the 16 inch just like the 13 you can open it up and replace the CPU and motherboard uh the ram the storage the screen like all the good stuff can be swapped out and it now has six slots for other i o modules including a headphone jack that is now modular as well they removed that from the base unit of the device another neat thing the keyboard deck is modular you can swap it around and customize it so you can have a regular keyboard layout if you want that vanilla keyboard experience but if you want to you can pop off the panels on the sides and then reposition the keyboard to the left and drop in a number pad and you can reposition the track pad on the bottom so you can have it centered to the alpha keys or you can have it centered to the keyboard it's just really customizable with open source support for developers and I gotta say there was something about that ad that just resonated nicely with me like it's a little bit cheesy when they're drawing comparison to someone building a desktop and it's obviously stylized but there's something with the message that just it just felt good you know what I mean like these parts clicking in and out it just seemed like a practical new way for laptops to be and then the funny thing is that after I saw this video on the sidebar YouTube recommended this other AD from Alienware and the contrast was just my God like you know what Alienware wants you to do with their five thousand dollar laptop they want you to draw attention to you and your lights like what kind of messaging is that imagine being in the library reading a book and some dude comes in plugs in his laptop and it's like a flashbang went off don't be that guy there's a couple other things I noticed from the announcement the screen is a 16 by 10 aspect ratio but there's still a pretty sizable chin at the bottom so theoretically I think they could actually go with a taller aspect ratio if they offered a secondary screen uh like another option there's also no Barrel plug connections on the sides of the device so I'm assuming USBC charging maybe with that new 240 watt standard but that would limit how powerful the gpus could get in there like 240 Watts isn't a particularly powerful system but if I had to guess as to like what the chip was inside here my guess is that they go with AMD APS to start like a pretty powerful CPU and GPU combination so like Zen 4 rdna3 all in this like single chip without the discrete GPU and then if you want discrete gpus you can plug them up with the external modules in the back but dude this system is just so cool the idea of it and what it represents for the future of performance laptops seriously the coolest thing I've seen this year when it comes to the mobile computer space foreign\n"