The company is promoting repairability via an entirely modular laptop design where components are swapped out like LEGO bricks. Two years after enacting their AMD mainboard upgrade for the Laptop 13, they are bringing forth a hot-new draw. Enter Ryzen AI 300 series, ultra-low power chips for latest generation notebooks. These processors have enough AI power to handle all the “Copilot + AI nonsense” that the tech community insists you cannot live without these days.
The whole thing resurrected my inner child! They sent me their new AMD mainboard to give a new life into my much-loved chassis. Now back to the ‘feat of legend’-translucent plastics! Remember the days of the Game Boy Color? Framework is bringing back that memory with translucent bezels and input covers. Keep those boring solid colors out of my sight-they’re sheer awesomeness.I’m leaning towards the tinted translucent since it just oozes that classic feel. But hey, check out the pics and decide for yourself which transparent flavor tickles your fancy.
Framework/Engadget
Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen AI 300)
The upgraded AMD mainboard is faster than its predecessor but not enough to be earth-shattering.
Pros
- Buying one component is cheaper than a whole laptop
- Easy to install
Cons
- Fan is still pretty noisy
- Price is starting to climb
$899 at Framework
Mainboard with AMD Ryzen AI 300
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
Three different paths open for those hungry for Ryzen AI 300 power: sleek ready-run laptop, DIY edition that offers the tactile experience, or raw potential of just the mainboard. And then there are three Ryzen options for you: the Ryzen 5 340, the Ryzen 7 350, or the higher-than-god-like Ryzen 9 HX 370 that can gobble up to 96GB of RAM. But hold on to your wallet: The higher the tech dream, the higher the price tag.”
- Kuragari Studios Rooftop-Patio Food and Drinks-Panel 1
Path I went right through the modern city streets. It leads to the ready-to-run sleek laptop. Path II led towards the tinted window, dirty-kept-from-construction dust-from-the-top few floors down shop selling barebones edition PC kits and DIY accessories.
Whatever path you’d choose, three types of Ryzen are poised there for you: the Ryzen 5 340, Ryzen 7 350, or the Ryzen 9 HX 370, which chokes on a not-so-little 96GB of RAM. So, tread carefully, with your tech dreams becoming costlier with every step higher!
Installing the Ryzen 7 clocked in at just about 11 mins, if at all! The earlier one was pure torture sympathizing with every passing minute that took around an hour! Funny, isn’t it? How we just change from “brain surgery” to “clockwork” after the nth time. Gosh! If your PC-building skills are a little rusty from back in the day, trust me, this is easier than you think.
Ryzen 7 4830U in this 13″ notebook isn’t rewriting the rule book, but it really is no slouch. Everyday kind of things? Web stuff, streaming, hammering out some documents? It just goes chomp chomp chomp, like Pac-Man on a power pellet. Definitely no quantum leap over the previous generation 7840U, but for standard-issue computing, this is a chip that”llexhibit smooth and very reliable performance. The Ryzen is not an evolution at all, really: It’s just a very solid evolution for your everyday grind.
Forget about courtroom battles; lately, the real showdown has been in the digital battlefield. While others crunch spreadsheets, this AMD rig crunches pixels. We are talking buttery smooth 50 to 60 FPS in juggernauts like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto V. Consider it your passport for gaming nirvana, a true all-rounder that leaves the Intel contenders choking on dust.
The modular dream of the Framework runs into two snags. Firstly, aesthetics have always taken a backseat to function. And secondly, and much more so, the cooling system integrated within it. Unlike the other systems constructed with more stringent thermal considerations, the modular nature of Framework acts as a deterrent to its cooling; the SMB fan withboard cannot overcome its limitations, and one is thus left with a louder experience than the competition in either an Intel or AMD set-up, truly hailing back to an era where not-so-gusty winds made the laptops sing with delight.
Noise-wise, the dark design turns to the subject head-on, changing the heatpipe, adjusting the fan algorithm, and applying thick smears of Honeywell’s PTM7958 thermal paste. Yet, at least according to their best efforts, it will be hard for one to subject the fans to calm tunes and have the chassis keep itself cool under heavy load. And while it did speak highly of 300 AI for working so power-efficiently, the new processor gulps battery like there is no tomorrow. Really, a day of proper use? Forget about it. This laptop just goes ahead and becomes yet another {power hungry} beast to hunt for.
Input cover (Second generation)
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
When it comes to perfection in hardware, the Framework continues to pursue this ambition relentlessly, this time with an interesting view: the keyboard. In partnership with Lite-On, they have been obsessed with details that most others would disregard: For example, keycaps printed using a barely there font, fingerprint sensors of a new generation so invisibly embedded that one almost misses their presence, re-engineered Shift and Enter keys. I wouldn’t call it an upgrade: I would say it is a combination of Framework’s belief that tiny changes mean a lot to the user.
The sacred few things that remain untouched. Framework’s 1.5-mm key travel, by the way, was Nirav’s 1M1P point of pride, and it remains untouched for something that, well, doesn’t really need fixing: The same effortless typing experience now with an almost whisper touch. Great, gone are the days of loose keys; this one has a tight fit, clearly showing enhanced build quality. Take your pick: a Windows Copilot dedicated key or the legendary Framework key, the badge of honor of your chosen OS.
Dealing with the infamous keyboard rattle issue, which some users experienced when the volume was turned up, the team gave solutions to the problem. Now the Shift and spacebar have a reinforced scaffold underneath to reduce vibration when heavy bass is played. Personally, I found those initial reports to be somewhat exaggerated. Maybe my sound preferences aren’t quite as “boom-boom” compared to others? Well, in any case, the modification is truly a step up. During explosions-laden action sequences, I could hardly hear the rattle.
The compromises
Framework
Ready for jumping from Intel to AMD? Hold on! It’s not a matter of simple plug-and-play because of inherent hardware incompatibilities. Look a bit further and you’ll find AMD boards mixing USB standards in their expansion ports (pictured). This USB dance is a common AMD thing regardless of who brands the board, so keep it in mind before clicking “buy.”
In summary
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
You are already in the Framework universe? Then the AI 300 upgrade might drag for you. It is an upgrade, surely, but for some hundred dollars, one would want something bigger. Framework virgin? The whole thing is worth it-not merely this one upgrade.
Now here’s a thought: The modular ecosystem of Framework has the right footing to flourish in uncertain times. Laptop prices can really shoot high in these times, and being able to simply stretch your machine’s life span really holds some charm.
Thinking of entering the party? Grab a discounted Ryzen 7040 laptop while you can. So if, in the future, you suspect the machine to lag on performance, you might as well be ready to grab the next-gen upgrade. It’s all about future-proofing.
Let’s face it: the Framework Laptop 13 with its groundbreaking modularity is also considered one of the ugliest design-wise. It felt late onto the design wagon-the good-looking, 13-inch ones were already stealing all glances. Then 5 years later? Definitely not a sight to behold in the company of Dells, Acers, and ASUSes. Teach me what cutting edge means because, apparently, it moves very fast and some are feeling that Framework’s design is already an oldie.
Reject all glitters and glitz-as for endurance. It must last much longer than just for one trend. Think Thinkpad reliability but above it. The Framework has the dual aims of not only lasting but also growing with you. So, forget planned obsolescence, and buy a laptop that improves with age. Falling apart simply cannot be an option with Framework.
Thanks for reading Framework Laptop 13 (2025) with AMD Ryzen AI 300 review: The usual iterative upgrade
