green tea machine

The computer that I use to do everything is a Framework 16. I bought it in October 2024 and this page has my thoughts and opinions on it after a year and a half of usage.

tl;dr it's a bit expensive for what it is and I've had a few minor issues with it, but I'm generally quite happy with it and I value having a machine that I can repair.

The Why

My previous laptop was a 2018 HP Envy x360 that was quite literally falling apart by the time I replaced it in 2024. Repairing it the way I wanted would have been expensive and time-consuming, because HP was no longer selling the parts in a way that was accessible, and I didn't particularly want to keep trying my luck at random Amazon part roulette, nor give Amazon money in the first place.

My goals in getting a new laptop were:

• repairability - I want to use this thing for at least as long as my previous laptop (6 years), and I don't want fixing the inevitable issues to be a nightmare
• upgradeability - If I'm going to use this for several years, I need to be able to upgrade components if I want more power but don't want to replace the machine

My Config

Frameworks are customizable, so my specs are worth noting in my evaluation.

• Ryzen 7 7840HS 8-core, 5.1 GHz
• 2TB SSD (WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe 2 TB)
• 64 GB DDR5 (Crucial 64GB (2 x 32GB) 262-Pin DDR5 SO-DIMM)
• "International English - Linux" keyboard + numpad module
• PopOS

I bought the SSD and RAM from NewEgg, not the Framework store. You can get the same parts for slightly cheaper if you don't buy them through Framework - or at least that was the case in 2024. As I write this in 2026, the RAM I bought is now selling on NewEgg for more than twice what I paid. Thanks AI scalpers :)

I didn't buy a graphics card module because I don't do enough GPU-intensive work or gaming to warrant one.

The whole thing came out to about $2100 USD with tax - the Framework itself with no RAM and no SSD was about $1600.

Pros

• Easy Maintenance: It really is easy to take apart. I haven't had to fix or replace parts yet, but I'm grateful that the process will be straightforward.
• Rearrangeable Ports: Rather than specific USB-A vs USB-C vs HDMI ports, the Framework has six USB-C ports and gives you "expansion cards" that are just USB-C to X adapters. I don't swap mine around often, but it's nice to be able to. Quickly changing the location of your charging port is also handy.
• Fun & Customization: I went basic with mine, but you can get different keyboard and spacer modules or differently-colored bezels. Since the designs are open-source, you could even create your own.
• Nerd Cred: Frameworks are cool. Being able to disassemble your laptop on the spot is fun. If you show up at any gathering of tech people with a Framework, you now have a conversation starter, because someone will usually ask you about it.
• Support Forum: Any issues I've run into (usually odd Linux things) have usually already been solved by people on the Framework forum.
• Good Performance: It Just Works™. I'm happy with this machine in general.

Cons

A lot of these are small and nitpicky, but I think they're still worth mentioning.

• Not All Ports Are Equal: The expansion cards are hot-swappable, but they don't all support the same features. In practice, this means that I just need to make sure my charging port and HDMI port are in one of the back slots. I bookmarked their knowledge base article with the full diagram. This is only a minor annoyance that I need to remember if I forget and try to plug something in and wonder why it's not quite working as expected.
• Membrane Keyboard Woes: My w key became unreliable after about 15 months. I've been procrastinating replacing the keyboard module because it feels like a shame to replace the whole thing when the issue is just a single key (for now). Such is the way of membrane keyboards, I suppose.
• Plastic Pieces: One of the plastic pieces near the hinge broke off at some point. It happened when I was out and about at a conference; I must have set my laptop bag down too hard? It's small and has no effect on functionality, it's just a mild annoyance and not worth replacing. (TODO: image?)
• The Ocasional Odd Issue: I had an issue for a while where the trackpad would occasionally stop working. Taking it off and reseating it fixed the issue and it was so easy to do that I never put in much effort to find a better fix. I think a firmware update was what eventually fixed it.
• Low Speaker Quality: The speakers aren't great. I can just use headphones, though, so this is a minor issue.

Overall

In general, I'm happy with my laptop. It does what I need to do and I think I'll be able to use it for many years to come.

If you have any questions, feel free to send them my way.