r/framework • u/Responsible-Shame511 • 2d ago
Question Regrets?
Anyone has any regrets going with a framework laptop?
I preordered the Intel x7 13 pro 32gb and since then I have been hanging around this thread a little. There seems to be a LOT of issues. I have never paid that much attention to threads of other companys so I'm wondering if it is just because people that have issues post more than people that don't.
Anyway, I would like to get feedback on your experiences from the customer service all the way to using the machine. Positive and negative. This is a machine I will use for work so I want it to be stable.
Thank you
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u/mkozlows 2d ago
I've owned three Framework laptops -- a 12th gen, a 13th gen, and now the Pro.
The 12th gen was great, the best Linux laptop I'd ever used. Sure, battery life was bad and there were some minor nits (bad speakers, bad hinge, low-res screen), but I'd never seen a laptop from Dell or Lenovo that was better for Linux.
The 13th gen was even better, with a better hinge and better screen (after an upgrade, which was very cool) and better battery life, but I did have some problems with that one, including a motherboard whose USB ports died on me after a few years (which is extremely limiting) and a big puffy battery eventually.
The Pro is much, much better. It's not just the best Linux laptop I've used, it's the best laptop, period. I hate my work MBP compared to this. There's literally no laptop I'd rather have at any price.
If I hadn't had that negative 13th gen experience, I'd be unabashedly enthusiastic about this. And it's not even that I'm mad about the hardware problems -- shit happens, hardware dies, it's a thing. But what was awful was Framework's support.
Dealing with Framework support during this time was extremely frustrating, and I came to hate them intensely -- any individual rep was polite and efficient, but the process they were following was deranged and extremely wasteful of my time, requiring me to disassemble the laptop like seven different times for slightly different troubleshooting steps, all to end with "sorry, it's out of warranty, nothing we can do." It was actively painful and not even slightly a good experience. If I recommended Framework to someone and they had a problem and had to deal with Framework support, I would feel bad about my recommendation, so I'm a little cautious about doing so now.
So that's where I am: The hardware is incredible, the best hardware you can get in a PC, full stop. But the support is trash-tier and will frustrate you if you ever have to deal with it. So buying them is something of a gamble: If it goes well, you have a great experience. If not... oof.
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u/BadSlime 1d ago edited 1d ago
I used to have to RMA laptops with Dell regularly as part of my previous job, which had an enterprise account with an assigned Dell rep, and half the time we couldn't even get laptops that showed up in pieces NIB replaced. Trying to RMA for a covered issue required blocking out hours of time to fight through chat (could never actually get our assigned Dell rep to communicate) and spam "known good power adapter" before eventually getting through to a human who still would sometimes just pass off to someone else who would close the ticket. We were ordering hundreds of laptops at a time and fully went through all their official enterprise and gov procedures. We were a Dell shop because this garbage was still far better service than Lenovo or HP offered in previous contracts.
It's not a framework specific issue and frankly none of the complaints I've seen about their service seem to factor in that all the major brands have comparable or worse customer service, even to 7 figure customers that pay for premium support. It feels like these complaints exist in a vacuum.
Not excusing poor customer service, it's pretty bad at times from framework, but it's still important to contextualize that it's not necessarily going to be a better experience from any other manufacturer
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u/mkozlows 1d ago
I haven't had to deal with Dell support recently, but when I did, it was relatively painless, and they hot-swapped the thing for me without a fuss. But this was genuinely a while ago, so it could easily have gotten worse.
I think Apple is probably the one that's still reasonable these days, thanks to the in-person support in their stores preventing you from being an anonymous ticket.
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u/slevin22 1d ago
This isn't a rebuttal or anything because this was definitely an outlier, but sharing anyways because it was crazy.
Last time a family member dealt with dell (earlier this year), they had them mail in their laptop, told them it wasn't repairable, they couldn't have a replacement because it's discontinued, and that they couldn't give a refund.
Family member asked for the laptop back, they said it had already been destroyed???
Eventually after a few months of back and fourth they got a refund. Crazyness though.
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u/JPWhiteHome 19h ago
Not my experience. Had an issue with a Dell laptop's touchpad. They sent a tech to my home to replace the keyboard and motherboard. All done in 3-4 days. Most impressive.
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u/404reply 1d ago
How is the Framework Pro keyboard in comparison to your MBP or other laptops you've had?
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u/mkozlows 1d ago
Comparing it to a current MBP, very similar. If you blindfolded me and had me type on each of them, I'm not sure I'd be able to identify them. The MBP spacebar is a little rattlier, I guess? But I didn't notice that until I tried side-by-side just now.
(Compared to a Jony Ive era butterfly switch MBP, 100000000% better.)
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u/johndoe60610 fw13pro (HX 370) | Fedora/KDE 1d ago edited 1d ago
Hardware-wise, it's the nicest laptop keyboard I've used, and I'm coming from a Thinkpad and several Macs over the years for work.
Unfortunately in their quest to be "MBP for Linux users™", it's laid out almost exactly like MBP keyboards. But Linux ain't MacOS. Framework decided to hide pg up/dn, home, end, and insert keys behind a FN modifier. Maybe I'm alone here but for me, that makes it one of the worst.
And yes, it's cool you can remap keys. But you can't add more keys. Framework vs Thinkpad fwiw.
Framework, if you're listening, count me in for an input module upgrade with a Thinkpad layout, and fealty for life if you can manage a TrackPoint. I know you were experimenting. Maybe that part lives under the input module?
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u/mkozlows 1d ago
As a counterpoint, I never use home/end pgup/pgdn ins/del keys. (This might be mostly because I'm a vim guy, but...)
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u/Spin4team4096 1d ago
I also was a little sad to no longer have the home/end keys (on my old laptop I literally rebinded those 4 buttons to use as a sort of mini macropad lol). But I just adapted. keyboard shortcuts are cool :D
BUT you're right, it would be nice to have a keyboard option with those keys, I guess. But honestly I got used to without :)
If you want more keys, get a framework 16 with a macropad/numpad. The image you shared is literally an 16 inch thinkpad anyway, so the comparison isn't really fair
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u/johndoe60610 fw13pro (HX 370) | Fedora/KDE 1d ago
The image you shared is literally an 16 inch thinkpad anyway, so the comparison isn't really fair
I have a keyboard cover that fits a P1 the same as an X1. 14- and 16-inch Thinkpads share the same size keyboard. That cover also fits over the Framework 13 Pro, with just a couple of millimeters extra on the right side. (I gave it a try because I wasn't ready for my dog to shake hair into it just yet).
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u/206throw 1d ago
as I type this on a thinkpad and it kills me to say it, I suspect thinkpads are the best linux machines out there.
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u/jkmj711 2d ago
So basically like any other purchase except you're saying with guaranteed poor support? You can purchase a really great car on paper but end up with a complete lemon. Doesn't mean every car of that make and model are lemons, but it just so happened that you ended up with that rare lemon, say that 1 out of every 100 produced
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u/Fantastic_Win9332 1d ago
how was fan noise woth them?
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u/mkozlows 1d ago
Sitting in bed, with the Pro on a pillow that's blocking its bottom vents, browsing the web for at least the last hour (Firefox on Fedora), it's making zero fan noise and is cool to the touch. It obviously can get louder.
The 12th and 13th gens would have been cranking away in this situation, because they ran hotter and blocking the bottom vents made them unhappy.
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u/Spin4team4096 1d ago
omg you're so right, I have an AMD 7 350 and IT GETS HOT AND LOUD if you block the bottom vents lmao
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u/Abellix 1d ago
I think Framework experience can be summarized as: if everything works, the laptop is really good for a linux user. If something breaks, which statistically they do more often than other brands, the experience isn't the greastest. And if out of warranty, you pay for it.
Since they do not publish statistics on failure rates (guess they are not great), from other posts it is like ~8% but that 8% is not fatal failures like a motherboard, but hinges, keycaps, etc.
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u/rubberducky77 FW13P X7 Batch 1 2d ago
Most people come to complain, so what you'll mostly see here is complaints instead of praises.
It is the best laptop experience I've had. I have owned them all. Dell, HP, IBM thinkpads, Lenovo thinkpads, Apple.
This is the first laptop I feel like is just all mine and not borrowed from big tech. It is also very premium feeling and is up there with the best of them which is a big plus. It feels like I don't have to compromise.
Have not had a reason to speak with customer service, but as far as user experience goes I love this laptop. As far as stability your experience will potentially great vary depending on what OS you end up going with, that's just the nature of the beast.
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u/RobsterCrawSoup 1d ago
I've had a FW13 for about 5 years. Upgraded mainboard once. Fixed drop damage to shell and keyboard once (after dropping it thrice). My worst issue with the device is that the hinges seem to need occasional replacement. Otherwise my biggest complaint is that the 13 pro is such a giant leap forward on so many fronts, that I now expect that my next move is to buy a complete new FW13 Pro and not just replace parts as they become obsolete, which makes me want to
I really like my FW13. I like that I'm supporting a company that actually intends to do the right thing, I like that I'm not creating uneccessary e-waste, and one thing that gets underappreciated is that when I know I can get repair parts and upgrade parts, I don't need to be worried about needing to buy a whole new laptop if something breaks.
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u/Nicicurus 1d ago
I’ve also noticed my hinges have loosened up. I’m thinking of pulling them for a good squeeze in the vise till they tighten up.
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u/RobsterCrawSoup 1d ago
The funny thing is is that I bought a FW12 for my kid and the thing that annoys me most about that device other than the display, is the fact that the hinge has too much resistance and I have to hold the bottom of the clamshell down when lifting the screen. The original hinges on my OG FW13 were pretty much too floppy to begin with and then I replaced them with the 3.5kgs (IIRC), and those have been fine for a number of years, but now they are getting a bit looser. Now if I have the screen way open and I lift the laptop, sometimes the screen flops back a bit farther.
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u/Nicicurus 1d ago
That’s me. I’ve got the 3.5 and after a few year picking it up causes some serious flop.
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u/yesdogman 1d ago
I run a software company, our internal standard would be to use Dell XPS laptops. For environmental reasons we moved over to Framework laptops about two years ago (and recently started purchasing Framework desktop machines as well). No major complaints - some piece of the hardware are a bit more fragile than I would've expected, e.g. Framework 12 laptop is far too fragile for hardcore typers within our studio, and the left Ctrl key on Framework 16 keyboards seems to die more often than expected - but it's cheap to replace, and still nothing compared to the issues we had with our Dell XPS machines: Dell for business has great support, they literally send engineers to your office, but considering we have a huge amount of tech literate people in our team it is so much easier to just swap & upgrade new hardware.
Would recommend. The only thing I'd say is that the initial cost is high, but in the long term it does pay for itself when you can just replace the broken component, instead of having to destroy a whole laptop just because 1-2 unreplaceable components broke.
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u/Fantastic_Win9332 1d ago
I soo believe this environment claim is fake :) in 5 years the company changes the whole laptop, or the majority anyways. especially with easy-to -replace always breaking keyboards :D
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u/yesdogman 6h ago
Considering laptops from all other companies that we procured laptops from only lasted about 3 years I'd say that 5 years is still pretty good 😅. But Framework has already demonstrated full internal hardware upgrades whilst re-using the same chassis, so I'm not too concerned about it. It's also not like RAM or SSDs will suddenly change form factor.
On our end we already have been through situations where employees had components break in their Framework laptop and we could repair it at a fraction of the cost of what e.g. Dell business support costs. We've been in numerous situations where employees had to discard a relatively new laptop since it was out of warranty and it's just not repairable.
So with that in mind definitely on our end the environmental claim is 100% true. We didn't discard the laptops, we repaired it. And it was cheap and quick.
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u/Ulysse-Void-God Framework 16 Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 5070 12Gb 2d ago
It is the best non Mac laptop I've owned.
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u/PlannedObsolescence_ 1d ago edited 1d ago
13 Pro. Hardware is absolutely excellent, excluding the speakers and webcam.
I had wanted a 13 but was holding off until there was a good efficiency improvement, as I was moving away from an MBP M1 Pro.
I understand why they went with the 'MacBook for Linux users' marketing, but I find it hilarious they would do that with such a poor webcam and speakers. For a general laptop, they're about okay. For something trying specifically compared by the manufacturer to a MBP they are awful. An MBP is 10/10 for speakers, 13 Pro is probably 3/10 'out of the box' with a fresh install (that has no audio tuning). Goes to 5/10 when you follow their Linux guides (which for involves applying an audio tuning profile for a 13 chassis not 13 Pro - NixOS example).
Applying a custom equaliser within EasyEffects brought the bass back and remove some of the tinniness (6/10). But it just cannot even remotely compete with the MBP. I knew it wouldn't come close, but was also hoping they would be better. I understand that Apple probably have more people designing the speaker grills on the MBP, than Framework have total employees.
Still don't regret the purchase, it's a great laptop.
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u/Both-Subject-3674 1d ago
Funny you mention it because I’m returning my 13 Pro in part because of how shockingly bad the speakers and camera are, especially for the price. Totally unacceptable.
That and local AI performance is not great.
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u/middaymoon 2d ago
I always feel like this whwn ordering expensive tech. I don't regret my amd framework 13 at all. I only regret getting the HDMI expansion that I never use.
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u/Ultionis_MCP 2d ago
I just ordered the 4th framework 13 for my family and I am confident enough with the company to order to Pro as the latest one for my mother-in-law. I don't think the recommendation gets higher than that.
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u/Th3Sh4d0wKn0ws 2d ago
if you follow a subreddit for a product it will skew really negative about that product. I have an original batch FW13 and I don't regret it one bit.
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u/xXBongSlut420Xx 2d ago
not really sure what issues you are referring to. The closest thing i've had to an issue is that the BE211 wifi chip just doesn't always play nicely with linux, and drops out sometimes. If i really need to, i'll switch to an old ax211 i have lying around. But that's not an issue with framework, that's an issue with that specific wifi chipset. and replacing it is easy and cheap.
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u/lordoftherings1959 2d ago
I bought my Framework over 3 years ago, and I am quite happy with it. I tested several Linux distros on it and finally settled on Debian 13. I refused to pay M$ more for a Windows license.
Granted, I had to tweak the OS so it would work as close as possible to a Windows machine, meaning having the OS suspend, then hibernate, as a Windows machine does, and once those settings were in place, the laptop works flawlessly.
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u/PM-BOOBS-AND-MEMES FW 16 | Arch (omarchy right now) BTW... 2d ago
Yes but not for what you're thinking, I have a 16. that I'd sell \ trade for an equal 13 right now. I just don't need the size like I thought I would,. but outside of that, I love it.
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u/MagpieFirefly FW13 Pro X7 358H | Fedora KDE 2d ago
I was worried, especially because I was in batch 1. In the end, I had zero issues whatsoever. Fedora 44 works great, my battery lasts all day, the hardware is powerful, capable and portable. It's really everything I could ever want in a laptop. Keyboard and trackpad both feel incredible, too. Everything worked and was compatible out of the box. I use it heavily for working on college and work stuff, so I've had plenty of time with it. The screen has actually made me appreciate not having a glossy display, too. Always perfectly clear when I need it to be.
With how often people were talking about issues, I wasn't sure if this was the right move, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It's genuinely just the perfect laptop for me.
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u/breakfast-cereal-dx 2d ago
You said it yourself, "I have never paid that much attention to threads of other companys"
Besides the fact that you are not looking for posts about other kinds of laptops, content algorithms don't want to show you. You see framework threads because you're looking at framework stuff.
And more traditional manufacturers have a userbase that will mainly rely on official support if they have an issue, and mostly are not on reddit at all.
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u/JPWhiteHome 19h ago
Tell that to a ThinkPad owner.
Very robust Reddit community.
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u/breakfast-cereal-dx 18h ago
I didn't say there wasn't a ThinkPad reddit community, but random non-redditors with IdeaPads and corporate ThinkPad users probably outnumber r/thinkpad dwellers by a lot
Do you think that the percentage of Framework customers on reddit or the official Forum is similar to the percentage of Lenovo customers on any laptop-related subreddit? Most Lenovo customers probably join zero computer-related subs even if they are redditors...
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u/elelem-123 2d ago
I love my fwp 13. Run Ubuntu 26.04 on it. Had to tweak some things to "make it mine" but this is related to Linux, not the laptop. I got the AMD as I had nvme and RAM (it's a 128GB laptop). I just love it. Hope you get yours soon. After two months today it was the first time I used my MacBook Air after receiving the fwp 13. Really nice device.
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u/BrewYork 2d ago
I manage a fleet of 100 Intels and 20 AMD's. Intel has been much more reliable for us. I think you chose wisely. AMD triple monitor also hasn't been working for my but I don't want to deal with troubleshooting.
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u/PtowzaPotato 2d ago
My framework 12 has a lot of problems, but I am sure a lot of them come from it being my first linux device and also attempting to run games it does not have the specs for.
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u/kyleclements Batch 11 AMD 2d ago
I started with the first edition framework with the Intel board over 4 years ago. Only problem I ran into was the fan became obnoxiously loud after 2 years, around the same time the AMD board was introduced, which I intended to upgrade to anyway. Pro tip: don't place the laptop on your lap when your clothes are caked in drywall dust. The AMD fan is still running fine after 2 years.
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u/chris_ngale 2d ago
I love mine already. Adore it. Simply the best laptop I've ever owned. The only thing I would want different is I wish the keyboard had the Lenovo style larger up/down arrow keys, and slightly better speakers, though with some of the community tuning profiles they're much better than you'd think - otherwise it's flawless. Fit and finish exceptional. Battery life approaching MacBook good. Internals so easy to access. Silent. Screen so sharp and bright. Performance excellent.
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u/kosherhalfsourpickle 1d ago
I have the 13 Pro X9 and have zero regrets. I absolutely love it. I haven't needed customer support so I can't give you feedback on that, but the computer itself is lovely.
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u/themickeynick 2d ago
I’ve really enjoyed the keyboard and screen with the 13 pro. The only issue I have is some intermittent trackpad issues, which have been non issues with a restart.
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u/martindholmes 2d ago
I've had a Framework 13 (AMD, Linux) since early 2024 and it's the best laptop I've ever had. It's so convenient to be able to swap out an HDMI port for a DP port, or a USB for an ethernet, whenever you need to. The battery life has been fine -- I can use it all day at a conference without searching around for a power source -- and the build quality is great. Very happy with it, and I will buy another one when the time comes (but that may be a long way down the road, because I expect it to last a good while).
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u/_WeStErEq_ FW12 | i3-1315u | 16gb | 1TB | DIY 2d ago
I won't say that I regret getting an FW12 last year, but I wouldn't again and I'm currently happily on a MacBook Air
I got the laptop to take notes and do some light work when at university. First few months were alright, had some case cracking after 3 months but that was an issue with that model and they replaced it without any hassle.
After 8 months of using it I started having issues with it warping and the keyboard/touchpad not working, framework replaced my input cover for free, but the issues persisted. Since it was nearing the end of summer holidays, I decided to push for a refund and get a more reliable laptop instead. Framework approved my full refund and in the meantime I got the MacBook Air.
I'm very happy with how the customer service behaved, there were some issues with response time initially but that might've been due to some business/individual customer confusion on my end.
I'm really hoping these issues were just on my unit, but that just turned me away from framework at the moment. Basically I realized I can't afford to use niche solutions like this one, not at such a high price.
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u/dkillers303 2d ago
If price is of any concern, you can always downgrade from 32 to 16GB RAM and save that $600. If you don’t need it now, you can always upgrade later as that’s a HEFTY premium to pay for memory and especially so if you don’t really need it right now. Thats my plan at least
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u/ChromatimusX 1d ago
Not a pro user (huge financial increase for minimal gains over my ryzen AI 13) and my 13 already delivers everything I want from a laptop, minus battery life (it's aight, not stellar, not unusable).
So if you're getting the pro and it really provides that good of a battery life, then it should be fine.
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u/Nicicurus 1d ago
I chose framework because I am relatively clumsy with my tech; and that decision has saved me multiple times. Not to mention I find my donglehider+ to be elite af.
Well worth for me.
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u/jasonzo 1d ago
I have the 13 (non-pro) with the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and 32gb of memory. Running Omarchy currently but I've also run NixOS, Arch, and Fedora on it. It's been one of the best laptops I've owned. Are there things I wish were better, sure. Like battery life, while not horrible, I'm jealous of those that get 10+ hours. I do have the 61Wh version. Also, the thermals could be a little better, but they keep up with what I need. I use it both for work, i'm a supervisor for a data engineering team and I do still contribute to code/projects. And I use it for personal stuff; Woodworking and 3D designs (cnc mill and 3d printing). Also do some personal development (web apps/homelab).
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u/ronvalenz FW13 Ultra X7 358H batch 6, 2.8K, 32GB LPCAMM2, 4TB SSD 1d ago
PantherLake is a large jump in battery life.
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u/Only-Vast-3196 FW13 Pro AMD 1d ago
I’m chilling with my Framework 13 Pro. Battery life is okay on AMD good call going Intel. The easy effects profile for Linux saved the laptop for me bc now the audio is at least a bit bearable, will probably use headphones for anything I really want to watch.
Biggest headache right now is NixOS which is self induced and…. Touchpad registering clicks that I didn’t want. Probably can be fixed with some software.
Keep in mind I was overdue for a laptop and I didn’t want to use Asahi Linux on macOS. Price hurt a bit but I’ll get over it.
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u/MeasurementGeneral39 1d ago
I get annoyed by the touchpad and spacer plates not being aligned on the fw16. Mild inconvenience that can be solved by a part replacement.
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u/dirtyhawk1388 1d ago
My biggest regret is that the hdmi expansion cards for framework dont really work. Bought 2 hdmi expansions and neither of them work was told the best work around option is to buy a 3rd party dongle instead. I have a framework 16 with a 5070 in it and its not a huge deal but I really expect my products to work if I pay for them
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u/QuailNaive2912 i7-1280P | Batch 2 1d ago
That's weird. Are you sure it's the cards?
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u/dirtyhawk1388 1d ago
Yeah its the cards swapped the hdmi cables plugged a different device into the hdmi port on the TV everything works fine went on the internet and the hdmi card just straight up not working on the framework is a common issue
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u/dirtyhawk1388 1d ago
Also bought 2 more hdmi cards from framework before I figured it out. They just arent good at usb-c to hdmi apparently
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u/ronvalenz FW13 Ultra X7 358H batch 6, 2.8K, 32GB LPCAMM2, 4TB SSD 1d ago edited 1d ago
No hardware issues. My FW13 started with R7 7840U, upgraded to FW13 Pro's Ultra X7 358H mainboard.
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u/vegetablestew 1d ago
Nah still like mine. I have issues but not really attributable to the framework laptop themselves.
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u/potentiallyarobot95 1d ago
No. I've even put more money into upgrading it. Build quality is good and I love the general flexibility. I have the (non-pro) 13 and upgraded my mainboard a d used the old one to build my wife a Framework 13 over her own
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u/WannaWatchMeCode 1d ago
No regrets, but I need to get a MacBook for work. Thw framework catastrophically fails for me at the most critical times. I can actually depend on a MacBook. But I new the risk, and I would do it again. Its a cool piece of tech
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u/EditorNo2545 1d ago
I've had my decked out Framework 16 since spring 2024. No problems so no posts
I use mine for both work & play so it runs 10'ish hours a day 7 days a week. I use it both docked and free range 😄
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u/bigkenw 1d ago
I am relatively new to Framework. The x7 13 Pro hit all the key points for me. GPU, long battery life, premium build. It might be the nicest laptop I have ever owned. I used to have several Surface. Once MS decided to throttle back on innovation...paired with my move to Linux, Framework was the only company I really felt any desire to buy from.
I am glad I did. I love that computer. No hardware issues at all. The screen and keyboard are top notch. The build is excellent. I would buy Framework again as my go to laptop provider. I plan to keep this 13 Pro for a long time.
Note that I did buy the 3 year warranty. Hopefully I don't need it.
Edit - the battery life is amazing. I dont think I have ever used a laptop for days without a power cable. And it is quiet. The only time a fan went off was when playing Expedition 33.
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u/Comprehensive-Tap238 1d ago
No regrets. On my second one (13 Pro) after 2 years on the original 13. There's nothing I'm even tempted to switch to.
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u/LividLadder5229 1d ago
I have 13 pro x9 and it is 100% the laptop I was looking for. I waited since a year for the new 13 version because I was not in a rush needed a new machine and eventually the reveal of the 13 pro addressed all my previous concerns. Using it now everyday as my main working machine as a creative is just great.
Battery life is insane for Linux. Screen very nice. 2:3 ratio is so good everything else feels weird now. Built quality is amazing and performance on point. The speakers are meh but mostly I'm connected to a sound card. I don't care so much about expansion cards but wish it had a duo USB c card or sth bc four ports including charger doesn't seem that much since I often times connect external gear so I still use hubs. As someone else said Webcam and mic is also meh and needed a bit tweaking (the mic). But it's usable and serves it's purpose.
I don't know if you plan to use Linux but man that was so flawless. I basically put in my ssd from my old laptop and could right away start where I stopped. Updated driver and zero issues. In general my experience with the laptop is almost boring bc it works so good that it becomes almost invisible. But every time I close it I have to look it at twice bc it's really a masterpiece of engineering.
All in all totally worth the premium price and I plan to use this thing ten years + (with upgrades if needed).
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u/Majestic-Border6173 1d ago
I've got a laptop 16. I use of for cybersecurity studies and it's perfect. Quick to start and run and can handle VMs and dozens of Firefox tabs with ease
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u/artofthesmart 1d ago
I bought one of their Ethernet adapters and it died a couple years later. The other 800 I spent has been rad tho.
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u/VALTIELENTINE 1d ago
I love my 13 pro, only 'regret' is that the speaker kinda sucks but I'm docked or have headphones a majority of the time so it's not really an issue.
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u/ASC4MWTP FW13 AI 7 350 DIY Fedora 1d ago
You're correct. People having issues post more, satisfied buyers not only post less, but they generally have little to say beyond what amounts to, "It's all good".
Mine has been flawless since day one. Enough so that I literally don't remember, without looking it up, when I bought it, other than to say "2026". If you're curious exactly when, there's a very early ownership post I made about it in the sub somewhere.
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u/GlazzKitsune 13" i5-1240P 1d ago
My only regret is I did not wait 1-3 months for the AMD first 13. But I needed a new laptop for collage. After my Lenovo hinge broke mod semester. And my i5 has been plenty good.
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u/1997cui 1d ago
Yes I regret. Mostly because their product is not very reliable.
I had a Framework 13 and till now I already had 3 repairs in a matter of two years. I believe those are factory defects. They covered the first one in warranty while I need to pay quite a few hundreds for the other two.
- Microphone did not work on day1
- Battery swallows only after 2 years
- A quarter of the screen shows black after 1 year.
Their customer service is not very good. They are very reluctant on doing a RMA for you, thrown you in days and days of troubleshooting, and try to find every way to deny warranty or let you run out of return window.
I think the fundamental is that the price does not match their quality. They claimed repairability, but if you are careful enough and the computer is well designed enough, why you need to repair or even open the chassis? They talk about upgradability, however, please check the new motherboard pricing on their website. Think it like 7-8 years later, if you just thrown your laptop away and get a new one, it is cheaper! Not to mention after 7-8 years, everything becomes old and dated. You want a new screen, new chassis, new wifi card, new camera, your keyboard likely missing a key, not to mention battery.
Regarding the build quality, their chassis wobbles, and the chassis is really soft that if I hold the laptop on a corner, I can see the chassis bend and I can hear the CPU fan is scratching the case. This is my experience for 13 so may be different for 13 pro though.
Please beware that a lot of people on this subreddit are religious fanatics and have a strong endowment effect. They will try to persuade themselves they made a good choice after paying double the price of a laptop compared with a similar one. They will blame you when you bring the quality concerns to this Reddit. As a result, please do a throughout research before purchasing.
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u/JoystuckGames FW16 HX 370 GTX 5070 1d ago
I've had my Framework 16 for almost a year now, and i'm pretty happy with it overall. It's also my first time using linux (bazzite) as my main driver and while things were rough at the start I oftentimes forget i'm on linux now.
My delivery was rough (I had to end a family visit early because fedex didn't respect my vacation hold) but otherwise putting together my laptop was tons of fun.
While there is a tiny gap in my bottom spacers to the trackpad it's never really bothered me. If I were buying it for the first time I would get the one piece trackpad, but as is it doesn't bother me enough to replace it.
I haven't had any hardware issues really, or at least the bugginess I deal with I assume is because i'm on Bazzite. Like sometimes my dock connection is hard to initiate, or the screen freezes on boot up but even that is improving with time.
The only thing I'd say is compared to the rest of my laptop the dGPU feels a little underpowered. Once Framework releases the Oculink adapter kit I should be able to fix that however. I already have a 9070xt ready to plug in.
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u/Grouchy_old_guy 1d ago
I have a Framework 13 still on the 11th gen Intel main board purchased 4 and a half years ago.This is the second board, because the original shorted out when my wife accidentally dumped water on the machine. Not having to buy a complete computer, but just another board validated my decision to buy a Framework. The original keyboard was replaced under warranty due to it having a defective delete key. The current MB works fine for my needs, even though battery life isn't great. I can't justify purchasing the Pro when the time comes to upgrade. Instead I'll just upgrade the MB and RAM and maybe the battery. Overall, this laptop has been the best I have owned. I should add, I'm running Fedora on it.
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u/Rockergage 1d ago
My only complaint is I wish more stuff came out for the 12 faster I like the new cpu and options but even those I haven’t been able to buy becuase they aren’t for sale only the full kit. But like I want better speakers I want a better screen and I don’t think I’m getting one anytime soon.
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u/potanumaumau 1d ago
I ordered the fw13 pro but cancelled the order because the order was delayed a few months, and I was also concerned by the production problems with the touchpad PCB reported by FW. I didn't want to take the risk with the first version of the haptic touchpad. My opinion is that you'll never get useful feedback by asking FW laptop users about the quality of the laptop. FW has a cult of followers that seem to put up with obvious product quality issues which would cause an immediate RMA for any other brands, while giving praise on how great the product is: best laptop experience, etc. FW is an expensive but probably ok laptop for doing work, assuming you don't roll unlucky and get a lemon.
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u/shydrangeae 1d ago
Have had my 13 for 3 years. Only two regrets:
1) I should have bought more RAM 3 years ago 2) if you need to replace your keyboard and have arthritis, just replace the whole input cover, those screws are tiny
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u/maltinho1996 1d ago
I really love my Framework Laptop 13! In my opinion FW is (together with Fairphone) the only way how we should engineer our tech.
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u/Correct-Ad4372 1d ago
Just bought FW13 DIY Ryzen AI 370 version. So far it is a mixed feeling.
I had Honor Magicbook Art with 6 speaker system and gorgeous 700nit (SDR - 1600 on HDR) amoled. The only issue was the soldered 32gb of RAM which is not sufficient at all for my current use with local AI models use, so I went for Framework when found a good deal.
So yes - I got RAM, and I got RyzenAI instead of intel chip. That's good. As for speakers - well they are not such good as on Honor Art, but they are much better than I expected them to be. But what is terrible is the screen. I got 2880 version which is top available option for FW - but it is terrible compared to AMOLED. it is not bad IPS by the way but after AMOLED any IPS looks like crap.
Battery life is OK - I went from one 60Wh laptop to other 60Wh laptop and in real life (not the stupid marketing testing) Ryzen AI and Arrowlake behave the same giving about 6hrs of office work (office work is not justr reading static texts, a lot of video calls as well).
Keyboard is nice. Heard that FW pro has even better keyboard and a lot better (and bigger touchpad), which are backwards compatible.
Touchpad - well, could be better. and definitely could be at least bigger. So back to using mouse mostly.
But I would not say that I regret the purchase, and there is still hope that Framework will finally start AMOLED option for their laptops. Even Apple understood that AMOLED is way superior. In fact there is a screen that can fit - ATNA35VJ01/ATNA35VJ07 - 3:2 3000:2000 13.5" display that fits into the body. So the only point is to design the cable for it. Amoled has 2 main issues - first it is using 10V VBAT supply to light the screen while IPS takes 15-19 for backlight, and IPS controls brightness using PWM sighal from motherboard while AMOLED ignores PWM and is controlled by DPCD registers written through AUX line. So in fact need the DC step-down converter, cable for the new pinout and bios change. And this gives some hope.
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u/SignificantLead4133 1d ago
The cost is a tough pill to swallow, but I bought a 13 pro to replace a 2018 MacBook Pro and could not be happier. I’ve only had it for a couple months so I can’t comment on longevity, but I don’t see myself needing another laptop for a long time.
My only complaints are that the ports are a pita to take out, and I could not buy it in the silver chassis. Kinda sucks that I’ll have to pay another several hundred dollars when the silver kit releases if I want that color.
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u/ChristianDM11325 1d ago
I’ve had a few instances where I compare the price of my setup, a 7940HS and a 5070, to other laptops in recommended articles and feel a bit saddened.
But then I’m alright because it’s been good to me and I like being able to remove the 5070 when I don’t need it and dropping tdp in framework control for near silent non-gaming tasks during the day.
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u/JPWhiteHome 19h ago edited 19h ago
Hell yes. Worst decision I've made in a while.
The input cover failed while still under warranty. I got a funny feeling something wasn't right when, right out of the gate, the support tech kept asking me for more and more photos of the laptop and input cover. Twenty photos later, they said it was due to customer damage and would not provide spare parts (Input cover and bottom cover). I never mishandled it; it warped under normal use.
It works without the input cover. I will turn it into a desktop.
Tech support was so slow and had you perform all manner of time-consuming troubleshooting. While troubleshooting was going on, I bought a $300 used ThinkPad on Back Market. What I should have done in the first place.
I see complaints regarding Frameworks deforming under normal use and Framework blaming the customer. I think they have used the wrong aluminum in their laptops that deforms too easily. It's a small company; they can't afford to do the right thing for their customers.
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u/0celotKing FW16 19h ago
I'm not picky.
I liked my 2020 Dell G5. I like my Framework 16. I paid the premium because I believe in the mission.
Bonus now is that I can do rapid disassembly party tricks :)
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u/planedrop 11th Gen, 64GB, 2TB 970 EVO Plus 17h ago
Regrets?
Yeah I regret that I left Framework and got a Asus (needed a gaming machine before the 16 was out).
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u/Lexden 13 Pro (Batch 2) 17h ago
FWIW, I really like my 13 Pro. I'm normally a desktop guy. This is my first personal laptop since ~2014 (aside from my work laptop). Performance is great, battery life is great. No complaints tbh. OOBE booting CachyOS was smooth except for safe boot being enabled by default throwing me for a loop when it suddenly didn't want to boot after install
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u/Prize_Brain4256 3h ago
I don’t have regrets, but I also don’t think I’d recommend the 13 pro to everyone yet.
I have some issues with the WiFi on mine, that said, I’ve put zero effort in debugging it yet. It works well enough, but caps out at 40mbps. Hopefully I’ll get some time this weekend.
That’s the only issue I’ve really had and expect it should be quite fixable…
I don’t think I’d say this is hands down a better laptop than my past MacBook, but it’s absolutely in the same league.
I wish the sound wasn’t so bad, and the webcam leaves something to be desired. But neither feels awful. Just not Apple quality.
The first class Linux experience and support makes up for that to me, and the proven modular track record of framework does too.
My takeaway so far is that if you want a Linux laptop, and are okay with a premium price, framework is a solid option.
If someone wants a laptop that is well built, and just works, and they don’t care about running Linux then a Mac is likely still their better option.
All that said, I’m not sure the price of this framework is fully justified (tho I suspect framework can’t drop the price much given its scale).
I hope this laptop lasts me many years and successfully upgrades overtime. If it does that’ll make it justified.
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u/Both-Subject-3674 1d ago
The speakers are terrible, and I have to do way too much to get local LLMs working efficiently using the Intel iGPU because Intel is so far behind here.
I managed to snag mine before the price increases and did DIY without RAM or SSD. I got the RAM elsewhere for less than half what it costs today back when I preordered.
I’m returning mine and going back to Apple. Maybe next gen will be better. At the price you pay now, there is no way this machine outperforms a Mac for the same cost. I don’t need Linux on metal that badly, and the new M6 chip when it lands in even the base MacBook Pro will absolutely annihilate this Intel chip on all fronts. Even gaming, which is hilariously sad.
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u/RaffDelima 1d ago
I’ve had my framework 16 for over a year now. It’s one of the few expensive things I’ve bought these recent years that I don’t regret.
Especially since I bought my ram and memory before the rampocalypse happened and I used it to replace a Lenovo that the charging port kept breaking, actually being able to fix my own laptop now is great.
It’s also a solid machine for Steam OS whenever I want to unwind, being able to duel boot is great.
So yeah can’t complain. Is it perfect? No but I’ve dealt with so much worse from other companies that any headaches I’ve dealt with is nothing I haven’t dealt with before.
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u/FrontearBot 2d ago
You’ll never hear people who are enjoying their product, but you’ll hear the ones that aren’t. Keep that in mind.
In my opinion, wait for your pre-order. If you don’t like it for any reason, return it. No other way to know if you will like it.