I bought the 12th gen intel framework 13 about a year ago and it is interesting to see how much they have refined the packaging in that time. Less material, better layout, a more useful order of removal. Great job Framework!
Still quite a bit of cardboard and felt like a couple too many boxes (ssd in that giant box with the tool). Glad to hear it’s an iterative process though so I think they’ll get there.
20:28 Just to point out here, I remember reading some statements from FW about how the reason the DIY edition is packaged more like a laptop is because of import tariffs. Essentially sending the individual parts (even together in a single box) is significantly more expensive than sending a laptop (even partly disassembled one) Edit: Found it on their blog (Title: The Evolution of the Framework Laptop DIY Edition, date: 3rd of June, 2021)
The only thing I don't like is that the black flap cover doesn't also have indication that the RAM slot is underneath it. And for your own sake, dual channel would probably make a noticable difference in performance. CPU, and GPU especially, can benefit anywhere from 15-30% from the proper dual channel bandwidth.
Dude, I also drive a VW Golf! I am still waiting for my FW16 to ship. The APU can take advantage of the bandwidth that dual channel memory provides, especially the iGPU. You should grab another matching stick. Also, i don't think those are not pentalobe screws. Apple made those screws to prevent tampering (a whole lot that did, lol). I believe they are just standard torx screws. Lastly, the screen isn't 4:3, but actually 3:2. Fedora is what I'm currently using but NixOS sounds interesting. I might try that with my FW16.
You probably won't answer this before I order it, but just in case: does the laptop charge via the modular USB-C ports, or is there a dedicated power jack?
@@BrianG61UKFramework is pretty successful so far and I can't see them being in any danger as long as they don't pull any stupid moves. They know what their customers want, and their customer base is steadily growing.
Now that this video is 4 weeks old, how do you like your Framework? I'm considering a 7640U as a family gift because the person doesn't need the extra performance and I can find a lot of unboxing videos (which is great - the word is definitely out in the tech space) but not many check-ins later on. Does it do what you need to do? Is it hot? Is it noisy?
It’s the best Linux laptop I’ve ever used. But it’s not as good of an overall package as a MacBook. That said, it’s probably fine for most people! Battery life is solid. Heat management is fine - fans get a little whiny when compiling a nixos update or whatever. Screen is great. Keyboard is AMAZING. I doubt anyone who uses this laptop wouldn’t like it either.
There are 5 captive screws to undo first. If you wanted to use the magnets alone, you'd have to forcibly remove the captive screws because when not screwed in properly the keyboard doesn't go right down into position. The magnets are also not that strong.
Screen resonance is a thing for Framework, and many users have complained about it. I hope they will fix it with a more robust hinge and lid in the future.
They have a 4.0kg screen hinge kit in their store now "The 4.0kg Hinge increases force to keep the lid angle stationary on the go and in bumpier environments, but trading off against easy one-hand-opening."
Just finished building up the Framework 13 AMD version. Great product, no issues with the hardware build. Even though I had a Windows 11 Pro USB key, I did have to use the Rufus tool and the most recent ISO to get Win11 Pro in place. I used the provided Framework AMD drivers on USB key to get everything properly working. From there I did the Windows 11 Pro activation w/o any issues. I set it all up to replicate the accounts on my home-built Windows 11 Pro gaming system. I find the Framework 13 a very well designed laptop overall.
@@calvinserpico7729- The FW laptop is not really a gaming setup, maybe low end gaming. My gaming system is still my i5/RTX-370 desktop. My Framework 13 is pretty much standard build.
I found Installing Windows 11 seemed to go better if I provided an Internet connection for the installer via either the Framework Ethernet “expansion card”, or presumably any USB Ethernet adapter that doesn't need special drivers in Windows 11 would do it. I'm not sure if doing it like that means I needn't have used Rufus? Oh and Windows 11 did not work that reliably with BIOS 3.03, but 3.03b and 3.05 both seem good for Windows 11 for me.
Waiting for these to become available for us in the Nordic. Seen whispers about it, and keyboard designs, but nothing concrete yet. Would love to buy one! Been daily driving Macs for more than 15 years but dabbled with linux desktop more and more the last 5 years. One of these would be perfect as a complement to the desktop Mac setup. 😍
Thank you for letting me watch you build a Framework. I have been waiting for an AMD variant since they launched their first laptop. Once they announced the AMD variants, I heard rumors of the 16 inch, so I waited for the 16 inch variant. I can't wait to get it and build my own Linux laptop. I primarily use Proxmox and Ubuntu server containers, my laptop has Debian installed, so I'll stick with Debian. It's a lot easier to stick with the package manager I'm familiar with. I'm so excited to see build my own laptop! I have always wanted to do this! Thanks for the video, it was really fun!
I have one of these too. I have used an AMD processor before but it was a long time ago. It was an AMD K6-III and it actually plugged in to the same socket as an Intel Pentium and ran really hot but was more powerful for most things (the weak point was floating point).
love mine. I got the first gen 13 on a massive sale and I love it. its worth the money in every way in my opinion. the screen supports HDR to which is crazy considering the price. The only downside with it is the screen size can make navigating some websites hard if the site isnt set up for all screen sizes. battery life is great as well, probably not mackbook level but its good enough to go for atleast 5-6 hours and you can charge it with your iphone charger when it gets low. I got a 65W slim charger and charges the battery in what feels like less than an hr. everything is simple to set up. I would suggest that if you go for one make sure you have ateast 32 gb of ram and if you can go for 64gb they support it and you will thank me later. I can have 3 different instances of crome open with 20 tabs in each and it doesnt lag or load slow. I do web development and that is very helpful for what I do.
For those watching this, be careful with the Bevel. It looked easy here, but if it's not on correctly it can get stuck and be a bit of a hassle. I had to unscrew the hinge of the laptop to free it after it got stuck. Also remember to expose the adhesive strips on the bevel before installing it, which I don't think was shown here.
Nice video - I'd be interested in your medium and longer term reviews (esp re dual channel memory yay/nay, battery life, etc) - maybe at 1 month, 6 months and a year?
Thanks for sharing! Seeing you drag the laptop top face across the desk was horrifying! I hope you don't have any scratches!! Is the bezel properly engaged with the base unit? The gap looks slightly large on the video.
I wonder how apple has managed to make such beautiful laptop speakers for their new MacBook Pros. I do music mixing professionally, an I can honestly say that I can mix 90% to completeltion with the laptop speakers. They are balanced so well, with surprising bass extension and silky smooth treble. And the imaging from the upward facing speakers is perfect. I wonder how they accomplish that bass extension... Maybe they utilize the chassis vibrations or something, with insane effort put to balancing the frequency response. No other laptop comes even close...
Although AMD still needs to work on better Linux support (there's a gitlab issue for high power drain during video playback and glitches using hardware acceleration) it still seems to really rock that iGPU performance for some 1080p gaming. Can't wait till those issues get fixed and order a FW 13 as well!
Thank you. I have been pondering about buying one of these Frameworks. Let us know about the single vs dual channel SODIMMsituation. Is dual channel that much faster ( 2 sticks) or should I just buy one stick of what I will need ( 32Gb)?
Dual channel will be faster. But we’re talking the difference between very fast and very very fast here. I don’t know if I’d be able to tell outside of synthetic benchmark scenario. What I can tell you anecdotally is that this is a very fast machine. I haven’t once thought this week that I wished it was faster.
So, I am still using the first gen build. The community and support makes me not need anything in a Windows laptop. You can ask a stupid question and they will give you the answer you need without any shade. Hell, I once had the top guy email me to make sure everything worked out for me. Also a former Apple bar employee. Cheers mate
It's.... foreshadowing! I stuck to my word in the video at least that I wasn't going to keep Fedora on there very long. Nix video will be coming soonish.
I have NixOS on my 11th gen Intel Framework. Presumably when I upgrade the mainboard I'll just have to regeneration hardware-configuration.nix. How do you find the track pad? Previously on Arch and now on Nix I have some palm clicks while typing.
im like a year late, but you can also use "nixos-hardware" (by adding it as a channel or using it in a flake) and just changing the hardware profile in the import, that way it also sets a lot of useful options by default for performance and batterylife or kernel parameters and such
I don't get it... Cant we get a similar level of customisation from a ThinkPad (minus the sliding ports), they are also quite well built... Not having seen a Framework been assembled before, this feels gimmicky and not that well built... With all the clips and stuff
Thinkpads are not as well built as they used to be. I had the hinges fail on my last one. Part of the attraction of this laptop is the intention of it being easy to repair. All of the schematics on this laptop available online, and every part is sold on their site, and at very reasonable prices. The new parts are generally forward compatible too, old users are buying the newer screens and even newer processor boards. Framework publishes 3d printed files for enclosures you can put your old mainboard in to turn them into things like NAS or entertainment systems.
Appreciate the Factory in the background 👌
I had to take a break from growing the factory to grow the laptop instead.
I bought the 12th gen intel framework 13 about a year ago and it is interesting to see how much they have refined the packaging in that time. Less material, better layout, a more useful order of removal. Great job Framework!
Still quite a bit of cardboard and felt like a couple too many boxes (ssd in that giant box with the tool). Glad to hear it’s an iterative process though so I think they’ll get there.
love that you have factorio on in the background
20:28 Just to point out here, I remember reading some statements from FW about how the reason the DIY edition is packaged more like a laptop is because of import tariffs. Essentially sending the individual parts (even together in a single box) is significantly more expensive than sending a laptop (even partly disassembled one)
Edit: Found it on their blog (Title: The Evolution of the Framework Laptop DIY Edition, date: 3rd of June, 2021)
I love the factorio in the background. The factory must always grow
The only thing I don't like is that the black flap cover doesn't also have indication that the RAM slot is underneath it. And for your own sake, dual channel would probably make a noticable difference in performance. CPU, and GPU especially, can benefit anywhere from 15-30% from the proper dual channel bandwidth.
Glad you finally got to pick one up Alex! I've enjoyed mine and it's still my daily driver!
Dude, I also drive a VW Golf! I am still waiting for my FW16 to ship. The APU can take advantage of the bandwidth that dual channel memory provides, especially the iGPU. You should grab another matching stick. Also, i don't think those are not pentalobe screws. Apple made those screws to prevent tampering (a whole lot that did, lol). I believe they are just standard torx screws. Lastly, the screen isn't 4:3, but actually 3:2. Fedora is what I'm currently using but NixOS sounds interesting. I might try that with my FW16.
Thanks, I'm about to buy one and this was helpful to understand what the laptop is all about. I like the relaxed presentation vibe.
You probably won't answer this before I order it, but just in case: does the laptop charge via the modular USB-C ports, or is there a dedicated power jack?
@@TheDrunkMunkThe laptop charges via the modular usb type c ports
Got my preorder in for the 16 with the gpu. Finally a laptop that won't be ewaste in 4 years
Hopefully anyway. There's no guarantee Framework will still be around. I hope they will.
@@BrianG61UKFramework is pretty successful so far and I can't see them being in any danger as long as they don't pull any stupid moves. They know what their customers want, and their customer base is steadily growing.
Now that this video is 4 weeks old, how do you like your Framework? I'm considering a 7640U as a family gift because the person doesn't need the extra performance and I can find a lot of unboxing videos (which is great - the word is definitely out in the tech space) but not many check-ins later on. Does it do what you need to do? Is it hot? Is it noisy?
It’s the best Linux laptop I’ve ever used. But it’s not as good of an overall package as a MacBook.
That said, it’s probably fine for most people! Battery life is solid. Heat management is fine - fans get a little whiny when compiling a nixos update or whatever. Screen is great. Keyboard is AMAZING.
I doubt anyone who uses this laptop wouldn’t like it either.
@@ktzsystems Thanks for your detailed answer. :D Very useful!
*I love that keyboard assembly is magnetic and can be removed at any time.*
There are 5 captive screws to undo first. If you wanted to use the magnets alone, you'd have to forcibly remove the captive screws because when not screwed in properly the keyboard doesn't go right down into position. The magnets are also not that strong.
Screen resonance is a thing for Framework, and many users have complained about it. I hope they will fix it with a more robust hinge and lid in the future.
They have a 4.0kg screen hinge kit in their store now
"The 4.0kg Hinge increases force to keep the lid angle stationary on the go and in bumpier environments, but trading off against easy one-hand-opening."
Just finished building up the Framework 13 AMD version. Great product, no issues with the hardware build. Even though I had a Windows 11 Pro USB key, I did have to use the Rufus tool and the most recent ISO to get Win11 Pro in place. I used the provided Framework AMD drivers on USB key to get everything properly working. From there I did the Windows 11 Pro activation w/o any issues.
I set it all up to replicate the accounts on my home-built Windows 11 Pro gaming system. I find the Framework 13 a very well designed laptop overall.
what kind of internals did you put in it to be a gaming setup?
@@calvinserpico7729- The FW laptop is not really a gaming setup, maybe low end gaming. My gaming system is still my i5/RTX-370 desktop.
My Framework 13 is pretty much standard build.
I found Installing Windows 11 seemed to go better if I provided an Internet connection for the installer via either the Framework Ethernet “expansion card”, or presumably any USB Ethernet adapter that doesn't need special drivers in Windows 11 would do it. I'm not sure if doing it like that means I needn't have used Rufus? Oh and Windows 11 did not work that reliably with BIOS 3.03, but 3.03b and 3.05 both seem good for Windows 11 for me.
Waiting for these to become available for us in the Nordic. Seen whispers about it, and keyboard designs, but nothing concrete yet. Would love to buy one! Been daily driving Macs for more than 15 years but dabbled with linux desktop more and more the last 5 years. One of these would be perfect as a complement to the desktop Mac setup. 😍
it's available in the Nordic countries since today :)
@@frankhuurman3955 wohoo!! Thanks for letting me know!
Let us know what you find out about RAM dual channel and how Nixos is going 👍
I think you forgot about the bezel adhesive strips.
Thank you for letting me watch you build a Framework. I have been waiting for an AMD variant since they launched their first laptop. Once they announced the AMD variants, I heard rumors of the 16 inch, so I waited for the 16 inch variant. I can't wait to get it and build my own Linux laptop. I primarily use Proxmox and Ubuntu server containers, my laptop has Debian installed, so I'll stick with Debian. It's a lot easier to stick with the package manager I'm familiar with. I'm so excited to see build my own laptop! I have always wanted to do this! Thanks for the video, it was really fun!
Nice video. Nice unboxing and put together
I have one of these too. I have used an AMD processor before but it was a long time ago. It was an AMD K6-III and it actually plugged in to the same socket as an Intel Pentium and ran really hot but was more powerful for most things (the weak point was floating point).
love mine. I got the first gen 13 on a massive sale and I love it. its worth the money in every way in my opinion. the screen supports HDR to which is crazy considering the price. The only downside with it is the screen size can make navigating some websites hard if the site isnt set up for all screen sizes. battery life is great as well, probably not mackbook level but its good enough to go for atleast 5-6 hours and you can charge it with your iphone charger when it gets low. I got a 65W slim charger and charges the battery in what feels like less than an hr. everything is simple to set up. I would suggest that if you go for one make sure you have ateast 32 gb of ram and if you can go for 64gb they support it and you will thank me later. I can have 3 different instances of crome open with 20 tabs in each and it doesnt lag or load slow. I do web development and that is very helpful for what I do.
Great video on what is easily the most exiciting laptop so far.
Are the screws pentalobes or torx?
I thought pentalobes where an Apple thing.
T5
Haha yep I chuckled when he said that 2 seconds after noticing he kept saying topcase as an Apple term 😂
I was wondering the same thing. @@alanjrobertson
torx 5 indeed
Great video thanks for sharing. I'm considering one of these as well. Would love to see a follow up video after having it for a while!
It's a little easier to put the bezel on if you open the screen the full 180° like it says in the instructions.
For those watching this, be careful with the Bevel. It looked easy here, but if it's not on correctly it can get stuck and be a bit of a hassle. I had to unscrew the hinge of the laptop to free it after it got stuck. Also remember to expose the adhesive strips on the bevel before installing it, which I don't think was shown here.
Nice video - I'd be interested in your medium and longer term reviews (esp re dual channel memory yay/nay, battery life, etc) - maybe at 1 month, 6 months and a year?
0:24 if i buy this laptop in the future it will be my first amd every too
Looking forward to a Framework 16 assembly video.
Thanks for sharing! Seeing you drag the laptop top face across the desk was horrifying! I hope you don't have any scratches!! Is the bezel properly engaged with the base unit? The gap looks slightly large on the video.
Why not throw Rhino on it for a test spin?
Actually, have you forgotten Rhino? I’d expect it to be mentioned when discussing the tuxies at least…?
I wonder how apple has managed to make such beautiful laptop speakers for their new MacBook Pros.
I do music mixing professionally, an I can honestly say that I can mix 90% to completeltion with the laptop speakers.
They are balanced so well, with surprising bass extension and silky smooth treble. And the imaging from the upward facing speakers is perfect.
I wonder how they accomplish that bass extension... Maybe they utilize the chassis vibrations or something, with insane effort put to balancing the frequency response.
No other laptop comes even close...
How's nixos working on the laptop?
Pretty good.
discourse.nixos.org/t/exciting-partnership-announcement-framework-community-nixos-communities-join-forces/44640
There are no pentalobe screws. They are Torx.
Although AMD still needs to work on better Linux support (there's a gitlab issue for high power drain during video playback and glitches using hardware acceleration) it still seems to really rock that iGPU performance for some 1080p gaming.
Can't wait till those issues get fixed and order a FW 13 as well!
Thank you. I have been pondering about buying one of these Frameworks. Let us know about the single vs dual channel SODIMMsituation. Is dual channel that much faster ( 2 sticks) or should I just buy one stick of what I will need ( 32Gb)?
Dual channel is technically faster and 2 sticks of 16gb of laptop ram will usually be cheaper than a single 32gb stick
Thank You, noted for my order.
Dual channel will be faster. But we’re talking the difference between very fast and very very fast here. I don’t know if I’d be able to tell outside of synthetic benchmark scenario.
What I can tell you anecdotally is that this is a very fast machine. I haven’t once thought this week that I wished it was faster.
Great video! AMD does prefer dual channel.
There was a TIME Apple was used to be repairable. Wake Up BIG Brands YOU got a Framework Train coming through.
Good news is if they develop better speakers, you can just swap them out 😄
So, I am still using the first gen build. The community and support makes me not need anything in a Windows laptop. You can ask a stupid question and they will give you the answer you need without any shade. Hell, I once had the top guy email me to make sure everything worked out for me. Also a former Apple bar employee. Cheers mate
This guy kind of looks like a British Max the Meat Guy except computers.
So the thumbnail is clearly clickbait :-) (Great video!)
It's.... foreshadowing! I stuck to my word in the video at least that I wasn't going to keep Fedora on there very long.
Nix video will be coming soonish.
I have a Nixos on Framework video if you can't wait ;p
I want one so badly 🤤
Only one DIMM? Your RAM will run at half speed.
I have NixOS on my 11th gen Intel Framework. Presumably when I upgrade the mainboard I'll just have to regeneration hardware-configuration.nix.
How do you find the track pad? Previously on Arch and now on Nix I have some palm clicks while typing.
im like a year late, but you can also use "nixos-hardware" (by adding it as a channel or using it in a flake) and just changing the hardware profile in the import, that way it also sets a lot of useful options by default for performance and batterylife or kernel parameters and such
I don't get it... Cant we get a similar level of customisation from a ThinkPad (minus the sliding ports), they are also quite well built... Not having seen a Framework been assembled before, this feels gimmicky and not that well built... With all the clips and stuff
Thinkpads are not as well built as they used to be. I had the hinges fail on my last one. Part of the attraction of this laptop is the intention of it being easy to repair. All of the schematics on this laptop available online, and every part is sold on their site, and at very reasonable prices. The new parts are generally forward compatible too, old users are buying the newer screens and even newer processor boards. Framework publishes 3d printed files for enclosures you can put your old mainboard in to turn them into things like NAS or entertainment systems.
dual channel is best!
seeing this with my shitty laptop that runs arch