At this time, I can verify the system really works. I traveled to Framework’s San Francisco workplaces to be the primary journalist to improve a whole laptop computer graphics card, with my very own fingers, in simply three minutes — together with the time it took to reboot. I yanked an AMD Radeon RX 7700S video card out of the machine and plugged in a brand-new cell Nvidia RTX 5070, with simply six screws and utilizing the pen-shaped screwdriver that comes included with the machine.
And since seeing is believing, I filmed the entire thing to point out you the way fast and straightforward it was. (Hey veteran PC builders: this seems simpler than MXM modules, proper?)
I wasn’t capable of take a look at every thing I’d have favored to check at Framework’s workplaces. We couldn’t run benchmarks, solely fundamental gameplay samples to point out the cardboard was working. (Framework claims the Nvidia card ought to be a 30 to 40 % improve over the present AMD one; video games did run, and didn’t appear to have apparent points at 1440p and excessive settings.)
Additionally, I wasn’t capable of improve fairly from scratch. I really hauled my unique Framework Laptop computer 16 evaluation unit to San Francisco to see if I might flip that one into a brand new Nvidia laptop computer, however CEO Nirav Patel informed me it might want software program updates, together with no less than one new BIOS model, which weren’t totally prepared but. So whereas I did do the improve myself, the laptop computer I upgraded was one which Framework had prepped for the GPU swap.
Whereas I used to be there, I additionally bought to strive Framework’s new standards-compliant 240W USB-C PD 3.1 charger, one of many very first in the marketplace, letting the Laptop computer 16 (the primary 240W PD 3.1 laptop computer!) lastly play and cost at full pace. I introduced my energy meter and noticed the Framework Laptop computer 16 pull over 220W whereas operating stress checks, charging up its battery, and charging up a pair telephones plugged into the laptop computer all on the similar time. Once I got here again 15 or so minutes later, the brand new energy adapter was solely heat, not sizzling — comfy to choose up and maintain. I’ll have a video on that subsequent week.
At $699 for less than a 100W, 8GB cell RTX 5070 price of efficiency, this is likely to be area of interest tech for now. (The GPU and second-gen laptop computer are up for preorder, delivery in December, in case you are a part of that area of interest.) However Framework’s confirmed the purpose, and I’m hoping future upgrades hold it from being area of interest for lengthy.
