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Framework Laptops Announces Further Expansion for Framework 16 Gaming Laptop

Cpt.Jank

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Framework, the company known for making consumer-friendly, repairable, upgradeable laptops, has officially announced the first expansion bay for the Framework 16, its AMD-powered gaming laptop. The new storage module, which slots into the Expansion Bay, has dual M.2 slots for up to 16 TB total additional storage for the Framework 16. Part of the idea behind the storage expansion seems to be turning what is essentially a gaming laptop into a capable workstation. Crucially, upgrading the storage with the expansion bay requires removing the discrete Radeon 7700s GPU, although the Framework 16 already has dual M.2 slots on the motherboard, so this expansion isn't really intended for gamers, anyway.

One of the major selling points for the Framework 16 was that it offered PCIe expansion via a modular interface, and this is Framework's first real foray into expanding that ecosystem for its largest laptop. In addition to the storage expansion, Framework also announced a new Mystery Box system for its US and Canada Outlets to offload spare parts, like returned modules and components that it doesn't want to relegate to the e-waste pile but also cannot financially justify sorting through and refurbishing. These Mystery Boxes each contain at least three items and come with a warning that reads "Note that these don't come with a warranty and are non-returnable, so only get it if you want random scrap to play with!"



Framework also announced that it is launching Framework-branded 48 GB memory modules, making it possible to spec Framework laptops with up to 96 GB of RAM. Refurbished AMD Ryzen 7040 Series laptops are also now available in the Outlet for the Framework 13 laptop—expect to see at least one enterprising YouTuber with a 3D printer and a dream turn one of these into a Steam Deck killer soon.

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Cheeseball

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How many M.2 slots does the base FW 16" have?
It comes with two M.2 slots by default. This module adds another two. The RX 7700S module is only the GPU.

If they had made an RTX 4060 Mobile module, I would most likely get one for CUDA-related workload, even though I know it would still be horrendously overpriced for what it is.

The RX 7700S is quite weak compared to the desktop RX 7600, despite being the same GPU. It looks like it really does need that extra +65W TDP to compete with the 115W RTX 4060.
 
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I got burned by ASUS on the C90S upgradeable gaming laptop several years back. I'll invest in a Framework 16 when they have a few generations of upgrades available.
 
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