Framework Adds 16-Inch Laptop Model With Attachable Discrete GPU
Upgradeable laptop maker Framework Computer is back with a larger 16-inch, high-performance model that can be modified with a discrete GPU.
The San Francisco-based company today introduced the Framework Laptop 16, which is slated to start shipping late this year. It promises to offer greater customizability over Framework’s existing 13.5-inch Windows model by giving owners even more room to modify the product.
“It’s powerful enough to play intense games, and flexible enough to be the product you exactly need it to be,” Framework CEO Nirav Patel said during a Thursday event.
Like the 13.5-inch model, the 16-inch product is fully customizable. But the real standout feature is the option to add a dedicated graphics chip to the laptop, turning it into a more powerful gaming rig. That's accomplished through a new “expansion bay system" found on the back of the laptop.
“This enables high-performance, modular discrete graphics that can be upgraded independently of the rest of the laptop,” Patel said. Hence, a user can slap on a dedicated GPU module to add graphics rendering to the PC.
In addition, the expansion bay on the 16-inch can also accommodate other “high-speed peripherals,” such as added SSD storage, AI accelerator chips, and extended batteries.
Framework specifically designed the expansion system to avoid the pitfalls of past attempts to bring upgradeable GPUs to laptops. “Instead of burying the graphics card deep within the notebook, we’ve designed for as much flexibility as we could,” Patel said. “Expansion bay modules can expand in both depth and thickness, giving us immense flexibility to handle generational changes in mechanical, electrical, and thermal requirements for GPUs.”
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