In a bid to address growing concerns around e-waste, Framework designs and produces repairable laptops rather than sealed and disposable ones. It also makes them highly customizable.
Their new Framework Laptop 16 comes in two forms: pre-built and DIY. The latter is exactly what it sounds like: you build it yourself. You can change and upgrade elements independently of the rest of the laptop, including changing the GPU, keyboard, and even choosing your own ports.
The port expansion system is probably the most interesting feature and users can customize six slots, choosing from USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, MicroSD, Ethernet, Audio, ultra-fast storage and more. The latest addition to this system is support for 180W and 240W USB-C, a feature made possible by the integration of Infineon's EZ-PD CCG8 single/dual port USB-C PD controller.
Faster charging
The EZ-PD CCG8 controller offers the latest USB Type-C and Power Delivery specifications with Extended Power Range (EPR) support. It includes a discrete N-channel field-effect transistor (NFET) gate driver with fault protection and slew rate and is equipped with a 32-bit, 48 MHz Arm Cortex-M0 Plus processor.
This addition means Laptop 16 users can enjoy faster loading times, and who doesn't want that?
Nirav Patel, Founder and CEO of Framework, explains: “The EZ-PD CCG8 has enabled immense flexibility, not only supporting the latest USB-PD 3.1 standard, but also making possible our unique expansion card system, which allows customization of ports by the end user.”
The Framework Laptop 16 is now available for pre-order. Pricing for the DIY edition starts at $1,399, while the pre-built version, with your choice of operating system, starts at $1,699. For now, you're limited to AMD Ryzen processors and graphics, but that may change in the future.
