Framework Laptop 16 (2025)

The most repairable and upgradable gaming laptop gets RTX 5070 power, albeit for a chunky price

- ALEX WAWRO

PRICE Pre-built Performance with Nvidia Graphics Module, £2,041 (£2,449 inc VAT) from frame.work

For anyone unfamiliar with the Framework brand, its laptops are designed to be opened, upgraded and repaired by the owner, and it comes with a free tool for doing just that. You can even swap out ports via a set of Expansion Card slots.

The 16in Framework also features a pair of storage bays, so you can have up to two SSDs for storage, but the star feature is a slot for a detachable GPU module. For £350 more, you can buy an attachable AMD Radeon RX 7700S, while £650 buys you an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 mobile GPU. Simply snap either on for a gaming power boost.

This year brings several welcome upgrades to the main chassis, including more powerful charging (240W), a reworked cooling system, a more rigid aluminium lid and WiFi 7. All good, just not very interesting.

Having reviewed almost every model of Framework laptop, I'm far keener to tell you that the assembly process has become easier over time. That's important because the cheapest model of Framework laptop is the “DIY version,” which comes without RAM, storage or operating system, so you can then purchase exactly what you need (RAM and storage, but no operating system if you plan to install Linux, for example).