Framework Laptop 13 Pro
pros and cons
- Framework’s sleekest, most premium laptop to date.
- The haptic touchpad and keyboard are excellent.
- Very good battery life.
- Prices add up quick, especially for higher-end components.
- Speakers are just alright.
- Wobbly display panel works against the touchscreen.
jul / 2026
on Google.
When Framework announced the Laptop 13 Pro
Replacing the mainboard requires a bit more steps than setting up a new DIY laptop, but Framework has made the entire process as streamlined as it can possibly be. If you buy a new DIY Framework laptop, the mainboard and display come pre-installed in the chassis — all you have to do is pop in the memory, SSD, keyboard, bezel, and the expansion slots.
It’s all very well engineered, and the result of several generations of iteration. Last year, for example, the Laptop 16 I tested had multiple plates on the keyboard unit, a design that had some natural build inconsistencies: slight asymmetry or gaps in the plating that looked, well, DIY. Not necessarily a bad thing, but these laptops aren’t cheap (more on that later).
Also: How this DIY Windows laptop stole my heart from more expensive models (and it works with Linux)
Anyway, that’s not the case here. The build on the Laptop 13 Pro is sleek and airtight, with no gaps, spaces, or evidence that was even put together by your hands at all. The refined CNC aluminum chassis is solid without any flex whatsoever, and the unibody keyboard input cover magnetically snaps into place with just five screws on the underside. At its thickest point, it’s only 0.6 inches, on the scale, it’s 3.1 pounds.
Hardware and performance
The Framework Laptop 13 Pro comes with the Intel Core Ultra 5, X7, or X9 Series 3 “Panther Lake” processors for improved performance and battery efficiency — one of the biggest critiques I had with last year’s Framework Laptop 16. Here, battery longevity is excellent, easily getting an entire day in the office on one charge, and then some.
Framework breaks its advertised battery life metrics by use case, which is nice to see: 20 hours of battery while streaming video at half brightness, 17 hours of web browsing, and 11 hours while video conferencing. In my testing of intermittent periods of intense use, video calls, and periods of inactivity, I got a little over nine hours on one charge.
Listen, like I mentioned above, Framework has made assembling a laptop as easy as it can possibly be. Even if you have no experience doing this, Framework’s detailed collection of guides (both text and video) are very good at walking you through the steps.
The benefits of assembling it yourself include familiarity with upgrading your device down the road, and saving money both on the initial purchase and in the long run. You’ll definitely want to save what you can, as prices start to add up quickly.
Also: I saw the ‘MacBook Pro for Linux users’ for the first time, and it’s a legit Windows threat
For example, the Framework Laptop 13 Pro DIY version starts at $1,199, but that’s before you select a CPU or add in memory and an SSD. Even with the low-end configuration of 16GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, and an Intel Core Ultra 5 325, you’re looking at around $1,700.
By contrast, the pre-built starts at $1,599 and only goes up from there. If you want the higher-end Intel Core Ultra X7 processor on a pre-built, it’ll quickly surpass $3,000 once you’ve paid for Windows and your expansion ports. Bringing your own OS, memory, or SSD, obviously will reduce the cost further.