Framework Laptop 13.5 Core Ultra 7 review: New 2.8K 120 Hz display with Arc 8 graphics

Hinweis: Wir haben unser Rating-System kürzlich aktualisiert und die Ergebnisse von Version 8 sind nicht mit den Ergebnissen von Version 7 vergleichbar. Weitere Informationen dazu sind hier verfügbar.

Note: We have recently updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7. More information is available here .

While there are no changes to the chassis, Framework now offers several other colors for the bezel portion around the screen including gray, orange, green, lavender, or red. The bezel is otherwise black like on previous iterations of the Laptop 13.5. The base and keyboard keys continue to be silver and black only, respectively.

Speaking of the keyboard, the Framework 13.5 is one of the very few Meteor Lake-H laptops with no dedicated Microsoft Co-Pilot key and so it still has two individual Ctrl keys. This is likely due to the fact that the model was designed to be OS agnostic.

Camera quality is still fixed at 2 MP with no other options whereas competing models like the Spectre x360 14 integrate 9 MP webcams. One would think that an upgradeable design like the Framework would offer multiple webcam options, but that is unfortunately not the case.

A privacy shutter comes standard but there is still no IR or Facial Recognition support.

The retail box includes a screwdriver alongside the paperwork and AC adapter. Annoyingly, there are no expansion cards included at all even though it's highly recommended to have at least one USB-C card for easier charging. Expansion cards range from $9 for USB-C up to $125 for 1 TB of storage.

Sustainability is a key pillar of Framework to help distinguish the company from other PC makers. The base and top cover consist of 50 percent post-consumer and 75 percent pre-consumer recycled aluminum, respectively, while 30 percent of the plastics are post-consumer recycled. The packaging itself is all cardboard and fully recyclable.

Beyond the manufacturing and packaging, Framework also sells new and refurbished parts directly to consumers via its official marketplace. Repairs are therefore easier and more encouraged when compared to competitors especially since most major makers don't sell or tout replacement parts. Additionally, Framework users can sell their unwanted or older parts to other Framework owners via the official community market.

We would love to see Framework press the advantage by offering trade-in services similar to smartphone manufacturers. For example, an easy-to-use service that accepts MacBooks or Windows laptops to reduce the final price would likely persuade even more users to make the switch to a Laptop 13.5 or Laptop 16.

A one-year limited manufacturer warranty comes standard with extension options of up to three years. Higher-end business laptops like the Dell Precision or HP Elite series may come with three-year warranty as standard, but they also tend to be much more expensive.

We set Windows to Performance mode prior to running the benchmarks below.

It's worth noting that the original Laptop 13.5 in 2021 shipped with Core U-series processors. Newer models would offer Core-P and Core-H options which are faster but also more demanding than Core U. Since the underlying cooling solution remains largely the same, configurations with Core-P and Core-H should therefore be more susceptible to throttling when stressed. This is unfortunately what we see as the Core Ultra 7 155H in our test unit would drop in performance by 22 percent after the first or second loop into our CineBench R15 xT loop test as shown by the graph below. The Core i7-1370P in last year's Laptop 13.5 would exhibit similar drops as well to the point where performance would equal the Core Ultra 7. Thus, anyone upgrading from the Core i7-1370P to the Core Ultra 7 155H will find almost no benefits in terms of processor performance.

The wild card in favor of the Core Ultra 7 155H is its integrated NPU for AI acceleration. At this point in time, however, its applications are limited for the majority of usage scenarios.