Framework Laptop 13.5 Intel 12th gen review: Like the Microsoft Surface, but actually repairable

The original 13.5-inch Framework Laptop launched in 2021 equipped with Intel 11th gen Tiger Lake-U processors. In stark contrast to other ultra-thin models from larger manufacturers which are often closed and difficult to service, the Framework design would prioritize repairability and encourage end-user upgrades. In fact, the maker openly sells individual Framework Laptop components a la carte should owners need to replace any parts. The latest 2022 model is now available with faster Intel 12th gen Alder Lake-P CPUs but with the same overall chassis design to preserve backwards compatibility with existing accessories and components.
Since the skeleton has not changed, we recommend checking out our existing review on the 2021 model for more information on the physical attributes of the 2022 model. Everything from the display to the keyboard and most materials are all back with no major changes. Our particular review unit comes with the Core i7-1260P for approximately $1450 USD but users can configure with the lesser i5-1240P or higher i7-1280P if desired. All SKUs still come with the same 2256 x 1504 IPS panel, however.
Alternatives to the Framework Laptop include other 13-inch Ultrabooks like the HP Spectre x360 14, Lenovo ThinkPad X1, Asus Zenbook S13, and of course the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.
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Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
85.1 % | 07/2022 | Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel i7-1260P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 15.85 mm | 13.50" | 2256x1504 | |
85.4 % | 07/2021 | Framework Laptop 13.5 i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 15.85 mm | 13.50" | 2256x1504 | |
88.5 % | 03/2022 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga G1 20QB0016GE i5-1140G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.2 kg | 11.5 mm | 13.50" | 2256x1504 | |
84 % | 08/2021 | HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA SD 8cx Gen 2 5G, Adreno 680 | 1.3 kg | 16 mm | 13.50" | 1920x1280 | |
85.2 % | 05/2021 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13 Ryzen 5 R5 4680U, Vega 7 | 1.3 kg | 14 mm | 13.50" | 2256x1504 | |
89.5 % | 05/2021 | HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 16.9 mm | 13.50" | 3000x2000 |
Case
The only change made to the chassis involves a switch to CNC manufacturing and assembly for the top cover to improve the rigidity of the lid without changing the overall dimensions. We found the lid to be flimsy on the 2021 version and so the newer design is a welcomed change. Even so, the lids on most competing alternatives like the XPS 13, Spectre x360 14, Zenbook S13, Razer Blade Stealth, or MateBook X series continue to be much stronger and more rigid. The Framework design noticeably lacks any Gorilla Glass options which would have reinforced and stiffened the lid.
Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks
under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1,000 USD/Euros, for University Students, Best Displays
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones
SD Card Reader
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 (AV Pro UHS-II V60) | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel (AV Pro UHS-II V60) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 (AV Pro UHS-II V60) | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel (AV Pro UHS-II V60) |
Communication
Though the Intel AX210 module hasn't changed from last year's model, we've since upgraded our test routers to support 6 GHz connectivity and thus faster average transfer rates can be recorded as shown below.
There are still no 4G or WAN options available.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13 Ryzen 5 | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng | |
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13 Ryzen 5 | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng | |
HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel |
Webcam

Maintenance
The unit is one of the easiest laptop models to service as one would expect. Framework also sells motherboards and DIY kits for users who wish to assemble the laptop themselves.
Accessories
The unique USB-C-based expansion cards have all returned this year in addition to a new Ethernet expansion card supporting up to 2.5 Gbit speeds. All are optional and configurable at checkout. The manufacturer will continue to develop different expansion cards based on user demand.
Each retail box includes a Torx wrench for servicing the unit.
Display
|
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 449.6 cd/m²
Contrast: 1450:1 (Black: 0.31 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.76 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 0.58
ΔE Greyscale 5.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
71.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
69.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.23
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel BOE CQ NE135FBM-N41, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50 | Framework Laptop 13.5 BOE CQ NE135FBM-N41, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga G1 20QB0016GE LPM135M467, IPS LED, 2256x1504, 13.50 | HP EliteBook Folio 13.5-3G2L2EA LGD0663, IPS, 1920x1280, 13.50 | HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng Samsung SDC4148, OLED, 3000x2000, 13.50 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13 i7 LQ135P1JX51, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -1% | -3% | 26% | -5% | ||
Display P3 Coverage | 69.9 | 69 -1% | 66.8 -4% | 99.9 43% | 64.7 -7% | |
sRGB Coverage | 99.4 | 99.3 0% | 98 -1% | 100 1% | 97.2 -2% | |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 71.1 | 70.3 -1% | 68.6 -4% | 96.1 35% | 66.9 -6% | |
Response Times | -46% | -72% | -13% | 94% | -63% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 34.7 ? | 55.6 ? -60% | 64 ? -84% | 44 ? -27% | 2 ? 94% | 62.8 ? -81% |
Response Time Black / White * | 27.5 ? | 36 ? -31% | 44 ? -60% | 27 ? 2% | 2 ? 93% | 39.8 ? -45% |
PWM Frequency | 250 ? | 21930 ? | ||||
Screen | -8% | 14% | -9% | 259% | 3% | |
Brightness middle | 449.6 | 449 0% | 465 3% | 250 -44% | 370 -18% | 413 -8% |
Brightness | 431 | 435 1% | 451 5% | 226 -48% | 374 -13% | 400 -7% |
Brightness Distribution | 90 | 93 3% | 92 2% | 82 -9% | 90 0% | 94 4% |
Black Level * | 0.31 | 0.39 -26% | 0.28 10% | 0.215 31% | 0.01 97% | 0.29 6% |
Contrast | 1450 | 1151 -21% | 1661 15% | 1163 -20% | 37000 2452% | 1424 -2% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.76 | 2.34 15% | 2 28% | 3.59 -30% | 2.57 7% | 2.8 -1% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.96 | 7.07 11% | 4.7 41% | 5.9 26% | 4.52 43% | 7.2 10% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.58 | 0.96 -66% | 0.7 -21% | 2.31 -298% | 0.8 -38% | |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.2 | 4.7 10% | 2.9 44% | 3.99 23% | 2.2 58% | 1.9 63% |
Gamma | 2.23 99% | 2.29 96% | 2.09 105% | 2.98 74% | 2.36 93% | 2.12 104% |
CCT | 6475 100% | 6760 96% | 6181 105% | 6765 96% | 6154 106% | 6510 100% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 85.8 | 61.6 | ||||
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 100 | 97.2 | ||||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -18% /
-12% | -20% /
-2% | -11% /
-10% | 126% /
185% | -22% /
-8% |
* ... smaller is better
The manufacturer does not calibrate its Framework Laptop at factory which is a shame since the panel offers full sRGB coverage. Average grayscale and color DeltaE values on our test unit would be 5.2 and 2.76 out-of-the-box, respectively, compared to just 0.9 and 0.58 after calibrating the panel ourselves. Color temperature in particular is far too warm without a proper calibration. We recommend applying our ICM profile above to get the most out of the display.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
27.5 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14.8 ms rise | |
↘ 12.7 ms fall | ||
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 65 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.9 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
34.7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17.7 ms rise | |
↘ 17 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 40 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (34.5 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18993 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Performance
Testing Conditions
We set our unit to Performance mode via Windows prior to running any performance benchmarks below.
Processor
When compared to the Core i7-1165G7 in the original Framework Laptop, the Core i7-1260P in the 2022 Framework model can offer 20 percent and 90 percent faster single-thread and multi-thread performance, respectively. In fact, the Framework model runs 20 to 25 percent faster than the average laptop in our database running on the same Core i7-1260P CPU thus far. We're glad to see the manufacturer offering 12th gen P-series CPUs instead of the 12th gen U-series as the Core i5-1235U and i7-1255U offer much smaller performance benefits over the 11th gen U-series.
Downgrading to the Core i5-1240P option from our Core i7-1260P is expected to entail a 45 percent multi-thread performance deficit while upgrading to the Core i7-1280P would only increase performance by about 10 percent. As such, the Core i7-1260P SKU is the most recommended option.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.2 - 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.2 - 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
System Performance
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
CrossMark / Overall | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel | |
Average Intel Core i7-1260P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1484 - 1811, n=16) |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel | |
Average Intel Core i7-1260P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1486 - 1755, n=16) |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel | |
Average Intel Core i7-1260P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1451 - 1872, n=16) |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel | |
Average Intel Core i7-1260P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1253 - 1807, n=16) |
PCMark 10 Score | 5802 points | |
Help |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 | |
HP Spectre x360 14-ea0378ng | |
Framework Laptop 13.5 12th Gen Intel | |
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13 Ryzen 5 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga G1 20QB0016GE |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
While our 2021 Framework unit would ship with a PCIe4 x4 WD SN850 M.2 NVMe SSD, our 2022 unit would ship with a slower PCIe3 x4 WD SN730 SSD instead. Users can still upgrade to a faster PCIe4 x4 SSD, of course.
Only one internal drive is supported.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Graphics performance is about 5 to 15 percent faster than the average laptop in our database equipped with the same integrated Iris Xe 96 EUs. Performance was much slower on our original 2021 test unit due to it running on single-channel memory. If graphics are important for your workloads, then it's highly recommended to configure with dual-channel memory.
3DMark | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics | |
MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo A11MT | |
HP Pavilion Aero 13 be0097nr |