The Framework Laptop 16 has an expansion bay that was previously intended primarily for the optional AMD Radeon RX 7700S, which can be purchased for an additional $400 when ordering the laptop. However, anyone who uses the laptop without the graphics card and does not need the GPU can now finally use the expansion bay for an alternative module.
Framework simply calls this the "Dual M.2 Adapter". The name describes the function directly: the adapter uses the PCIe interface of the expansion slot to connect two M.2 SSDs. In conjunction with the two M.2 slots on the mainboard of the Framework Laptop 16, up to four 4 TB SSDs can be installed to create a total of 16 TB of storage. Suitable SSDs must be purchased separately if required.
For example, the Crucial P3 Plus PCIe 4.0 SSD with 4 TB of storage currently costs $244.95 at Amazon. All M.2 formats from 2230 to 2280 are supported. The dual M.2 adapter does not restrict the cooling of the Framework Laptop 16, as the two fans are located in the expansion slot together with the additional SSDs. Further details on the Framework Laptop 16 can be found in our detailed review.
Price and availability
The dual M.2 adapter for the Framework Laptop 16 is now available in the manufacturer's online store for $39. As usual, Framework offers an instruction guide on how to install the adapter yourself, which should take between 15 and 30 minutes. Only a screwdriver is needed to perform the installation.