Framework 13.5 AMD Upgrade - The concept works!

Goodbye Intel! Framework finally started to deliver their Upgrade Mainboards for their modular 13" notebook, making an excellent laptop even better.
And you do not even have to buy a completely new notebook to enjoy Team Red's latest Zen 4 silicon. You are just a simple mainboard swap away from a more GPU grunt, less power consumption and longer battery life.
Please enjoy our video, and for much more in-depth information, follow the links below to our written reviews:
ENG: www.notebookcheck.net/Framewo...
DE: Coming soon!
Our updated Framework 13.5 is now rocking AMDs Ryzen 7 7840U, 16 GB of DDR5 5600 RAM and a 1TB SSD.
Time Stamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:54 - Overview, Motherboard-Upgrade
2:09 - Fitting our Intel Mainboard into the Coolermaster Case
2:40 - Ports, Webcam, Keyboard, Touchpad, Display
3:25 - CPU - Performance, System Performance
4:02 - GPU/Gaming - Performance
4:25 - Fan Noise + Noise
5:20 - Battery Runtimes
5:35 - Summary
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#notebookcheck #notebookcheckreviews #notebookcheckreview #framework #framework13 #framework13.5 #framework13amd #amd #amdzen4 #amdryzen #amdryzen7840u #amdframework #framework16 #frameworkcoolermaster #sutainability #sustaincomputing #laptopupgrade #officenotebook #frameworkreview #businessnotebook #creator #alexwaetzel #contentcreation #techtube #techreview #notebookreview #laptopreview

[@TomNook.]

Framework and Fairphone should be the future models going forwards for tech. E waste is insane.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

I do not think such devices will ever be significant mainstream, but it would be great if they could gain market share in the future and maybe influence more sustainable trends from the leading tech players.

[@TheRealPostpunker]

They should and can with the right legislation. It should be possible to make tech repairable and upgradeable. It's just a political thing now. EU do your thing!

[@Jackofafewtrades]

As someone that often listens to review videos rather than watches them, I have to commend the sound mixing in these videos. The background music is the perfect volume, and the voice quality is spectacular.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Since I messed up one video very badly a few weeks ago, I spent quite some time diving deeper into the whole audio situation, so your comment means A LOT to me! Especially in the KZbin comments section, where most people are much quicker to criticize than to hand out compliments! So, thanks again! :)

[@antalpoti]

Your videos are the textbook definition of high production quality. So far this and your previous, initial review about the Framework are my favourite. These 2 videos are just too good! On another note, this situation clearly and perfectly illustrates why what Framework is doing is genius and extremely important. Not needing to change an entire chassis when a new, better component arrives may be revolutionary, but it's cheap and convenient at the very least. I hope this becomes the standard in short time. (Although I also hope they will come up with a better design for their 16" model. I personally don't like the "boxy" design. This is subjective tho.)

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Thanks a lot for the kind words, I am also quite happy with this one! :) And I agree, while it might not be for everyone, it is a great option for a great many people!

[@VideogamesAsArt]

This will definitely be my next laptop. Greatly awaited review and very happy with how positive it is. Very excited for next iterations of framework.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Absolutely, it will be very interesting to see what these guys come up with next!

[@u4ia420]

I bought one based souly on LTTs reviews and investment. I ordered it in March and it should be delivered this week! Super stoked.

[@TotallyNotEvil910]

The whole Framework initiative is really nice, their whole stance on open-sourceness and DYI is so incredible refreshing. On the upgrade itself, the iGPU performance makes me think this is far and away the best ultralight CPU, given the raw perfomance is pretty much evenly matched with the Intel chip and this still delivers a significant upgrade in battery life. You lose pretty much nothing, but you gain a lot of graphic horsepower.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Absolutely, the 7840U would also be a pretty nice pairing with an RTX4050/4070 for a sleek, powerful and efficient small notebook. Especially since its also not that much slower than for example the 7940HS in the X13 ...

[@roujiteku2114]

what framework does, even if just in principle, is outstanding and they deserve all the respect. btw ive always been only a website reader, so it pleases me greatly that your video production quality is just as good!

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Absolutely, I really like what they put together so far and the overall vision they seem to have!

[@vmafarah9473]

One Intel ENGINEER and an Intel user DISLiked this VIDEO .

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

:D

[@lil_brumski]

LMAO

[@I_killed_that_beard_guy]

I am an Intel i5 12500h user but I fully support AMD, I bought intel just for gaming performance (single core)

[@narutodayo]

If these guys ever put out an optional keyboard with 2 mm key travel, I don't think I'll be able to resist buying one of these in a 16" form factor, even if I'd prefer 17" or 18". Very cool laptop.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Let us see what they come up with in the future!

[@TrusteftTech]

The best thing about this is the reparability. When/if something breaks down it should be easy. The performance is fine too. Thanks for the video.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Absolutely!

[@InfectedKnife]

Can this be used on your lap? As in, does it not get too hot on the bottom? I know the i7 version got pretty hot there.

[@swedishdad]

That extra mini PC case is incredible. Hope Frore Systems' "solid state" fans end up in these kits. And that they enter the EU market soon

[@yellowjoe.2000]

waiting for the 2024 8840u Ryzen cpu. then it's a big go!

[@meal_team_six]

You are awesome! Best presenter on KZbin!!!

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

:D thank you!

[@6ch6ris6]

how do you charge it? via a usb port? does it already have an audio jack? looks like there is one on the left site

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Yes, you charge via USB-C, so you would have to add at least one USB-C to your IO configuration. And you are right. There is a separate audio jack on the left.

[@opensourcedev22]

I'm waiting for my 7840u from Lenovo to be shipped. This may be a good multi year notebook

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Which model did you get?

[@Just_Areki]

Please! Do a review for Asus Zenbook s13 with AMD 7840U

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Is there one? I think the S13 went Intel this year: www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Zenbook-S-13-OLED-2023-review-The-slimmest-OLED-ultrabook-worldwide-struggles-with-annoying-fans.711985.0.html

[@maxtornogood]

Have to say the AMD is looking pretty good here, it's certainly worth a look!

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Fore sure!

[@rodneymkay]

Did you test how an egpu performs with this laptop? I'm really curious whether it'd be a nice pairing for something like a 4070ti for portable setup that's also powerful at home. I saw in your written review that the USB4 support is still a bit unclear, so I was wondering if you had more details on that? (: PS: Thanks for the video. Very informative and nice visual design ^^

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Thanks for the kind words. I do not have access to an eGPU for now. But I will look into it!

[@willm5032]

Framework are releasing a 16 inch Gaming laptop with a eGPU module, that will also accept eGPUs, fyi :)

[@obj_obj]

@@willm5032 the gpu actually connects using a full pcie connection, not the thunderbolt that egpus use

[@mattdamarell]

I need to get a laptop to take on the road, light LR editing and very quick and easy 4k edits in Davinci Resolve 18 Studio (using proxies) (DJI air3 DLOG-M and Canon R5 vids) would this laptop be able to handle that? Looking at the AMD 7840U with 64GB RAM. I have my desktop pc for the heavy lifting with photo/video editing I just need something when away for weeks at a time. I need something ultra portable and reliable to take with me. Mac is not an option and I love the idea of this being upgradable.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

If you are only talking proxies, it might be fine, but I would not feel comfortable using Resolve on a machine without a dedicated GPU. I would get something with a better screen and at least an RTX4050

[@mattdamarell]

​@@NotebookcheckReviews Yeah, I get where you are coming from and I partly agree but I have my desktop for photo/video editing and just need something to tide me over while on the road. The odd quick cut here and there and a little lightroom work. Carrying around a bigger laptop just isn't practical when trying to keep your gear to a minimum. Thanks for your response.

[@MrGreazor]

I have the amd 7840 with 16GB of ram I recently did a project editing video in vegas pro with a few basic effects (sharpening, contarst and colour correction) and quite a few cuts in 1080p. While i can't answer anything about 4K, assuming your proxies are more or less 1080 quality it is definitely doable. I had pretty good playback performance that did not really keep me from editing while on the train. Rendering was also quite quick considering it doesn't have a real gpu

[@jakewynn]

I'm surprised the benchmarks aren't better than showed in this video. Did you do a fresh windows install or did you just update the drivers in the old install?

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

What did you expect, its one of the fastest notebooks with this CPU in our database. And I did a completely fresh install on a new drive ....

[@jakewynn]

@@NotebookcheckReviews everyone seemed to be raving about the AMD's performance as if it was a groundbreaking CPU. Its definitely good but it doesn't make the Intel CPU seem completely undesirable.

[@NadeemAhmed-nv2br]

​@@jakewynnI mean battery life is almost 50% more and gaming performance is 100% more while consuming 5 less watts

[@Justgoodvids]

Finally a decent video

[@KaletheQuick]

I just got my wife a framework for her birthday! Or rather got myself a new AMD motherboard, and got my wife a new case and frame with an old Intel board in it 😄

[@TheJonathanMMM]

Hi, could you please check if ECC RAM works (Linux/Windows)? Officially it shouldn't, but the CPU should, would be great and get you a lot of attention (as this is a still not unofficially tested).

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

I will see what I can do, but I have no ECC Ram at hand for now!

[@TheJonathanMMM]

@@NotebookcheckReviewsGreat, this would help multiple to maybe cancel their purchase or not have to send Ram back.

[@Mo.Jo.]

Are there issues with the 7840u and drivers? Also some people are saying they can't put their laptops to hibernate, only sleep and it sucks all the battery juice dry.. I'm a tech noob so could someone comment if these issues are with Linux only for 7840u? Looking to buy one and the more I research the comments, the more confused I get with the techie forums...

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

We did not observe any problems yet. Unfortunately we have not tested Linux Support.

[@matetorok1103]

Can we get a test how a gpu perform on framework amd laptops with thunderbolt 4? Thank you for the video.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

You mean an eGPU? Unfortunately I do not have an enclosure at hand right now!

[@matetorok1103]

@@NotebookcheckReviews yeah i meant egpu. I think would be really interesting, because there isn't so much vid about amd 7000 series laptops with egpus especially with TB4 and framework.

[@spdcrzy]

I'm getting the 7640 and the 61Wh battery. HOLY SHIT my battery life is gonna be insane for the performance upgrade lol.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Sweet! Enjoy your new machine!

[@spdcrzy]

@@NotebookcheckReviews I can't wait! Batch 5 sadly though...don't know when it's shipping. On the plus side, more time for DDR5 prices to come down so I can buy a 64GB superfast kit!

[@chrispotterfan]

the ryzen 5 version is much cheaper than the ryzen 7 ... do I miss out a lot if I chose the Ryzen 5?

[@geilomaylo1900]

i think you should compare the amd 7840u to the Intel i7 1360p. The Intel i7- 1370p is better but costs 400 Euro more then both of the ather options.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

We kind of did, the ThinkPad X1 Nano in our comparison group comes with the 1360p. And in our written review you can add whatever CPU comes to your mind from our database!

[@Kingramze]

I think it's interesting, but as someone who is using a 9 year old laptop and has had no reason to upgrade for my use case, it doesn't particularly appeal to me. What I really want is either 16 lanes of PCIe to attach a modern GPU externally (with its own separate power supply of course) or some equivalent or at least a mini-PCIe internal connector to upgrade the GPU over time as CPU single-thread speeds have barely doubled in 10 years and GPUs are innovating faster and becoming more important for hardware rendering, gaming, and AI. Upgrading the other parts is really secondary to the GPU for me and only necessary to the degree they don't bottleneck it.

[@heroninja1125]

Framework 16 does have the GPU expansion option. You should check it out, might be what you are looking for.

[@Kingramze]

@@heroninja1125 sound exciting! thank you

[@telephoto]

do i get this now or do i wait for meteor lake to launch? decisions, decisions.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Always the same dilemma with tech these days ...

[@ianthomas1955]

Hey is it the 50 or the 60 watt/hour battery?

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

It was the 60 watt/hour battery!

[@tride.design]

Great job Framework, but got ROG flow x13 instead, I'll upgrade it with XG module GPU when needed 😅

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Haha, I get it, the X13 is so good this year, especially since it comes with a dGPU in almost the same form factor!

[@jambo_404]

good luck changing the display

[@tride.design]

​​@@jambo_404thanks, the display is very bright and color accurate touchscreen that comes with a pen, it even rotates full 360, but I'm mostly using it with ultrawide monitor anyway 😂

[@jambo_404]

@@tride.design thats great x and z13 would actually be my choice this year. i can understand where u comin from. for my wife thou the framework is perfect. different clientel

[@dmz7696]

This makes me regret ordering the intel 13th gen 😮‍💨

[@joeyyung911]

I'm only interested in the motherboard and build a little PC around it, wall mount it.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

You could also do that with the cooler master case. It's got a Vesa mount.

[@obj_obj]

You can buy just the motherboard on its own then

[@ubacow7109]

If framework didnt launch w/ Intel I think they would have been a lot further along now imo~

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Maybe, maybe not. With AMD chips it seems supply is still much more of a factor than with Intel.

[@morosis82]

​@@NotebookcheckReviewsthat was in fact the reason it took them so long to get AMD in there. They've talked about this in the past.

[@vmafarah9473]

4:08, YOU may add rtx 3050 and 1650ti laptops in this result, as 3050 is reintroduced with 6gb this year .

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Absolutely, but you can also easily do that in our written review. Every section has a search bar from which you can add whatever GPU/Notebook model you can think of, and it will be added to our rating.

[@cowbaylagan]

So 7840u is much more power efficient than 1370P. Similar cpu performance with better gpu and 40% more battery life.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Pretty much!

[@callumrocksyoursocks]

Do the back USB-4 ports support dual monitors via a dock? I've been having a lot of trouble trying to verify that anywhere.

[@julianschimmel6315]

In theory it should work. I preordered today so hopefully I can answer that question in a few weeks

[@zoxygaming4488]

HEY! i EDITED A SHORT VIDEO FOR WHERE SHOULD I SEND YOU THAT?

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

What are you talking about?

[@DS-pk4eh]

It is nice, but you can actually get a Lenovo Slim laptop based on the same CPU for a bit more then what you would pay for just motherboard,ram and wifi card. I know we are not talking about the same scale (as in units manufactured) to maybe match the price, but in the end it does not matter much. As I usually sell or give my laptop for someone to use it when I upgrade. Do not remember that I ever even took it to recycle center let alone throw it away.

[@farishanafiah8461]

I always value Thunderbolt connectivity, so I'm afraid I'll be sticking to Intel. I'm still waiting for the day where AMD finally gives proper Thunderbolt support.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

Well, with USB-4 you get almost the same functionality…

[@ionburger]

which will probably be never as thunderbolt is a intel trademark, the difference is mainly that thunderbolt is "atleast these specs" whereas usb4 is "upto these specs" so usb4 is a bit more of a gamble unless you have the full specsheet but in the this case usb4 is pretty much equivalent to tb4

[@obj_obj]

USB4 _is_ thunderbolt

[@ionburger]

@@obj_obj thunderbolt is usb4 but not necessarily the other way around. usb4 has alot more optional features that might not be implemented on devices that are mandatory on thunderbolt

[@tecemdia9759]

🎉🎉🇧🇷🇧🇷🎉🎉🎉

[@TheWuffball]

But can it play War Thunder?

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

I am afraid this title is not in our usual list of games we use for benchmarking.

[@obj_obj]

I've played war thunder on my intel 11th gen 13 inch before, and it's using a worse iGPU than what AMD has

[@rtm876]

Its funny to replace motherboard, but you can do the same with any laptop.

[@NotebookcheckReviews]

I have to disagree, especially with this form factor. And even if you can, you can never be sure to be able to get replacement motherboards a few years down the line, and upgrading motherboards to a new CPU platform is an entirely different story.