The Ryzen AI 7 350 is on par with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus or Intel Core Extremely 7 256V, give or take. It’s barely behind in single-core efficiency, as measured by Cinebench R24, and a half-step forward in multi-core. These processors aren’t identified for being a powerhouse. Reasonably, the main target is all on effectivity. Right here’s the place the AMD chip is solidly in final place. Battery life on the Framework Laptop computer 13 is improved from prior fashions, nevertheless it’s not so long as what you get on a Snapdragon X or Core Extremely Sequence 2 PC.
The sunshine battery take a look at I ran on the Laptop computer 13 lasted roughly 11 hours, looping an area video at max show brightness. That is eight to 10 hours behind a few of the competitors, displaying how a lot Intel, Qualcomm, and Apple have raised the bar prior to now yr. For my typical workload, real-time battery life sank to round 7 and a half hours. That’s across the identical as on the unique Framework Laptop computer 13 I examined in 2021. If battery life is your fundamental concern, it might be price ready to see if Framework introduces an Intel Core Extremely Sequence 2 Mainboard.
Peripheral Woes
There are some elements of the laptop computer you’ll at all times be caught with, particularly, the chassis. Laptop computer designs that take full benefit of the extra environment friendly chips sooner or later ought to lead to thinner laptops with out dropping efficiency. We’re already seeing this in impact with thinner gaming laptops than ever.
{Photograph}: Luke Larsen
But it surely’s additionally price noting that a few of the different parts are considerably outdated as they’re proper now. The webcam is an efficient instance. In 2021, when this laptop computer was first designed, 2-MP webcams at 1080p have been a very good decision to count on. Many PCs are shifting to 1440p or larger, just like the latest M4 MacBook Air. Apple has been upgrading the webcam from 720p in 2020 to 1080p in 2022, and now to 12-MP in 2025. The MacBook Air immediately prices the identical because the MacBook Air from 2020.
The lower-resolution display within the beginning configuration is outdated in comparison with the competitors as nicely. My unit has a higher-resolution 2,880 x 1,920 IPS panel with a 120-Hz refresh rate, which is greater than sharp, quick, and color-accurate sufficient. The matte end is nice for deflecting glare. However that’s in a configuration that prices over $1,500. For that value, many laptops supply even sharper OLED panels with considerably larger distinction, and possibly even a touchscreen.
The excellent news is that there is a sturdy likelihood Framework will supply newer parts to replicate the present customary. The corporate sells webcam modules, speaker upgrades, and display kits for older machines, and there is no purpose to count on there will not be newer variations quickly. However these upgrades will price further, and as soon as once more, you are placing your religion in Framework to ship.
Fortuitously, the Framework Laptop computer 13 remains to be an awesome beginning place, and it’ll be many extra years earlier than it feels actually outdated. At this time, it’s greater than only a sensible reply to the issue of electronic waste. It’s a really one-of-a-kind laptop computer.
