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\nWhy you can trust Tom’s Hardware<\/p>\n <\/span> When Framework introduced the Laptop 12 early last year, it offered an affordable, repairable, and relatively capable laptop, especially aimed at students. Between a 2-in-1 convertible design, a touchscreen with an optional stylus, the slim frame, and a $699 starting price, it was an attractive option. The updated Framework Laptop 12 targets that same group, though it\u2019s entering a very different market, with some of the biggest brands gunning to become frontrunners for the best college laptops. Framework still makes one of the best laptops on the market with the Laptop 13 Pro, but the entry-level market is a different beast, especially today.<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s MacBook Neo has prompted a wave of more affordable Windows laptops, with Intel\u2019s Wildcat Lake taking center stage in devices like Dell\u2019s refreshed XPS 13. The Framework Laptop 12 provides competitive performance with these devices, though at a higher price point and with less premium amenities.<\/p>\n The 1080p, 60Hz display is a reminder that the otherwise-premium-feeling Laptop 12 is a budget device, and although the Laptop 12 starts at just $549 without memory or storage, it ends up around $200 to $300 more expensive than the competition when fully configured. The laptop begs a question: how much are you willing to pay for repairability?<\/p>\n Latest Videos From<\/span>Tom’s Hardware<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n Like Framework\u2019s previous Laptop 12 with 13th-Gen Intel CPUs, the updated version with Wildcat Lake comes in a variety of colors: Black, Gray, Lavender, Bubblegum, and Sage. Our review unit, as you can see, is the Lavender variation. At the time of writing, you need to purchase the DIY version to choose your color; the prebuilt version is currently only available in Sage.<\/p>\n Unlike Framework\u2019s more expensive Laptop 13 Pro, you don\u2019t have the option to customize the color of the bezels, and only Gray and Lavender keyboard options are available now (though, presumably, Framework will expand these options). USB-A and USB-C modules come in a wide array of colors, as well, though other expansion modules are limited to a standard silver color. Framework also offers an optional $59 stylus, matching the color options available for the Laptop 12.<\/p>\n The Framework Laptop 12 is a highly portable device, though perhaps not as thin and light as you\u2019d expect out of a 12-inch laptop. It’s 0.72 inches thick and clocks in at 2.8 pounds, which is thin enough <\/em>and light enough, <\/em>though not on the level of its enclosed competitors. The MacBook Neo weighs about the same at 2.7 pounds, but it\u2019s covered in aluminum and it\u2019s 0.5 inches thick. The XPS 13 with Wildcat Lake is much lighter at 2.2 pounds, thinner at 0.5 inches, and also finished with aluminum.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n Considering the bulk of modularity, the fact that Framework managed to get the weight and thickness of the Laptop 12 close to closed-door competitors is remarkable. However, the fact remains that you\u2019re often paying a premium with the Framework Laptop 12 compared to the Neo and XPS 13 and, in both cases, getting a laptop that feels less like a premium ultrabook out of the box.<\/p>\n Although the Framework Laptop 12 isn\u2019t finished in aluminum, it still has a metal structure. On top is plastic, which is then coated with thermoplastic polyurethane to absorb impacts. That leads to a plastic feeling externally, though with a smooth, slightly grippy surface that feels good in the hands.<\/p>\n Framework offers an optional backlight on the keyboard (our review unit didn\u2019t have one), as well as four module slots for expansion ports. The back two support Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort Alt mode, and all four support USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds and USB-PD. A 3.5mm headphone jack is standard on the Framework Laptop 12, regardless of the additional modules you choose.<\/p>\n Swipe to scroll horizontally<\/p>\n CPU<\/strong><\/p>\n Intel Core 7 350<\/p>\n Graphics<\/strong><\/p>\n Intel Xe3 (2 cores)<\/p>\n Memory<\/strong><\/p>\n 16GB LP<\/p>\n Storage<\/strong><\/p>\n 1x 16GB DDR5-5600 SODIMM<\/p>\n Display<\/strong><\/p>\n 12.2-inch, 1920×1200, touch, 60Hz<\/p>\n Networking<\/strong><\/p>\n Intel BE213 Wi-Fi 7 \/ Bluetooth 6.0<\/p>\n Ports<\/strong><\/p>\n Up to 4 user-selectable expansion cards<\/p>\n Camera<\/strong><\/p>\n 2MP sensor, 1080p30, hardware privacy switch<\/p>\n Battery<\/strong><\/p>\n 50Whr<\/p>\n Power Adapter<\/strong><\/p>\n 60W USB-C GaN (optional)<\/p>\n Operating System<\/strong><\/p>\n Fedora 44<\/p>\n Dimensions (WxDxH)<\/strong><\/p>\n 11.29 x 8.42 x 0.72<\/p>\n Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n 2.8 pounds<\/p>\n Price (as configured)<\/strong><\/p>\n $1,491 ($1,384 without expansion cards and power adapter) <\/p>\n This isn\u2019t our first outing with Intel\u2019s Wildcat Lake, so we went into this review with a good idea about what to expect from the Framework Laptop 12\u2019s performance. Our test machine came with the highest-end chip Framework offers in this laptop, which is the Core 7 350. It\u2019s a 6-core \/ 6-thread CPU with a maximum turbo clock of 4.8 GHz, and it can operate between 15W and 35W.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re unfamiliar, Wildcat Lake is the younger, weaker sibling of Panther Lake. It uses Intel\u2019s cutting-edge 18A node but with several cut corners. For starters, the 350 comes with just two faster P-cores (the remaining four are an LPE cluster). It also comes with just 6MB of last-level cache, half of what you get with Panther Lake.<\/p>\n The cores matter less here than the memory, however. Wildcat Lake exclusively uses single-channel DDR5 or LPDDR5X, regardless of capacity (support goes up to 64GB). In practice, that often means you need to overbudget your capacity, at least compared to something like the MacBook Neo with unified memory. Performance drops at 8GB with Wildcat Lake (see our Dell XPS 13 review).<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n The Core 7 350 comes in behind in single- and multi-core performance in Geekbench 6 compared to the A18 in the MacBook Neo (though multi-core to a much lesser extent). Compared to the 6-core Core 5 320 in the XPS 13, the Framework Laptop 12 is in lockstep with multi-core speed, and just shy of 5% ahead in single-core speed.<\/p>\n Compared to full-fat Panther Lake in the Framework 13 Pro, Wildcat Lake actually looks better than expected. The 13 Pro here is for context, not as a true comparison point; it costs a few thousand dollars. What\u2019s interesting in Geekbench is how the X7 358H in the Framework 13 Pro scales, relative to the Core 7 350.<\/p>\n The X7 358H is a 16-core chip with a 4.8 GHz boost and access to up to 80W of total power (though much of that is allocated to the 12-Xe3-core GPU). Despite more than doubling total core count, and offering a doubling of P-cores, we\u2019re not seeing twice the performance. And, even with access to less power, the Core 7 350 is within 5% of Panther Lake\u2019s single-core performance.<\/p>\n With Geekbench, Apple silicon tends to perform especially well, particularly in single-core tasks, so keep that in mind.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n Even with a bit of extra clock speed, however, the Framework Laptop 12 with the Core 7 350 came in behind the Core 5 320 in the XPS 13 in Handbrake. Here, the Geekbench swing toward Apple levels out; the A18 was 8% ahead in Geekbench 6 multi-core, but it\u2019s less than 3% ahead here in Handbrake.<\/p>\n The Panther Lake-based 13 Pro gives some much-needed context, showing compounding factors between higher core counts, higher power limits, and true dual-channel memory. Again, it\u2019s a far more expensive laptop, and the Framework Laptop 12 performs in line with our expectations for laptops in this class.<\/p>\n Perhaps the biggest takeaway is how similar the Core 5 320 is, at least in this laptop. You get an extra 200 MHz on the CPU and 100 MHz on the GPU with the Core 7 350, which isn\u2019t moving the needle a ton here given how limited Wildcat Lake is as a platform. That\u2019s good news, as the Core 5 320 will save you $220 in the Framework Laptop 12 compared to the Core 7 350.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, many of our gaming tests for laptops won\u2019t run on Linux, and given that devices are often shipped back, we can\u2019t go back and retest a dozen devices. That\u2019s not too important here, though. The Core 7 350 has just two Xe3 cores, as do other Wildcat Lake chips, which doesn\u2019t provide enough horsepower to power most titles.<\/p>\n We were able to achieve 30 FPS in Civilization VI <\/em>at 1080p, which underscores the limitations of the integrated graphics. Intel\u2019s dual-core Xe3 is plenty capable of running Balatro, Vampire Survivors, <\/em>or whatever 2D sidescroller is currently popping off on Steam. Otherwise, it\u2019s there to give you a display output.<\/p>\n The display is what separates the Framework Laptop 12 from the various other Wildcat Lake-based devices we\u2019ve seen in the wake of the MacBook Neo, and not for the better. Color performance, especially, is weak in our testing, and although peak brightness is in line with similar laptops, the 60Hz refresh rate is a severe downgrade compared to other devices, as is the 1080p resolution.<\/p>\n For metrics, you can see the display peaked at 451 nits, right in line with the MacBook Neo and Framework 13 (non-Pro). However, gamut coverage is poor, with just 64.9% of the sRGB gamut measured, compared to wide-gamut coverage on the competing machines. This is a \u201cbudget\u201d laptop, but it\u2019ll easily run over $1,000 with most configurations, and the display is not worthy of that price.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n The XPS 13 provides some important context. It doesn\u2019t get as bright \u2014 though, it\u2019s hard to split hairs over 50 nits \u2014 but it comes with a 120Hz refresh, a higher 2.5K resolution, and it\u2019s a touchscreen like the Framework Laptop 12. That gap in display performance would be understandable with a big gap in price, but that\u2019s not the case. In fact, the Framework Laptop 12 clocks in at $1,271 with a Core 5 320, 16GB of memory, and 500GB of storage. The XPS 13, meanwhile, is $1,000 for that configuration.<\/p>\n Framework naturally needs to cut corners at this price, and it needs to engineer its devices to be repairable and upgradable. So, it\u2019s hard holding the Framework Laptop 12 to the standard of a device like the XPS 13 that doesn\u2019t come with those serviceability upsides. Still, the display is a consistent reminder that this is a budget laptop, whereas with the XPS 13 and MacBook Neo, it\u2019s easy to forget that when doing day-to-day web and office task, due to the premium screens and build quality.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n The Framework Laptop 12 comes with a standard keyboard\/touchpad combo unit, which is available in several different layouts. There\u2019s currently just a gray and lavender option for the keyboard unit, though presumably Framework will expand its offerings to cover the other colors available on the Framework Laptop 12 (at least with an American English layout).<\/p>\n I achieve 85 WPM with 99% accuracy in a MonkeyType test, compared to 92 WPM at 97% accuracy on my desktop (using the keyboard I type on every day). The keys have standard 19mm spacing and generous 1.5mm of key travel, which makes it comfortable to type on, even considering the small footprint of the Framework Laptop 12.<\/p>\n The touchpad is naturally small given the size of this device, and it\u2019s mechanical, leading to sharp dips during presses on the bottom corners and no responsiveness near the top. It\u2019s a serviceable touchpad, what you\u2019d expect to see on this class of device. Just don\u2019t go in expecting to be spoiled with a large glass surface or haptics.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n Framework built its brand on upgradability, so it\u2019s no surprise that the Framework Laptop 12 earns near-perfect marks here. Like other devices, you can ship the Framework Laptop 12 pre-assembled, or as a barebones system that can accept your own M.2 2230 SSD, DDR5 SODIMM, and operating system. Even then, you can swap out the keyboard, display, mainboard, and ports if you choose (though only within the Framework Laptop 12 form factor).<\/p>\n However, the Framework Laptop 12 brings up the important distinction between serviceability and upgradability. The Framework Laptop 12 is the gold standard (among all Framework devices) for serviceability.But the Wildcat Lake chip brings up concerns about upgradability with its single-channel memory interface.<\/p>\n You can upgrade the memory up to a 64GB DDR5-6400 SODIMM, but there\u2019s only one physical memory slot on the board. Wildcat Lake exclusively <\/em>uses single-channel memory; it\u2019s not simply a single-channel configuration for a budget price point. You can upgrade to more capacity down the line, but you can\u2019t simply add in a second SODIMM to double your RAM.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n You won\u2019t find a more serviceable laptop on the market (outside of the other options from Framework) than the Framework 12, but you primarily have two narrow upgrade paths: more storage and more memory capacity, but not a true dual-channel configuration. Hopefully Framework will continue this line in the future, allowing you to swap the mainboard.<\/p>\n On the serviceable end, however, Framework makes things simple. You get a matching Torx screwdriver with the laptop that can detach the bottom cover. The cover has eight captive screws, so you don\u2019t need to worry about losing them, and it\u2019s primarily there to keep everything together; you actually service the laptop from the top, under the keyboard.<\/p>\n Considering you\u2019re meant to go inside the laptop, Framework has everything clearly labeled, along with QR codes that link to repair guides for various components. With our barebones kit of modules, the laptop was powered on and assembled within five minutes, and this is my first time ever assembling a Framework device from scratch.<\/p>\n Our typical laptop battery tests are based on Windows, and we can\u2019t replicate the testing process on Linux. Framework assured us that Fedora 44 offers the best experience out of the box, so that is what we tested. Instead of a direct comparison, we designed a basic web browsing test loop to see how long the 50WHr battery would hold up away from a charger.<\/p>\n About 9 hours is the answer, with a 9:16 average across three runs. We ran the laptop through a series of live websites with the screen set to 150 nits, Wi-Fi on, and Bluetooth disabled for the test. Again, we can\u2019t make direct comparisons with Windows laptops, but getting around a full day of work is solid for the small 50Whr battery. And with USB-C charging, you can pretty easily top off with a portable GaN brick.<\/p>\n The stereo 2W speakers inside the Framework Laptop 12 are surprisingly powerful, considering the size of the machine, though the quality of the speakers and dual internal microphones is a clear cut corner to reach the more affordable price of the device. Thankfully, there\u2019s a 3.5mm headphone jack built in (it doesn\u2019t take a module slot), along with Bluetooth 6.0 support for wireless headphones.<\/p>\n The microphone poses a larger issue than the speakers. It\u2019s heavily compressed, which helps make your voice come through clearly, though at the cost of heavy background noise (including keyboard and trackpad noise). You\u2019ll want to use something like EasyEffects in Linux to clean up the microphone audio.<\/p>\n As for the speakers, they\u2019re not as bad as they could be. As mentioned, they\u2019re loud considering the size of the device, and they didn\u2019t distort at full volume. They\u2019re tuned for this type of device, as well. Rather than overemphasizing the highs or pumping too much low-end and exposing distortion, the speakers in the Framework Laptop 12 have a heavy emphasis on the upper midrange.<\/p>\n This range, somewhere between 500Hz and 4kHz, is typically described as \u201cboxy,\u201d and that emphasis works well for the small drivers in the Framework Laptop 12. It implies a low end that the drivers aren\u2019t actually capable of producing. Further, the higher-end of this range, around 1kHz to 2kHz, is where many human voices fall, with sharp consonants pushing higher-end harmonics that come off as harsh. Again, the emphasis helps, allowing voices to come through clearly, without sounding tinny.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n The Framework Laptop 12 stays fairly cool, even under load. The hottest point we measured on the laptop was the underside, directly in the middle, which peaked at 101 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 degrees Celsius). Under normal usage in a browser with a handful of tabs open, there\u2019s very little noticeable heat, even at this hottest point.<\/p>\n Up where your hands are, we measured 94 degrees Fahrenheit (about 34 degrees Celsius) between the G and H keys on the keyboard, and 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) on the touchpad. That\u2019s warm for your hands, but again, the heat only crops up during heavy load.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unsurprising for a laptop at the price of the Framework Laptop 12, but the webcam quality is poor. The camera oddly uses a 4:3 aspect ratio, and the 2MP sensor creates an image more reminiscent of a watercolor than a sharp, Full-HD picture. It struggles with low-light especially, with even moderate shadows in an otherwise brightly-lit room showing visible noise.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n The image above was taken in my office in the middle of the day. A window behind me was fully open, about three and a half feet away, and I have a lamp serving somewhat as a key light about three feet off-screen to my left. I\u2019m on the second floor of a two-story house, on a hill without any trees obstructing sunlight (and it was a sunny day). There was a generous amount of natural light in the room.<\/p>\n Yet, you\u2019d think I was sitting in near darkness from the webcam image. The stark brightness from the window darkens my face, filling it with visible noise, as the camera struggles to handle the dynamic range. Sitting in front of an unobstructed window during the middle of the day is the time and place where you\u2019re likely to have the webcam turned on, and it fails that test.<\/p>\n Framework offers a standard one-year limited warranty on the Framework Laptop 12, with an optional three-year warranty available for $89 extra. You can read over Framework\u2019s limited warranty, but the limitations are fairly straightforward. Normal wear and tear, damage due to negligence or misuse, and use of third-party parts (or first-party parts from third-party sources) will void the warranty.<\/p>\n Broad warranty protection isn\u2019t as important here as it is elsewhere, however. If, for example, your USB-C port stops working, you can just buy another one rather than going through the RMA process and potentially paying for a repair on the other side (even if you\u2019re under warranty).<\/p>\n You\u2019re free to bring your own OS, but Framework also offers the Framework Laptop 12 with either Windows 11 or Fedora 44 pre-installed. Framework normally uses Ubuntu; however, Fedora 44 has moved to the newer Linux 7.1 kernel, which has optimizations specifically for Wildcat Lake. Using a slower-moving distro like Ubuntu is fine, though you\u2019ll want to make sure to manually upgrade your kernel (and packages) for the best performance if you\u2019re not already using a distro with kernel 7.1 or newer.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)<\/span><\/p>\n Framework offers three mainboard configurations: Core 3 204, Core 5 320, or Core 7 350. As we covered in the performance section, the Core 5 320 in the XPS 13 offered largely similar performance to the Core 7 350 in the Framework Laptop 12, so that seems like the sweet spot here. The Core 3 304 is effectively a single-core CPU, with just one P-core alongside a four-core LPE cluster, and it lacks a fingerprint reader, which is available with both other mainboards.<\/p>\n With the DIY edition, Framework ships the laptop without memory, storage, or expansion cards. There\u2019s a single SODIMM slot for memory and a single M.2 2230 slot for the SSD. Framework offers up to 2TB of PCIe 4.0 storage at checkout, as well as up to 48GB DDR5-5600 (again, via a single SODIMM). Framework has USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, 10G Ethernet, DisplayPort, microSD, and SD card modules available, ranging from $10 to $99.<\/p>\n There aren\u2019t any display options aside from the standard 60 Hz 1080p panel in our unit. For the keyboard and trackpad, Framework offers backlit and non-backlit options in various different native layouts.<\/p>\n Framework offers prebuilt versions of the Framework Laptop 12 at a discounted price. The Core 3 304 comes with 8GB of memory ($699), the Core 5 320 comes with 16GB (1,099), and the Core 7 350 comes with 32GB (1,399), and all three configurations use 512GB of storage. All of the configurations come with Framework\u2019s standard expansion card bundle: two USB-C, a USB-A, and an HDMI module.<\/p>\n Dell starts higher with the XPS 13 at $799, but that\u2019s with the Core 5 320 and 8GB of memory. Jumping up to 16GB, the XPS 13 is $999 with the Core 5 320, $100 less than the preconfigured Framework Laptop 12.<\/p>\n The Framework Laptop 12 is caught between an unprecedented memory and storage shortage and a wave of budget-oriented Windows laptops that skip the repairability angle in favor of better trimmings out of the box. At the same price, it\u2019d be a solid alternative with understandable downsides. The killer for the Laptop 12 is that you\u2019ll likely spend more on it compared to other Wildcat Lake options.<\/p>\n With the Core 5 320, the Framework Laptop 12 is nearly $300 more expensive than the XPS 13, when both are configured with 8GB of memory and 500GB of storage. The Acer Swift Air 14 is $700, and a similarly configured Framework Laptop 12 is $1,074 before adding on the extra cost of a power adapter and modules. For many Wildcat Lake devices, we see prices top out around $1,000; with the Framework Laptop 12, you\u2019ll often spend at least <\/em>$1,000, assuming you push beyond the Core 3 304.<\/p>\n Modularity comes at a cost, which is more relevant in the case of the Framework Laptop 12 where $100 or $200 makes all the difference in value (it\u2019s less relevant up at the Framework Pro 13, where you expect premium pricing). That extra cost is especially damaging here, when Framework\u2019s competitors are offering better display performance (and more pixels) and all-aluminum bodies for less money.<\/p>\n There are situations where the Framework Laptop 12 is a great option, even compared to the other Wildcat Lake devices on the market. If you already have a SODIMM module you can harvest from other devices, along with an SSD, this is a cheap way to get some of Intel\u2019s latest silicon. But for everyone else, unless you don\u2019t mind paying significantly more for repairability, there are better options available that typically cost less, look better, and feel more premium.<\/p>\n Framework Laptop 12 Wildcat Lake: Price Comparison<\/p>\n
\nOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.<\/span>\n<\/p>\nDesign<\/h2>\n
Specifications<\/h2>\n
Productivity Performance<\/h2>\n
Display<\/h2>\n
Keyboard and Touchpad<\/h2>\n
Upgradeability<\/h2>\n
Battery Life<\/h2>\n
Audio<\/h2>\n
Heat<\/h2>\n
Webcam<\/h2>\n
Software and Warranty<\/h2>\n
Configurations<\/h2>\n
Bottom Line<\/h2>\n