is all about modular, upgradeable laptops and the company now offers users a more cost-effective entry point. It has lowered the price of its Factory Seconds B-stock systems (which are built with surplus parts and new components). As such, it is a barebones Framework Laptop 13 setup for under $500 for the first time ever.
The 13-inch machine comes with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with Iris Xe graphics. So the processor should be sufficient for most basic tasks and some moderate gaming. Here's the thing: Frameworks' barebones laptops don't include RAM, storage, Wi-Fi connectivity, a power adapter, or even an operating system.
DIYers (i.e. people who would probably be most interested in playing with a Framework system) will probably have spare parts anyway. You can purchase any other components you might need from Framework Marketplace. To this end, Framework claims to sell remanufactured DDR4 memory at half the price of new memory.
Another thing to note is that Framework's B-stock systems have an original display with “slight cosmetic issues.” The company notes that this can range from thin lines visible from a certain angle to a lack of backlight uniformity visible on a white screen. A-stock systems have a matte screen, but they are a bit more expensive. Factory Seconds laptops are currently available in the United States, Canada and Australia.