BuildIndependently confirmed2 publishers2 min readPublished
A configured Framework Laptop 12 often costs about $1,000, Tom's Hardware found
Framework's Laptop 12 now ships with Intel Wildcat Lake processors in Core 3, Core 5 and Core 7 versions, Phoronix reported. Tom's Hardware found configurations often reach about $1,000 unless buyers supply their own RAM and SSD.
The Engineer · Build desk
The Framework Laptop 12 starts at $549 without memory or storage. A typical configuration of about $1,000 is about $451 above that base price. Fully configured, Tom's Hardware puts it around $200 to $300 more expensive than the competition.
| Figure | Value | Note | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price, no memory or storage | 549 dollars | 4 | |
| Typical config over base | 451 dollars, about | 27 | |
| Fully configured, more than competition, at least | 200 dollars, around | up to $300 more | 6 |
What happened
- Tom's Hardware lists the Laptop 12 at $549 to start, with no memory or storage included.
- Fully configured, Tom's puts the laptop around $200 to $300 above the competition.
- Among its reasons to avoid, Tom's lists a middling display locked to 1080p60 and poor webcam quality.
- Choosing a color currently requires the DIY version, because the prebuilt version ships only in Sage.
- Framework added Fedora Linux with KDE Plasma as a preload option on the new model, Phoronix reported.
Why it matters
- cost Students are the group Tom's says Framework targets. They pay the higher figure unless they already own compatible DDR5 and an SSD.
- constraint A buyer fitting their own parts and running Ubuntu 26.04 LTS needs a manual kernel upgrade. The release uses Linux 7.0, below the 7.1 Framework recommends for the Intel BE213 WiFi.
- contradiction Tom's compares the laptop with the Neo and XPS 13 and finds it dearer. Phoronix compares it with the Raptor Lake U original and finds a solid upgrade, though not necessarily worth it for current owners.
Tom's Hardware's two prices, $549 at the base [4] and about $1,000 for typical configurations [5], leave a gap of roughly $450 [27]. Not all of it is memory and storage. Framework sells an optional $59 stylus [12] and an optional keyboard backlight [13].
The verdict ties the premium to one input. The laptop lands at a higher price unless you supply your own RAM and SSD [10]. Tom's lists easy savings "if you already have RAM and SSD" among its reasons to buy [11].
That condition sets the terms for the number to transfer. The saving holds for a buyer who owns compatible DDR5 and an SSD, or who can buy them for less than Framework charges. Tom's headline places the review inside a component shortage [14]. In our view, a buyer who has to buy DDR5 new is shopping in that same market. Tom's frames the choice as a question of how much a buyer will pay for repairability [25].
Memory is a narrower decision than it looks. Wildcat Lake supports a single channel of DDR5 or LPDDR5X [2]. Framework currently offers a range of DDR5-5600 DIMMs [3], and Phoronix tested with one 32GB DDR5-5600 module and a 500GB WD_BLACK SN770M [16]. Tom's lists decent performance for single-channel DDR5 as a reason to buy [15]. Dual-channel kits have no second channel to fill on this chip, so the choice comes down to capacity and price per module.
The chassis pays for modularity in size. The Laptop 12 is 0.72 inches thick and weighs 2.8 pounds [17]. Dell's Wildcat Lake XPS 13 is 0.5 inches and 2.2 pounds [18]. That makes Framework's machine 0.22 inches thicker [28] and 0.6 pounds heavier [29]. Tom's calls it remarkable that Framework got this close given the bulk of modularity [19]. We agree. The structure is metal, with a plastic top coated in thermoplastic polyurethane [20].
Tom's compares the laptop with the MacBook Neo and the XPS 13 and says buyers often pay a premium for less polish out of the box [26]. The display is the clearest example. It is middling and locked to 1080p60 [7].
What to watch
- Whether Framework widens the prebuilt color options beyond Sage, which today pushes color-minded buyers onto the DIY version.
- The Ubuntu 26.10 and Fedora 45 releases, which Phoronix calls imminent, and whether their kernels meet Framework's Linux 7.1 recommendation.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence65
- Adoption
- Insufficient
- Hype gap−10
- Incentives
- Insufficient
- Confidence68
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
The Wildcat Lake options for the Framework Laptop 12 include the Core 3 304, the Core 5 230 and the Core 7 350.
- [2]
Wildcat Lake only supports a single channel of DDR5 or LPDDR5X memory.
- [3]
Framework currently offers the laptop with a range of DDR5-5600 DIMMs.
- [4]
The Framework Laptop 12 starts at $549 without memory or storage.
- [5]
Framework Laptop 12 configurations often reach about $1,000.
- [6]
Fully configured, the Framework Laptop 12 ends up around $200 to $300 more expensive than the competition.
- [7]
Tom's Hardware lists the display as middling and locked to 1080p60, and the webcam quality as poor, among its reasons to avoid.
- [8]
At the time of writing, a buyer needs the DIY version of the Framework Laptop 12 to choose a color; the prebuilt version is currently only available in Sage.
- [9]
With the new Framework Laptop 12, Framework introduced Fedora Linux with KDE Plasma as a pre-load option.
- [10]
Tom's Hardware's verdict is that the Framework Laptop 12 lands at a higher price unless the buyer is willing to supply their own RAM and SSD.
- [11]
Among its reasons to buy, Tom's Hardware lists: Easy to save money if you already have RAM and SSD.
- [12]
Framework offers an optional $59 stylus.
- [13]
Framework offers an optional backlight on the keyboard.
- [14]
Tom's Hardware headlined its review 'Growing up amid an unprecedented shortage', placing the review in a component-shortage market.
- [15]
Tom's Hardware lists 'Decent performance for single-channel DDR5' among its reasons to buy.
- [16]
Phoronix's test unit was the Core 7 350 with one 32GB DDR5-5600 module, a WD_BLACK SN770M 500GB SSD and integrated Intel graphics.
- [17]
The Framework Laptop 12 is 0.72 inches thick and weighs 2.8 pounds.
- [18]
The XPS 13 with Wildcat Lake weighs 2.2 pounds, is 0.5 inches thick and is finished in aluminum.
- [19]
Considering the bulk of modularity, Tom's Hardware calls it remarkable that Framework got the weight and thickness of the Laptop 12 close to closed-design competitors.
- [20]
The Laptop 12 has a metal structure; on top is plastic coated with thermoplastic polyurethane to absorb impacts.
- [21]
Framework recommends Fedora 44 and a Linux distribution with Linux 7.1 or newer because of the Intel BE213 WiFi.
- [22]
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS uses Linux 7.0, which Phoronix says puts the current Ubuntu release in a bind unless the kernel is manually upgraded.
- [23]
Phoronix calls the Wildcat Lake model a solid upgrade for performance and power efficiency, but not necessarily worthwhile for those on the original Raptor Lake U hardware.
- [24]
The updated Framework Laptop 12 targets the same group, students, as the original.
- [25]
Tom's Hardware asks how much a buyer is willing to pay for repairability.
- [26]
Tom's Hardware says buyers are often paying a premium for the Laptop 12 compared with the MacBook Neo and XPS 13, and getting a laptop that feels less like a premium ultrabook out of the box.
- [27]
The gap between the $549 base price and the roughly $1,000 typical configuration is about $451.
- [28]
The Laptop 12 is 0.22 inches thicker than the Wildcat Lake XPS 13.
- [29]
The Laptop 12 is 0.6 pounds heavier than the Wildcat Lake XPS 13.
Sources
2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.
- phoronix.comFramework Laptop 12 Offers Improved Performance & Efficiency With Intel Core 3 Wildcat Lake
1 article · October 13, 2026
- tomshardware.comFramework Laptop 12 (Wildcat Lake) review: Growing up amid an unprecedented shortage
1 article · October 13, 2026
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