How to Configure and Upgrade the Framework Laptop 13 Pro: DIY Setup, Expansion Cards, and Upgrade Paths Explained

The Framework Laptop 13 Pro is the first laptop to pair Intel Core Ultra Series 3 silicon with modular LPCAMM2 memory, and the entire machine is designed so you assemble or rework it with the single screwdriver in the box. If you bought the DIY Edition, your first hour with the machine is the build itself; if you bought it pre-built, every Framework Laptop 13 Pro upgrade you make later uses the same handful of steps. This guide walks through the full DIY setup, the four-slot expansion card system, BIOS and OS prep, and the upgrade paths Framework has actually committed to supporting over time.

Before the screwdriver comes out, confirm what you ordered. The Framework Laptop 13 Pro runs on Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors with up to 64GB of LPCAMM2 LPDDR5X memory at 7,467 MT/s and up to 8TB of PCIe Gen 5.0 NVMe storage, with the LPDDR5X delivered through a high-density interposer in modular form rather than soldered to the board. That last detail is the reason this guide exists at all: memory is now a user-replaceable part on a thin-and-light Framework, which has never been true before.

Unboxing the DIY Edition and what actually ships in the box

The DIY Edition arrives as a chassis with the mainboard, display, battery, and keyboard already installed. You add the memory, storage, expansion cards, Wi-Fi configuration if needed, and an operating system. According to The Gadgeteer, the DIY Edition starts at $1,199 and the pre-built version starts at $1,499, and Framework lists LPCAMM2 modules in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities through its marketplace.

A detail that catches first-time buyers off-guard: the charger in the box is new. Mayhem Code reports that the laptop ships with a 100W GaN charger instead of the previous generation's 60W unit, sized to fast-charge the larger battery. If you were planning to reuse a 60W brick from an older Framework, you can, but charging will be noticeably slower under load.

Phase 1: Installing memory and storage

Lay the laptop face-down on a soft surface. Loosen the five captive fasteners on the bottom cover with the included Torx/Phillips driver, lift the cover, and you are looking directly at the LPCAMM2 slot, the M.2 2280 NVMe slot, the battery, and the Wi-Fi module. There are no hidden screws and no plastic clips to break.

LPCAMM2 installation is the part most buyers have never done before. The module sits flat against the board rather than standing upright like SO-DIMM, secured by three small screws around its perimeter. Align the connector, lower the module flush, and tighten the screws in a star pattern so the contact pressure is even across the interposer. Framework is among the first vendors to pair Intel Core Ultra Series 3 with LPCAMM2, using a high-density interposer that delivers 7,467 MT/s without soldering the memory down.

For storage, the M.2 2280 slot accepts PCIe Gen 5 NVMe drives. According to Defin Tech, this is the first Framework system to support PCIe Gen 5 NVMe at sequential reads up to 14,000 MB/s, alongside Wi-Fi 7 through an Intel BE211 radio. Gen 5 drives run hot, so seat the drive, screw it down, and make sure the thermal pad on the underside of the bottom cover actually contacts the drive label before you close the chassis. If you are running Linux and want to learn what Wi-Fi 7 changes for a portable workload, our Wi-Fi 7 explainer covers the radio side in detail.

Phase 2: Picking and installing the four expansion cards

The expansion card system is the part most reviewers gloss over and most owners spend the most time tweaking. Four bays sit along the left and right edges, two per side. Each accepts a small cartridge that exposes a single port through the chassis. According to Mayhem Code, the four-slot system is swappable without tools, with current options including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, SD card, and Ethernet.

The non-obvious part: not every slot has identical bandwidth. The two rear slots on Intel mainboards historically carry the full Thunderbolt/USB4 lanes, while the front slots are wired for USB 3.2. If you plug a 4K display adapter into a front slot, you may get a lower refresh rate than the same card placed at the rear. Framework's marketplace listings flag the recommended slot for each card, and it is worth reading those notes before you commit to a layout.

A practical default for most buyers:

• Rear-left: USB-C (charging and Thunderbolt-class peripherals)
• Rear-right: USB-C or HDMI for an external monitor
• Front-left: USB-A for older accessories
• Front-right: MicroSD or SD for camera offloads

You can change this later in seconds. Press the small release latch under each bay, the cartridge slides out, and a new one clicks in.

Phase 3: First boot, BIOS, and operating system

With RAM, SSD, and expansion cards in place, plug the 100W charger into the rear-left USB-C bay and power on. The Insyde UEFI splash should appear within a couple of seconds. If it does not, a reseat of the LPCAMM2 module is the first thing to check; the module is sensitive to uneven screw pressure across the interposer.

For BIOS updates, Framework distributes UEFI shell installers from its knowledge base. The Arch Wiki notes that updates are generally available as UEFI Shell updates from Framework directly, applied via an EFI shell script placed on a bootable USB flash drive, and the update method clears EFI boot loaders registered in NVRAM, so a recovery disk is recommended. Run the BIOS update before you install your OS, not after.

Operating system choice is more interesting on this machine than on most. The Framework Laptop 13 Pro with Intel Core Ultra Series 3 is Framework's first Ubuntu Certified system, and Mayhem Code reports that Ubuntu configurations are outselling Windows ones. If you have been waiting for a mainstream laptop where Linux is a first-class target rather than an afterthought, this is the one. Windows 11 still installs cleanly from a USB stick if that is your preference.

Phase 4: Display, battery calibration, and the haptic touchpad

The display is a meaningful jump from prior Framework 13 panels. According to Defin Tech, the 13.5-inch 2880x1920 panel runs a 3:2 aspect ratio with 30 to 120Hz variable refresh, up to 700 nits of brightness, and is the first touchscreen on a 13-inch Framework Laptop. The 3:2 ratio matters for code, documents, and anything where vertical pixels do real work.

The battery is also new. The Gadgeteer reports a 74Wh capacity, a 21 percent increase over the prior generation's 61Wh cell, with Framework claiming up to 20 hours of runtime under its published test conditions. Those test conditions are specific. Framework's own methodology lists an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H with Arc B390 graphics, the 2.8K touchscreen at 250 nits and 60Hz, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, Netflix 4K streaming, and Windows 11 Best Power Efficiency mode. Real mixed workloads will land lower, and that is fine. The cell is also rated for longevity: Mayhem Code notes it is specified to retain 80 percent capacity after 1,000 charge cycles.

One compatibility note that catches upgraders: Defin Tech reports that installing the 74Wh battery requires the new bottom cover and haptic input cover because of a geometry change. If you are upgrading an older Framework 13 mainboard into a new chassis, budget for those parts.

Phase 5: Planning the upgrade path

This is where the Framework story diverges from every other thin-and-light. The chassis is forward and backward compatible across generations of mainboards, and the marketplace sells every individual part. Framework lets you upgrade individual components instead of replacing the entire laptop, including new mainboards for generational processor upgrades, additional memory, and expanded storage, all sourced from the Framework Marketplace.

The specific upgrade paths worth planning around:

• Memory. A Framework Laptop LPCAMM2 memory upgrade in 2026 is now a 10-minute job. Buy a 32GB or 64GB module, swap it in place of the existing one, and you are done. No other ultraportable on sale today offers this.
• Storage. Drop in a larger PCIe Gen 5 NVMe drive whenever capacity tightens.
• Mainboard. When Framework releases the next Core Ultra or AMD generation, you replace the mainboard alone. Defin Tech notes that any Framework Laptop 13 owner going back to the original 11th-gen Intel model can upgrade individual parts including the top cover, bottom cover, and haptic input cover.
• Processor family switch. Mayhem Code lists current options including the Intel Core Ultra 5 325H, Core Ultra X7 358H, and Core Ultra X9 388H on Panther Lake, plus an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 mainboard. If you change your mind about Intel versus AMD a year from now, you swap mainboards rather than laptops.

For context on the broader Framework lineup, Mayhem Code also reports that the Framework Laptop 16 was simultaneously updated with an RTX 5070 12GB graphics module and an OCuLink developer kit rated up to 128 Gbps bidirectional. That matters here only because the same modular philosophy is being extended upward, which makes it more likely the 13 Pro mainboard cadence continues.

What the build feels like to live with

The chassis is a step up from earlier Framework 13 generations. Mayhem Code describes it as a 6063 aluminum machined chassis weighing 1.4 kg at 15.85mm thick, and Defin Tech notes it ships in Graphite, new for 2026, alongside Silver. The repairability story is not marketing: Mayhem Code points out that iFixit has awarded Framework laptops a perfect 10 out of 10 repairability score.

Availability is the catch right now. The Gadgeteer reports the laptop was announced April 21, 2026 at Framework's Next Gen Event with first units shipping in June 2026, and high demand is pushing some orders into August 2026. If you order today, plan around that window before you sell your current machine.

For anyone weighing this against a sealed ultraportable, the trade is straightforward. You give up roughly 100 grams and a couple of millimetres of thickness. You get a laptop where the memory, storage, ports, battery, mainboard, and chassis covers are all field-replaceable, and where Linux is officially supported. If you want more reading on the modular hardware shift, our Laptops coverage and the analysis in Why the M4 MacBook Air makes the Pro hard to justify frame the alternative.