Framework Laptop 12 Refresh Drops to $699 With Intel Core Series 3 and Linux by Default
Framework has updated its 12.2-inch convertible laptop with Intel Core Series 3 processors, and the cheapest pre-built configuration now starts at $699 — $100 less than the previous version at launch. Preorders are open, with the first wave of deliveries expected to ship in October. (The Verge)
The $699 pre-built base configuration ships in green only and includes an Intel Core 3 304 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. It comes preloaded with Linux Fedora 44 KDE Plasma (a popular desktop interface for the Linux operating system). Opting for Windows 11 Home instead of Linux adds $100 to the price.
The Linux-first positioning is not arbitrary. Framework reports that nearly 80 percent of Laptop 12 owners are already running Linux across a range of distributions, making Fedora a natural default rather than a niche experiment. The 12.2-inch convertible is marketed by Framework as having first-in-class Linux support (frame.work).
The Intel Core Series 3 platform is designed for smaller, lower-power, entry-priced laptops. Framework says the new chips should improve battery life, temperatures, and fan noise over the previous 13th Gen Intel Core generation. The Core 3 304 specifically carries only a single performance core, which sets clear expectations for where this machine sits — it is an entry-level device, not a workstation.
The platform update brings meaningful improvements to connectivity and memory. The new chip enables DDR5 memory speeds up to 6400 MT/s (faster data transfer between the processor and RAM), Wi-Fi 7 R2, and Thunderbolt 4 support on the rear two Expansion Card slots. Thunderbolt 4 opens the door to dual 4K 60Hz displays or external GPUs, a notable capability for a 12-inch convertible. The front two USB slots, however, are now USB 3.2 Gen 2 — a downgrade from the previous configuration. All four slots still support power input for charging.
On the customization front, all Core 5 and Core 7 configurations now include a fingerprint reader built into the power button and a backlit keyboard as standard. The backlit keyboard remains an optional add-on on the DIY Edition, which starts at $549 and offers more color choices.
The original Framework Laptop 12 with 13th Gen Intel Core chips is still available, priced from $699 for the pre-built version or $499 for the DIY Edition. Framework has also set an August 31 deadline for applications related to the new Core Series 3 pre-built configurations (Framework Community).
Separately, Framework's Laptop 13 Pro uses Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors and LPCAMM2 memory, marketed as the company's most repairable pro laptop with a CNC aluminum chassis (frame.work).
The $699 price point for a pre-built, Linux-loaded, repairable convertible is the detail worth pausing on. The previous-generation model launched at $799 in the same configuration, and the $100 reduction arrives alongside a platform transition that adds DDR5, Wi-Fi 7 R2, and Thunderbolt 4. The trade-off is visible: a single performance core on the base chip, and a downgrade on the front USB slots to USB 3.2 Gen 2. Framework is making a deliberate bet that the target audience — overwhelmingly Linux users, many of them tinkerers and developers — will value the connectivity and memory advances more than raw multi-core throughput.
The broader context here is that the Linux pre-build sends the more interesting signal. Most laptop manufacturers treat Linux as an afterthought, when they treat it at all. Framework is treating it as the default operating system on its cheapest pre-built SKU, with Windows as the paid upgrade. That inverts the usual ordering. Whether that reflects genuine demand from the Laptop 12's buyer base or a strategic nudge toward a lower-cost configuration is a question the 80-percent Linux adoption figure largely answers: Framework is meeting its customers where they already are.
For buyers who need more headroom, the Core 5 and Core 7 tiers add the fingerprint reader and backlit keyboard as standard, and the DIY Edition at $549 remains the entry point for those willing to bring their own components and OS. The continued availability of the 13th Gen model at the same $699 pre-built price gives buyers a direct comparison: older architecture with potentially more cores, or newer platform with DDR5 and Thunderbolt 4 at the same cost.
