Framework Laptop 13 Pro: Storage Costs Drop as CPU Pricing Volatility Looms
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A Rare Win in the Storage Supply Chain
In an industry where component costs typically trend upward or plateau, Framework is offering a rare reprieve for its customers. The modular laptop maker has announced a strategic shift in its storage sourcing, moving to a new SSD partner that allows the company to provide more capacity for less money.
According to a recent update from founder Nirav Patel, Framework has qualified and sourced the ADATA XPG MARS 970. The new drive isn’t just a cost-saving measure; Patel notes that the MARS 970 offers improvements in performance, efficiency, and long-term reliability over the previous qualified options. The most striking detail of this transition is the price-to-capacity ratio: the 1TB MARS 970 is currently priced lower than the 500GB SSD previously bundled with the Framework Laptop 13 Pro.
For customers caught in the current shipping queue, this translates to an automatic upgrade. Those who originally ordered the 500GB configuration will be bumped to the 1TB drive at no additional cost—and in some cases, at a lower price point—provided inventory levels hold. This move stands in stark contrast to the broader market, where Apple recently implemented significant price hikes across its Mac lineup, reflecting the ongoing volatility of memory and storage costs.
The CPU Shadow: A Warning for New Buyers
The optimism surrounding cheaper storage is tempered by a warning regarding the heart of the machine. Framework has signaled that the era of stable CPU pricing may be ending. Patel explicitly warned that the company has received signals of imminent price increases for laptop CPUs, which will likely necessitate an adjustment to the overall system price of the Framework Laptop 13 Pro in the coming weeks.
This warning creates a narrow window of opportunity for prospective buyers. While pre-orders remain fully refundable, the company is effectively urging customers to lock in current pricing before the CPU market shifts.
The timing of this warning is curious. Only a few months ago, Intel suggested that the severe CPU shortages that plagued the industry during the pandemic era had largely subsided. However, the current market is witnessing a pivot where silicon fabrication capacity is being aggressively rerouted toward enterprise-grade chips and AI-accelerated hardware, potentially squeezing the supply of consumer-grade laptop processors.
Navigating Manufacturing Hurdles
These pricing fluctuations arrive while Framework is still grappling with the physical rollout of the Laptop 13 Pro. The company has already pushed delivery dates into late July and early August, citing manufacturing complications with the custom display and the haptic touchpad.
Crucially, these hardware delays are separate from the supply chain issues affecting the SSDs and CPUs. The fact that Framework is communicating these pricing signals so openly—detailing the specific ADATA components and the vague but looming CPU threats—highlights the company’s commitment to a “glass box” business model. Most OEMs would simply raise the MSRP on a product page without explanation; Framework is treating its community as stakeholders in the supply chain.
Whether the anticipated CPU hike will completely offset the savings from the ADATA SSDs remains to be seen. However, for those tracking the modular PC space, the Framework Laptop 13 Pro serves as a real-time barometer for the volatility of the global silicon market.
