Linux vendor
Framework for Linux: repairable, but the suspend drain is real
Framework’s pitch is repairability and it is real, not marketing. Socketed RAM, a replaceable mainboard, swappable expansion ports, parts you can actually order. The Linux support is good. The one thing the store page will not tell you is that the AMD Framework 13 loses charge while it is asleep, and on Linux that is worse than on Windows.
Who they are
US company, started 2020, built around modular and repairable laptops. The Framework 13 and Framework 16 use socketed expansion cards for ports, user-replaceable RAM and storage, and a mainboard you can swap to upgrade the whole machine instead of buying a new one. They ship Windows by default but officially support and document Linux, and the community Linux tracking is among the best of any vendor.
What they ship
No custom distro. You get Windows or you install Linux yourself, and Framework publishes per-distro setup guides plus a community wiki that is actually maintained. There is no coreboot story like System76. The value here is repairability and documentation, not a controlled firmware stack. Set that expectation.
Two AMD models in our database. The Framework 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040) runs Ubuntu LTS at out-of-box once you are on BIOS 3.05, WiFi 6E via the mt7922, fingerprint working on Ubuntu and needing manual libfprint config on Arch. The newer Framework 13 (AMD Ryzen AI 300) is the Strix Point flagship, Phoronix-validated Zen 5 performance, but it wants Fedora 41 or Ubuntu 24.10 and newer because older kernels do not handle the silicon. We scored both 9/10 on Linux.
The catches the store page skips
The 13 AMD drains 5 to 10 percent per night on Linux suspend. This is the one to internalize. On the Ryzen AI 300 model, Linux s2idle is documented losing 5 to 10 percent of charge overnight. The 61 Wh pack is not large. Leave it suspended over a weekend and you can come back to a dead or near-dead laptop. We graded suspend broken on Ubuntu LTS for that model and tweak on Fedora, and that grade is not pessimism, it is the measured behavior. The 7040 model is better but suspend was still shaky until BIOS 3.05. Mitigations exist (hibernate instead of suspend, keep BIOS current, newer kernel), but a clean overnight-suspend story is not what you get out of the box.
Battery is small for a flagship. 61 Wh on the Ryzen AI 300 with a 120 Hz 2880x1920 panel and a flagship Zen 5 part. Real-world endurance is around 5 hours. We scored that model 5/10 on battery and that is honest. Repairability does not buy you runtime.
Linux is do-it-yourself. No preinstall, no vendor control center. The documentation is good, but you are installing and tuning. If you want a machine that boots Linux configured by the vendor, that is System76, Tuxedo, Slimbook or Star Labs, not Framework.
Strix Point needs a current distro. The Ryzen AI 300 on an older LTS will have rough edges. Fedora 41 or Ubuntu 24.10 minimum. Put Debian stable on it and expect to chase kernels.
Who should buy
People who value repairability and upgradeability over a turnkey Linux experience, and who will run hibernate or keep the machine plugged when not in use. Get the Framework 13 AMD 7040 for the calmer Linux story or the Framework 13 AMD Ryzen AI 300 for the performance, knowing the overnight drain comes with it.
FAQ
How bad is the Framework 13 AMD suspend drain? 5 to 10 percent of the 61 Wh battery per night on Linux s2idle, documented on the Ryzen AI 300. A weekend suspended can leave it flat. Use hibernate or keep it plugged when idle for days.
Does Framework preinstall Linux? No. Windows by default, or you install Linux yourself using their per-distro guides. There is no vendor control center or custom distro.
Which Framework 13 AMD should I buy for Linux? The 7040 for the smoother out-of-box story on Ubuntu LTS at BIOS 3.05. The Ryzen AI 300 for Zen 5 performance, accepting a newer-distro requirement and worse suspend.