Upgradable Laptops

Discussions center on the desire for laptops with user-replaceable and upgradable components like RAM, storage, batteries, ports, and motherboards, praising models like Framework Laptop while criticizing soldered designs in mainstream products such as MacBooks.

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Keywords

RAM DIMM PowerBook CPU SSD DVD HDD PC GB LCD ram laptop soldered laptops ssd upgrade battery components replaceable storage

Sample Comments

shinryuu Jun 30, 2024 View on HN

Would be real nice with replaceable batteries, hdd, and ram for laptops too!

acd Apr 3, 2025 View on HN

Framework fells more hacker friendly than macbooks which solder dram, cant upgrade storage cant easily swap battery, glued screen etc etc

nherment Apr 27, 2016 View on HN

ah apologies, just saw your edit. Look at previous generation laptops with replaceable parts & easy maintenance ?

chpatrick Oct 4, 2022 View on HN

Well, there's Framework Laptop if you want upgradable "internals".

gregmac Feb 25, 2021 View on HN

In the worst case (they change the interface spec and no one else produces old modules, or the company folds entirely) it's not any less maintainable than any other laptop on the market today. I think most laptops still allow storage and battery upgrades/replacement; RAM is questionable (some being soldered on the motherboard); and anything else basically means replacing the whole device.

evilos Sep 1, 2021 View on HN

Uh, you missed the main feature of the device. Basically everything in the laptop is user replaceable. Even the motherboard can be swapped and presumably replaced with a newer model. The ports can be swapped too, so no more wishing you had more USB ports or ethernet ports or whatever. You could even design your own expansion card. Framework can release new keyboards, screens, etc and the user can just install them as they like. That is incredible!When they release an AMD motherboard I'm

zamadatix Dec 25, 2025 View on HN

"Most people" don't upgrade individual components of their desktop or spend thousands on their computer either, especially beyond the storage and RAM, so I'm not sure who the average person it's supposed to comfort that it's official vs not to do things as small as upgrade the screen out of cycle from upgrading the rest of the machine. Framework is, unfortunately, positioned in every way for exactly the type of person who would do this (high end, willing to assemble

enriquto Feb 11, 2021 View on HN

They just need to make a laptop with easily swappable pcb of standard size.

zumu Oct 21, 2016 View on HN

Is the ram or SSD soldered or upgradable? This is increasingly one of my main concerns when looking at new laptops.

alpaca128 Sep 22, 2021 View on HN

That doesn't make it impossible to get such configuration options. If I can choose how much RAM I want, they could just as well offer the "no RAM" option so I can keep the two modules of my old laptop. Instead they lie to our faces claiming RAM has to be soldered on for some reason, making that impossible. Same with SSDs etc.I would understand it if a manufacturer offered some ultra high-end model with custom storage like in the PS5. But if the Framework laptop can have swappab