<p><a href="https://frame.work/">Framework</a> sells modular laptops that use a series or Expansion Cards to let you choose which ports the laptop has, and the laptops also feature user-replaceable parts including mainboards, displays, batteries, and just about everything else that you might want to repair or upgrade.</p><p>For years, the company has been <a href="https://frame.work/marketplace/mainboards">selling mainboards</a> that can be used to upgrade an existing laptop or as a standalone desktop computer. Now you can also buy a Framework Laptop 13 <em>without</em> a mainboard. The <a href="https://frame.work/products/framework-laptop-13-chassis-p6100?v=FRANHQ0002">Framework Laptop 13 Chassis is now available for $399</a>.</p><p><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-178258" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="500" sizes="(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" src="https://liliputing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/framework-shell-540x500.webp" srcset="https://liliputing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/framework-shell-540x500.webp 540w, https://liliputing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/framework-shell-400x370.webp 400w, https://liliputing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/framework-shell-150x139.webp 150w, https://liliputing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/framework-shell-768x711.webp 768w, https://liliputing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/framework-shell.webp 1056w" width="540"/></p><p>Framework describes the Chassis kit as an “almost-complete laptop,” but I guess that sort of depends on your definition of what makes a laptop. Arguably the mainboard itself is the computer and everything else is just a peripheral.</p><p>The mainboard features a processor, memory and storage connectors, cooling, and four USB Type-C or Thunderbolt ports. Put it in <a href="https://frame.work/marketplace?brand%5B%5D=cooler-master">a case</a> and it’s basically a desktop PC.</p><p>Meanwhile, the new $399 kit includes:</p><ul><li><a href="https://frame.work/products/display-kit?v=FRANFX0001">13.5 inch, 2256 x 1504 pixel IPS LCD display</a></li><li><a href="https://frame.work/products/input-cover-kit?v=FRANHC0001">Input Cover Kit (US keyboard)</a></li><li><a href="https://frame.work/products/bezel?v=FRANCB0011">Black Bezel</a></li><li><a href="https://frame.work/products/bottom-cover-kit">Bottom Cover</a></li><li><a href="https://frame.work/products/top-cover-cnc">Top Cover</a></li><li><a href="https://frame.work/products/battery?v=FRANBBAT01">55 Wh battery</a></li><li><a href="https://frame.work/products/speaker-kit?v=FRANBX0001">Speaker Kit</a></li><li><a href="https://frame.work/products/webcam-module?v=FRANCPPA03">Webcam module</a></li></ul><p>You’ll still need to bring your own mainboard, wireless card, power adapter, and Expansion Cards (for ports, additional storage, or other functions). But buying the near-complete kit is a lot cheaper than buying the individual parts and assembling one from scratch: that would cost you closer to $600.</p><p>So who exactly is this for? Ostensibly it’s for anyone with a spare Framework Laptop 13 mainboard lying around that they want to turn into a full-fledged notebook computer. If you bought one for use as a desktop now you can use it as a laptop. Or if you have one that you removed from an existing Framework Laptop 13 to make room for a new board, now you can give it a new home.</p><p>But this could also theoretically lower the cost of entry into the Framework ecosystem. Want a modular laptop but don’t want to spend full price on one? Maybe you can find a used mainboard on eBay and put it into this chassis for less than the cost of a brand new complete system. That said, you could also save some money by purchasing a <a href="https://frame.work/marketplace?availability%5B%5D=in_stock&availability%5B%5D=coming_soon&outlet%5B%5D=Refurbished">refurbished Framework Laptop 13</a> – prices start at $779 for models with 13th-gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 7040 series chips).</p><p>It could also be an interesting platform for folks looking to design their own mainboards or trying to shoehorn a single-board computer into an empty laptop shell (albeit one that was made to hold a very specific type of modular motherboard).</p><p><em>via <a href="https://www.notebookcheck.net/Framework-Laptop-13-Shell-now-available-for-399-for-AMD-Intel-and-RISC-V-processors.958153.0.html">NotebookCheck</a></em></p><section class="widget_text below-content widget widget_custom_html" id="custom_html-9"><h2 class="widget-title">Support Liliputing</h2><div class="textwidget custom-html-widget"><div class="support-box"><p>Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Computers-Accessories/zgbs/pc/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&linkCode=ll2&tag=liliputing_shop-20&linkId=93aaf7ba4e36ed56d46003558471548d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shop</a>" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).</p><p>But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.</p><p></p><h3>Contribute to our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bradlinder">Patreon campaign</a></h3><p> <em>or...</em></p><p></p><h3>Contribute via <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=PTBQ9EKAYTZBS&source=url">PayPal</a></h3> * If you <em>are</em> using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a <a href="https://liliputing.com/2020/09/ublock-origin-how-to-hide-googles-script-blocking-warning-for-websites-using-funding-choices.html" target="blank_">guide that may help you disable it.</a></div></div></section><section class="below-content widget widget_blog_subscription jetpack_subscription_widget" id="blog_subscription-2"><h2 class="widget-title">Subscribe to Liliputing via Email</h2><div class="wp-block-jetpack-subscriptions__container"><form accept-charset="utf-8" action="#" data-blog="4896475" data-post_access_level="everybody" id="subscribe-blog-blog_subscription-2" method="post"><div id="subscribe-text"><p>Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.</p></div><p id="subscribe-email"> <label class="screen-reader-text" for="subscribe-field-blog_subscription-2" id="jetpack-subscribe-label"> Email Address </label> <input id="subscribe-field-blog_subscription-2" name="email" placeholder="Email Address" required="required" type="email" value=""/></p><p id="subscribe-submit"> <input name="action" type="hidden" value="subscribe"/> <input name="source" type="hidden" value="https://liliputing.com/now-you-can-buy-a-framework-laptop-13-without-a-motherboard-for-399/"/> <input name="sub-type" type="hidden" value="widget"/> <input name="redirect_fragment" type="hidden" value="subscribe-blog-blog_subscription-2"/> <input id="_wpnonce" name="_wpnonce" type="hidden" value="4b6b74394b"/><input name="_wp_http_referer" type="hidden" value="/now-you-can-buy-a-framework-laptop-13-without-a-motherboard-for-399/"/> <button class="wp-block-button__link" name="jetpack_subscriptions_widget" type="submit"> Subscribe </button></p></form><div class="wp-block-jetpack-subscriptions__subscount"> Join 9,552 other subscribers</div></div></section>