---
title: Framework Laptop 12 Gets an Intel Wildcat Lake Refresh
description: Pre-orders open now for Core Series 3 chips, Thunderbolt 4, and Wi-Fi 7; batch one ships in October.
date: 2026-08-18T00:00:00.000Z
category: electronics
tags: framework, laptops
---

Framework opened pre-orders August 18 for an updated Laptop 12, moving its budget convertible to
Intel's new "Wildcat Lake" Core Series 3 chips, with Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7 added as options for
the first time.

## What's actually new

The refreshed Laptop 12 ships with a choice of three Core Series 3 chips, Core 3 304, Core 5 320, or
Core 7 350, Intel's newest six-core mobile lineup. DIY pricing starts at $549 for the Core 3 304
configuration, rising to $779 for Core 5 320 and $999 for Core 7 350, according to
[Framework's own announcement](https://frame.work/blog/introducing-the-framework-laptop-12). An
optional backlit keyboard is available for the first time on this model, and the company says batch
one of the new configuration ships in early October.

## Why the chip matters

PC Gamer's early coverage singled out battery life as the real story behind the update, crediting
Wildcat Lake's efficiency gains over the outgoing chip generation, though independent battery-life
testing hasn't been published yet.

## Why it matters

Framework has built its identity on repairability and long-term upgradability rather than raw specs,
and this refresh is consistent with that: it's a mid-cycle chip swap into an existing chassis, not a
new laptop. That's a meaningfully different pitch from most PC makers' annual refreshes, which usually
bundle a new chip with a new enclosure customers have to buy outright. Whether Wildcat Lake's
efficiency claims hold up under real testing is the detail worth watching once review units ship in
October.

What to watch: independent battery and performance benchmarks once the October shipment reaches
reviewers.

More [Tech Electronics](/electronics/) coverage, or everything tagged [laptops](/tag/laptops/).