Shut the front door. Framework is making waves in the memory and storage market, demonstrating a clever approach to navigating what has become an incredibly volatile landscape for high-performance components. While the general trend suggests prices should be dropping, specific hardware shortages have made finding affordable options a genuine headache—unless you look closely at how smart companies are sourcing their parts.
Framework is tackling the expense of PCIe Gen 5 SSDs for its laptop line by partnering with suppliers to find better performance and efficiency without breaking the bank. Their strategy isn’t just about cutting prices; it’s about strategic component selection that benefits both the company and consumers.
The real surprise comes when you look at how they are handling storage capacity. Framework managed to qualify a new drive, the ADATA XPG MARS 970, which offers superior performance and reliability compared to previous options while coming in at a substantially lower cost.
This newfound efficiency isn’t confined to small upgrades. Framework is extending these cost-saving measures to existing pre-orders. They are applying the price reductions not only to new orders but also to those that haven’t shipped yet, ensuring that customers who were already planning an upgrade benefit from the better deals.
Perhaps the most intriguing element of this maneuver is the capacity shift. Framework is offering 1 TB PCIe Gen 5 drives at a lower price point than the previous 500 GB options they qualified. This means customers can move up to larger, high-speed storage without facing a significant price penalty.
For example, when looking at a Framework Laptop 13 Pro configuration, the 1 TB version of the ADATA XPG MARS 970 is priced at $299. If you opt for the 2 TB iteration, the cost is $659.
While direct comparisons across the market can be tricky, and cheaper drives exist, Framework’s effort highlights a key lesson: component sourcing efficiency can indeed soften the blow of broader market volatility. It shows that by focusing on quality partnerships and smart negotiation, companies can find ways to mitigate the sting of high component prices for end-users.
Credit: PC Gamer
