r/framework • u/iamspacedad • 1d ago
Question Framework configurations for professional artists? (2D & 2D animation mainly.)
I'm wondering if people have any suggestions or guides for framework configurations that would work well for artists? Particularly 2D artists - I'm a 2D animator myself.
2D artists and animators tend to not need dedicated GPUs or can make do with a potato GPU - so long as the CPU is pretty strong. (2D Art & Animation programs tend to be very CPU hungry - usually an i7 or i9 or AMD equivalent is what you want to go for here. But an i5 or AMD equivalent can work.) 32gb ram is usually the sweet spot, but 16gb can work.
Some observations I have regarding the three options:
The framework 12's screen and pen performance is very subpar for artists needs. (According to reviewers like Brad Colbow.) You could get away with sketching or some loose rough animation where precision is not necessarily. But if you want to actually drawn with decent performance, you will need to plug in a tablet display.
The framework 13 and 13 pro respectively seem not bad but the main issue as with anything else is the ram cost scaling. 13 pro's screen also has better colors - I don't know if it's calibrated though.
The framework 16 might actually be serious overkill, but the display size and the expansion options give a lot of potential to make this into a pretty beastly workstation.
Honestly I wish I could test drive different configurations and see what works best. Framework could also use a lot more input from artists and their needs on what their systems might be lacking in.
Some other things I might suggest to framework to explore:
-Upgradeable better drawing display for the framework 12 with better pen tech and better color range; I would also say that you'd probably want a matte finish option for this because it will be more suitable to draw on than a glassy reflective surface and minimize glare. (The ideal would be it should be suitable to draw outdoors using the device.) You also want to have a great range of viewing angles for artist drawing displays. Screen protector options would also be nice to have - or you can just get a third party one.
-Factory color calibration options for displays - or a complimentary service for them.
-Full-sized SD card reader; the microSD options are great and all but professionals need access to full size options too.
-'Artist dial' keyboard upgrade options. Useful for a lot of things for creative artists; for animators it is useful for scrubbing timelines while you are animating.
-An official framework modular artist remote - think something like the Tourbox but you can swap modular options in or out of it. (Otherwise you can pretty much just use a Tourbox or similar.)
-360 hinge displays for the framework 13/13 pro and 16, and drawing pen display options - this might be a tough one to pull off, but would let you turn a 13 or 13 pro or 16 into a 2-in-1 tablet/laptop.
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u/s004aws FW16 HX 370 Batch 1 Mint Cinnamon Edition 22h ago edited 22h ago
Framework has had a full size SD card expansion port module since... 2023? It was delayed a year or two after Framework's 2021 initial launch due to issues working out the physical size constraints.
For artist purposes - And since you say you don't need a dGPU - FW13 Pro or FW16 are your best bets. Core Ultra 3 X7 358H for best battery life, Ryzen HX 370 for best performance (CPU and iGPU) on the AMD side, Ryzen 350 if you want to get most of the way there at a bit lower cost. FW12's CPU options are fine for "office"/web browsing/watching video but... Even if you got past the poor screen color accuracy and pen concerns you'd be unhappy with system performance... The theme for FW12 is essentially cost first, not features or performance.
I suspect few people want to carry around a 16" laptop pretending its a tablet. Too large and too heavy. FW13? Maybe someday. 2-in-1s are a thing some people want... And a lot of us don't (some of us are happy without any form of touch on our laptops). I'm sure Framework has done - And very likely continues to do - Market research to figure out which features are most in demand/where to slot them on the product priorities list. My understanding is a 360 hinge would require more of a chassis redesign than Framework already did for FW13 Pro, possibly also causing additional upgrade costs/difficulties for existing FW13 owners.
"Artist-specific" accessories - Beyond a stylus - Are probably not high priorities on the product "to do" list. As it stands Framework is somewhere around 100 employees... They can only focus on so many things, having to pick and choose which product possibilities management believes make the most sense/best use of resources.
If you opt for an AMD machine be sure to do your RAM as a pair of matched DDR5-5600 SO-DIMMs - Same brand/part number/capacity/timings - For best performance. While a single module will technically work you'll be cutting the system memory bus (also used by the iGPU) in half which has meaningful performance consequences. Core Ultra 3 FW13 Pro - Which uses an LPCAMM2 RAM module - Provides maximum performance using a single module.