Phoronix tested the Framework Laptop 16 in Ubuntu to see if the Linux OS can outperform Windows 11 on the most modular portable rig around. In testing — with Ubuntu 23.10 and 24.04, Phoronix discovered that both Linux versions were faster than Windows 11 in most applications.
The Framework Laptop 16 is a 16-inch notebook; What sets it apart from other laptops is its modular construction. The laptop can be customized with different aesthetic parts and components, and in there's a DIY edition where users can build their own PCs. For instance, all of the I/O is removable and replaceable with different ports, and the optional RX 7700S GPU comes in a module that can be installed (or removed) by the user.
That Framework Laptop 16 can be configured to come with Windows 11 pre-installed. That said, Framework promotes Linux as a viable alternative if you don't choose to your Framework 16 to come with Windows 11, which is the perfect segue into Phoronix's testing.
Phoronix tested two different flavors of Ubuntu, the outgoing 23.10 version and an upcoming 24.04 version which is "near-final state". Over 100 benchmarks were conducted in a variety of applications including Java workloads, image encoding, creator workloads, video encoding, audio encoding, texture compression, Blender, and more.
Out of the 101 benchmarks run on the Framework 16, Ubuntu 24.04 had the most first-place finishes featuring 68 wins. Ubuntu 23.10 came in second place with 22 wins, and Windows 11 was last featuring an ironic 11 first-place finishes.
Percentage-wise, Windows 11 was the slowest of the three operating systems 73% of the time. Windows 11 wasn't the slowest OS in all of the benchmarks, but it was the slowest in most benchmarks run.
This isn't the first time we've seen Linux dominate on Ryzen hardware. This behavior has been surprisingly consistent over the past few years, with multiple different Ryzen CPUs (including the 7800X3D and 7995WX) boasting more favorable performance in Linux Ubuntu rather than Windows 11. We suspect this behavior comes down to better thread scheduling on the Linux side but we can't be certain. It might also help that Framework claims to develop hardware with Linux in mind, including selecting compatible components and offering distributers pre-release hardware.
If you can live without the creature comforts Microsoft's Windows ecosystem provides Phoronix's testing confirms that Linux is the more performant operating system, at least for the Framework Laptop 16.
