Framework's new 1 TB Gen 5 SSD is cheaper than its old 500 GB drive

Framework just dropped prices on PCIe Gen 5 SSDs for the Framework Laptop 13 Pro — and the numbers are genuinely surprising. The new 1 TB option costs less than the 500 GB drive it replaces, and existing pre-orders that haven't shipped yet are getting the price drop automatically.

The new drive is the ADATA XPG MARS 970, sourced through Framework's partner ADATA. CEO Nirav Patel says it offers better performance, efficiency, and long-term reliability compared to the previously qualified Gen 5 option — and comes in at substantially lower cost. The 1 TB version is priced at $299 when configured with a Framework Laptop 13 Pro; the 2 TB version runs $659. Framework is switching all existing pre-orders that had selected the old 500 GB Gen 5 SSD over to the 1 TB drive at the reduced price automatically. The ADATA XPG MARS 970 doesn't appear to be available through standard retailers yet, so direct third-party price comparisons are difficult.

Framework has built its reputation around repairability and user-upgradeable components, and its modular laptop lineup — including the Laptop 13 Pro — is designed around that philosophy. The broader PC storage market has been squeezed by AI-driven memory and NAND demand, pushing SSD prices up across the board, so a price cut of this magnitude stands out. That said, Patel's announcement is careful not to claim this reflects any wider market shift — it's the result of Framework finding a better-value supplier, not a sign that Gen 5 SSD prices are collapsing industry-wide. Cheaper Gen 5 drives do exist from other brands, but spec and performance differences make direct comparisons messy.

For anyone already in the pre-order queue with a Gen 5 SSD selected, the switch happens automatically — no action needed. It's a rare piece of unambiguously good news for customers waiting on a premium modular laptop.