If you're hunting for a laptop with a great-feeling keyboard, good luck. I've tried hundreds of them at this point, and I'm usually left disappointed. YouTuber Flurples knows the feeling, it seems—but rather than crying about it, they've instead decided to modify their Framework 13 laptop to include not just a proper, fully-fledged mechanical keeb, but several rotary dials inside a custom aluminium chassis, too.
And the result is... gorgeous, actually. I'm not sure what particular aesthetic this build is going for, but I'd call it 90's chic (via Notebookcheck). It's the sort of laptop you'd imagine featuring in an action movie from that period, the kind of machine that someone wearing wraparound sunglasses would throw from one moving car to another, wherein the token tech nerd would catch it, mash the keys for a few seconds, then loudly declare "I'm in."
Anyway, I digress. The real stars of the show here are those three rotary encoder dials on the right-hand side of the keyboard. They're not just fidget toys, y'see—they're CNC-cut aluminium beauties sunk directly into the frame, and can be used to adjust the volume and screen brightness directly from the laptop deck itself.
I would almost certainly use them as fidget toys. Regardless, let's get back to that keyboard. As a result of the thicker-than-standard bottom deck, Flurples (superb name, by the way) has been able to integrate a compact 60% HHKB layout unit into the laptop itself, complete with Kailh Choc Sunset tactile switches and MBK profile keycaps.
Oh, and get this—because dear Flurples didn't like the red accents that came with the keycaps, they dyed their own set themselves. That's a level of attention to detail I didn't know existed, but if you want fussy, that's keyboard nerds for you.
Only kidding, mechanical keeb geeks. I aspire to your level of nerdery, I promise. There's also a custom internal USB hub integrated into the build, but unfortunately, it's non-functional at this point, although some helpful folk in the comments are providing advice in that regard.
What we're left with, after all of Flurple's endeavours, is a seriously chonky laptop with impeccable street cred. Sure, I bet it's an absolute pig to cram into a laptop bag, and perhaps it's defeating the point of a portable computing machine in the first place—but I'm old enough to remember when all laptops were absolute chonkers like this, except they were contained in boring beige plastic, not beautifully-finished aluminium.
It's got the same footprint as the original, at least, and it's a great extension of the modular hardware philosophy that makes the Framework 13 such an interesting machine. If you don't like something, make it your own, that's what I say. Although now I'm staring at my keycaps, and wondering if I should break out the dye bucket.
Nah, I don't think so. The rotary encoders, though? That's much more my speed. You spin me right round, baby right round... yes, I'll stop now.
1. Best overall:
Razer Blade 16 (2025)
2. Best budget:
Gigabyte G6X
3. Best 14-inch:
Razer Blade 14 (2025)
4. Best mid-range:
MSI Vector 16 HX AI
5. Best high-performance:
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10
6. Best 17-inch:
Gigabyte Aorus 17X
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