A new upgradable laptop with a discrete GPU has just been announced at a good price, but there are two big reasons not to order one yet

HardwareGaming LaptopsA new upgradable laptop with a discrete GPU has just been announced at a good price, but there are two big reasons not to order one yetWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Firebat)

Firebat upgradeable laptop, the Huan 16 Air

I kinda love modular laptops. The ability to swap parts in and out like a regular desktop, yet also pop it in your backpack is an incredibly attractive idea, and a brand called Firebat has just shown off a great little machine to rival Framework, the top dog of modular machines. However, the thing that sets this apart may also be what makes it a bit of a risky sell.

This isn’t uncommon for gaming laptops of course, but what makes this specific model stand out is that you can essentially buy a new, specifically made graphics card and slot it in for better performance.

At just $780 (before tax) for theRTX 4060 model, this is a bargain price, especially when you consider you would be partially purchasing it as an investment piece. Whereas other laptops only degrade with age, this one’s upgradable GPU means that its shelf life is a little better. However, as of right now, it seems it will only launch in China. This means you will pay a lot more to import it or have to hope a bigger store starts stocking Firebat models.

Comparing it to the Framework, which we previously gave apositive review, the Huan 16 Air isn’t quite as customizable. Firebat has only announced you can swap out the GPU and not the rest of the laptop, like Framework. As is the case with many laptops, the SSD may be upgradeable too but we’d have to actually open it up and take a look to find out.

However, it being less upgradable than the Framework isn’t the biggest downside to the future of this model. Instead, you need to look at previous upgradable designs to get the bigger picture.

TheAlienware Area-51Mlaunched back in 2019 and was pitched as an upgradable gaming laptop. Just two years after that,Alienware found itself in the middle of a class action lawsuitfor false advertising over just how upgradable that machine is.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

You may be able to swap out that RTX 4060 now but if you want to upgrade with the arrival of theRTX 5070next year, your chances of doing so seem pretty slim. Because you seemingly can’t upgrade the amount of power this thing gets, even if it somehow supports next-gen cards, it would have a very low TDP, which negatively impacts performance.

Firebat has not proven itself as a brand that can promise long-term support and evenAlienware, one of the biggest in the world, seemingly couldn’t manage it. I’m excited to watch what Firebat do with this machine but I’ll be keeping my distance for now.

Best gaming PC: The top pre-built machines.Best gaming laptop: Great devices for mobile gaming.

Best gaming PCBest gaming laptop

Best gaming PC: The top pre-built machines.Best gaming laptop: Great devices for mobile gaming.

More about gaming laptopsIf you love a big laptop without a big price tag, this RTX 4070 17.3-incher is an ideal pick at $1,300The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 now looks like a dazzler of a gaming laptop, even if it’s still a bit of a paving slabLatestToday’s Wordle answer for Monday, January 13See more latest►

More about gaming laptops

If you love a big laptop without a big price tag, this RTX 4070 17.3-incher is an ideal pick at $1,300The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 now looks like a dazzler of a gaming laptop, even if it’s still a bit of a paving slab

A promotional image of an Asus TUF Gaming F17 laptop against a teal background with a white border

If you love a big laptop without a big price tag, this RTX 4070 17.3-incher is an ideal pick at $1,300

M’colleague Jacob Ridley holding up an Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 at CES 2025, showing the LED underlighting and outer case effects.

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 now looks like a dazzler of a gaming laptop, even if it’s still a bit of a paving slab

LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Monday, January 13See more latest►

Latest

Today’s Wordle answer for Monday, January 13

Wordle today being played on a phone

Today’s Wordle answer for Monday, January 13

See more latest►

Most Popular

Today’s Wordle answer for Sunday, January 12

Watching an all-romances speedrun of the legendarily janky Fallout: New Vegas is a delight

Activision will send you alarmingly detailed data for every single Call of Duty match you’ve played in the last 4 years if you ask, and players are using it to figure out their mysterious SBMM rankings

Here’s a game about being a depressed, lonely maintenance robot on a long-haul space colony ship

Civilization 7 has been Steam Deck Verified ahead of its launch next month

23-year-old D&D RPG Neverwinter Nights just got a new update thanks to the ‘unpaid software engineers’ of its unkillable community

My Summer Car, the absurdly detailed Finnish life sim about vehicle maintenance and drinking in your underpants, smashes into 1.0 after nearly a decade in Steam early access

Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a run at improving parkour, as Ubisoft strives to make the system less ‘like a gas pedal’

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals