There are two reasons to wait before ordering a new laptop with a discrete graphics card.

I kinda love modular laptops. It's a great idea to be able to swap out parts like a desktop but also to carry it around in a backpack. A brand called Firebat just showed off a fantastic little machine that rivals Framework, the top dog in modular machines. The thing that makes this machine stand out may also be the reason it is a bit risky to sell.

Wccftech has reported that Firebat announced the Huan 16 Air laptop, which features an upgradeable GPU. The graphics card is discrete. This means that unlike some laptops or the best handheld gaming computers, it does not use an integrated GPU along with the CPU.

This is not uncommon for gaming laptops, but this model is unique in that you can buy a new graphics card made specifically for it and install it for better performance.

The RTX model is available for $780 (before taxes) and this is a great price, especially if you are buying it partly as an investment. This laptop's upgradeable GPU extends its shelf life, whereas other laptops degrade over time. As of now, it appears that it will only be available in China. You will have to pay a lot to import it, or hope that a larger store stocks Firebat models.

Huan 16 Air, compared to Framework, a laptop we reviewed previously, isn't as customizable. Firebat only announced that you can swap the GPU, not the entire laptop. The SSD may also be upgradeable, as is the case for many laptops. We'd need to open it up to check.

The fact that it is less upgradeable than Framework is not the biggest problem for the future of this design. You should instead look at previous designs that were upgradable to get a better idea.

Alienware Area-51M was launched in 2019 as a gaming laptop that could be upgraded. Alienware was sued for false advertising just two years later.

When you buy a machine that can be upgraded, you are buying the promise that it will still be relevant and supported when you upgrade. This is the main problem with the Huan 16 Air.

You might be able swap out your RTX 4060 right now, but if you're looking to upgrade when the RTX5070 arrives next year, the chances of that happening seem pretty slim. Even if you could somehow upgrade the amount power this thing gets, it would still have a low TDP which would negatively impact performance.

Firebat hasn't proven that it can provide long-term support, and even Alienware - one of the largest brands in the world - couldn't seem to do it. I'm eager to see what Firebat does with this machine, but I'll keep my distance for the time being.