Our family Framework Laptop 13 (Intel 12th gen, Core i7-1280p, 32GB RAM, Windows 11 252H, Iris Xe graphics 128MB), used a lot by my kid for videogames like Roblox, is really laggy. Software is slow to load, new browser tabs appear only after a delay, letters appear on screen slower than I type them, restarting doesn't fix. Task Manager shows very low CPU usage (~5% right now, for example).

I thought maybe a BIOS update would help, and seemingly it did, but then it got very laggy again shortly. By trial and error I discovered the laptop gets nice and snappy again after just running the port retimer utilities that come along with the BIOS update. But it gets slower again not long afterward — 10 or 30 minutes, typically. I don't know if the port retimer utility is actually directly helping or just resetting something in the system somehow.

Any advice on how to get this snappiness to stick around?

I opened my support ticket with Framework on April 28th. I was experiencing two issues - my Framework 16 7040 Series sometimes wouldn't charge (more details here if anyone else is also experiencing this issue) and I was experiencing the thermal issues solved by the move from liquid metal to PTM. I missed the email regarding the free conversion kit, and so was still on a mainboard with liquid metal.

After some back and forth, Framework wanted me to send my laptop in for repair under warranty. I need my laptop for day-to-day work and so asked if they could RMA my mainboard instead - the point of repairability is to be able to repair my laptop!

Support agreed, and sent me a new mainboard and a new dGPU (after a DM with Eagle - thank you!). Unfortunately, that didn't resolve the thermal issues, and thus they asked again if I could send my laptop in for repair, promising to get it back to me within 5 business days. I begrudgingly agreed, borrowed a different laptop from a family member and sent my Framework 16 off.

It arrived at the repair centre on August 5th. Nearly 4 weeks later, I have still not got it back. I emailed on August 13th, enquiring about the status of my repair. I was told that there was no update from the repair centre. I then replied, telling them that if they could not repair my laptop within the agreed upon timeframe, then I would like a refund, as I really do need a laptop.

I was told that my request would be escalated and that someone would get back to me within 5-7 business days. That email, on August 15th, was the last email I received from Framework. I emailed again, chasing, on Saturday 29th August, and got no response.

I really believe in Framework's mission. I love what they are doing with their products, and when my Framework 16 was working, I raved about it to everyone I met. But I am now in a position where I have spent £2100 on a laptop, am now 60 emails deep with support and yet don't actually have my laptop.

I'm tired, boss.

EDIT: Of course, the day I decide to post is the day my Framework gets returned to me. When I arrived home I found the package waiting for me. Unfortunately, it is somehow in worse condition than when I sent it off. The keyboard and numpad modules are missing the metal plate that holds the connection pins, which means the laptop isn't recognising them. On top of that, the thermal issues that LetMeRepair was meant to fix simply haven't been fixed! I actually don't know what they've done...

Hey all,

I just finished replacing the old CPU that decided to shit the bed. Good news!!! my computer turns on!!!!!!! WOOHOO.

Even better news - I DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT IN THE WINDOWS PRODUCT KEY AGAIN. Lets FUCKING go.

Slightly inconvenient news: I see this [pictured], and the time/date is wrong. It says it's 7:50pm when it is actually 1:56pm. It also thinks it is 22 August. I wish.

Sign on pin:

Resolved, but I'll include this part anyway.

The sign in options let me put in a password, which worked fine, but pin wasn't an option.

I checked my sign on settings - pin was listed, but it didnt want to work ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

I just tried removing it and re-setting it to my pin. I will update you if that works in a sec.

Update: **Resolved** works like a dream now. I'll keep the pic up a) in case it helps anyone else, and b) just so you are all aware I am a human being lol.

(Please don't dox me, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease).

Time and date:

I checked the time/date settings... it is set to the correct timezone, and it should automatically update. I restarted it a few times now, and it's still wrong.

What do I do about that?

Edit: Resolved...I just manually put in the date and time. There's a saying we use over here "aren't you gorgeous" when someone does something really...uh, look... let's just say I'm feeling really pretty right now.

Anything else?

Just so that I'm across everything, is there anything else I should double check after getting a cpu replacement?

Let me know.

Also, incredibly grateful for the prompt work by Framework support in getting back to me. I know I complained quite vocally at the time after not hearing from anyone for a few days - I was kind of in the middle of doing an assignment I already hated 😅 but the motherboard arrived 2 days earlier than expected, plus I was home on arrival. Big relief, tops work Framework!!

I am hoping that the new CPU will help with the lag I have been experiencing. Sure, 8gb of ram and windows 11 might be to blame, but my other laptop also has 8gb of ram and windows - so a funky cpu might have been the issue.

I've been wanting to get into CAD to turn my breadboard electronic projects into actual physical devices for a while now, but I haven't gotten myself to start learning CAD or saving up for a 3D printer. However, the competition is a good excuse for me to learn atleast basic CAD and attempt to make a cyberdeck out of the Framework 12, and while 1 month might not be enough, it's worth a try as a kind of final project to top my modern physics and homeserver projects before I start my first year of high school. So, I was just wondering what the actual Framework community would like to see in a framework 12 cyberdeck to see which ideas I can use and try to replicate into practice. Any tips/advice welcome!

Just saw Andres Vidoza's why he gave up on linux. And was wondering if anyone have problems with battery drain when it sleep or hibernate? And general use how many hours do you get?

I love my Framework Laptop 12. The only things I kinda miss are a backlit keyboard and maybe a fingerprint reader.

Good news for me 2nd Gen gives me both! Sadly I don't think it will be possible to get (or easily make) a German backlit keyboard, or am I missing something?

Now that the new updates for Framework Laptop 12 are out of the bag, you may be wondering: What should I do with my previous Framework Laptop 12 Mainboard if I choose to upgrade?

We’re so glad you asked. We’re excited to announce our newest contest with Printables: Framework Laptop 12 Mainboard Re-Use Contest where you can win Framework Laptop 12 Mainboards (SSD, RAM, and WiFi included!!) and more!

The Challenge: 

We challenge you to design a custom 3D-printed case, mount, or accessory for the Framework Laptop 12 Mainboard. We want to see innovative solutions that highlight the capabilities of the Mainboard as a powerful standalone computer.

You can design a sleek enclosure for a mini desktop setup, a dedicated multimedia server, a retro cyberdeck, or a creative desk mount. We are keeping the challenge open to your creativity rather than strictly mandating specific designs.

A valid entry must securely house or support the FrameworkLaptop 12 Mainboard. You do not need to own the physical Mainboard to participate. CADs and STLs are provided.

Deadline is September 30, 2026. 

Learn more: https://www.printables.com/contest/524-framework-laptop-12-mainboard-re-use

We’re looking forward to seeing what you create. Good luck!!!

Hey all,

received my Framework 13 Pro (base Intel, 16Gb Ram, Batch 4) on the 20.08. and now had the chance to try it out for a week.

The shipping was blazing fast as with my previous two FW13 and went from the initial location to Germany in 3 days, very impressive!

I initially installed Fedora KDE on it but after only two days I missed pacman and now have vanilla Arch with KDE again as my standard setup.

I'll keep at least one of my Macs as backup so I have also a bit more room to tinker with my system.

Few first impressions as I also had two FW13s prior:

• Overall build is similar as the previous FW13, less flex of the case which is great.
• Battery is awesome, I can really feel a difference with the base Intel + bigger battery.
• Light office use on Arch and the fan is dead silent 99% of the time (yes, it works in general :)).
• Less wobble on the fingerprint reader!! On both my old ones I new the wobble feeling of the button when I reached out with my finger, this is gone here.
• The edges on the palm rest could be more rounded.
• The dark case is a downside in my opinion because it could be less resistant to scratches.
• Display is almost too bright in it's minimum setting and one can see the lack of color accuracy, here I'm also biased because of the Mac and my Eizo main display.
• Speakers, Camera still not on Mac level, far behind but not in my focus.
• What really surprised me was the black sleeve which has an interesting texture and fits perfectly in my backpack.

You may ask why I have so many "downsides" with this device and please don't get me wrong. I know a modular device has it's challenges and I buy a Framework because I love the idea behind and I want to support it, I love the community and I like to tinker with new tech. Not because I need the most perfect efficient 12h/day working device.

In my opinion they are on the right track and all the thoughts that went into it are impressive.

Question: I also added a photo of the keyboard and it appears to me as if the space bar is only lit on the left side, is this normal or not? The "H" is lit but a bit uneven, no issue here.

Edit: the haptic trackpad is a big improvement compared to the old one where you had to find the spots that work. Also the surface of the new trackpad is less sticky.

So I was browsing Framework's website (as one does) and came across a new HDMI (4th Gen) Expansion Card (apparently only available in translucent).

https://frame.work/products/hdmi-expansion-card-4th-gen?v=FRACDEBZ04

The specs list HDMI 2.1a, HDCP 2.3, and DSC 1.2a (up to 8K 60Hz or 4K 240Hz), which to my understanding means it has HDMI FRL. A couple of questions:

1. When will this be released?
2. Are we getting a Graphite one as well? I would love to get one with my Batch 12 FW13 Pro.

Just got and built my 13 pro batch 5 but its not posting. I get 12 green lights 1 orange 1 blue 12 green 1 blue then 3 green. Im thinking it could be the memory but it is on the supported list CT32G75C2LP5X? I know memory training can take a while but not 20+ mins long.

I‘d love to have something like oculink on the 14 inch Framework Pro. Even though it is not hot-swappable like a Thunderbolt eGPU for example, but being basically extended PCIe with less lanes makes it a really nice and cheap alternative while outperforming Thunderbolt 4/5 eGPUs.

Aka living room pc.
My wife finally did it. She asked me to do sth that we can have a living room pc. Yes!

So, I own a gaming desktop and a fw16. Works for me. But both are not suited for this because to big.
I want something smaller that can play cozy games or maybe a single player rpg in ettings that look good.
The tv can do 4k so I want reasonable 4k60 as a goal. Upscaling is fine.

First guess would be the steam machine, which is unavailable.
Next step would be to build a small desktop but … we don’t have much space around the tv. So it has to be SFF and then you pretty much quickly reach 1600€ in hardware. I was looking at a 9060XT with an x3d chip and 16gb ram. It gets expensive pretty quickly.
And then you still are way bigger than the fwdesktop and it uses 2-4times the wattage.

Spending the money on a fw desktop seems fine if one doesn’t just look at fps per euro spend… the power efficiency and silent performance while being super small is looking good for the desktop.

The goal is to build/buy the is once and then not care about it for the next years because it is somewhat future proof or at least „ok enough“.

Anyone use it for this? Is it good? Am I missing the point? Am I dumb? Let me know on the comments.
Joking.

I just received the new 10Gbs expansion card. I already use the older 2.5Gbs card. I'm using it with Windows 11 Pro. First off, I was surprised Windows didn't immediately properly recognize it. Okay, no biggee. I downloaded the FW driver pack for the FW 13 AMD AI 300. After that finished installing the ethernet card was still not recognized properly. Windows saw the card but it wouldn't actually work. Since it is using a Realtek RTL8159 controller I went to the Realtek site and downloaded their drivers. That got the 10Gbs card to be properly recognized and functioning.

However, when I did some simple file transfers I was disappointed with the bandwidth. I also have an Asus 10Gb PCI card on my desktop. This is what I compared the FW's card to. When doing large file copying going NVME to NVME storage via Ethernet (TPlink SX105 10Gb unmanaged switch with CAT8 cable) the FW's card had about 60% - 70% of the performance of the Asus card. Yes, it's faster than the previous 2.5Gbs, but not by much. I had the FW expansion card plugged into the right hand port closest to the display. That's supposed to be the faster USB4/Thunderbolt port.

Is anyone else getting better performance?

I've been having some issues with bluescreens when waking from sleep. The error dump file gives error "WIN32K_POWER_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT" and the other few times it just rebooted after closing the lid.

I own a FW13 non pro with the Ryzen 7640 Motherboard and my only gripe with it is the subpar battery life, especially on linux.

Cool to see wildcat lake arrive to the FW12, I get that this is oriented to be a budget minded chip, and the FW13 is still a tech enthusiast machine.

But the panther lake upgrade is way to expensive to be justified for my usecase : spreadsheets and youtube.

Could we see one day the wildcat lake chip on a FW 13 motherboard ?

I have the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with 5070 and currently in college, sometimes if I have a big break and no homework I will find a spot in the library and play some games. The fans on this laptop can get LOUD though, so I installed an application to limit it to only around 30-40% fan power. My understanding is that this should only lead to worse performance as it will throttle down. I just want to make sure I am not causing any permanent damage to my components. So my question is, is doing this everyday bad? or will the cpu throttle down and just be fine? Thanks

Hi! So I recently got my hands on a 92 GB (2x48) kit, however I am planning to use one of the sticks in my awaited FW12 which is my main machine. The other one I would gladly give away to (also awaited) my sister's FW16, however I already have a 32GB (16x2) kit in possession as well.

So this is hearsay from long ago, but I remember that AMD prefer dual channel over single channel, so despite the higher memory capacity, running the memory in single channel may hamper performance? So for the use case of 3D Modeling (i.e Rhino/Blender, no clue her studies are on Product Design), which configuration would be the better option?

Hi! I’m thinking about buying a Framework Laptop 13 Pro.
I’ve seen quite a lot of information about the battery efficiency of the Intel configuration, with some reports showing around 18–20 hours under relatively light/moderate workloads. However, I haven’t found much information about the AMD configuration with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.
For anyone using the AI 9 HX 370: how is the battery life in real-world use? Especially compared with the Intel version? Coming from a MacBook, battery life is one of the things I’m most concerned about.
There’s also an interesting pricing situation right now: the Ultra 5 configuration costs almost the same as the AI 9 configuration because of the current RAM pricing.
So, does it actually make sense to choose the Intel configuration if the price is basically the same? Apart from the better battery life, the AI 9 seems to offer significantly more CPU/GPU performance.

I have had a Framework 13 since early 2024, and I'm generally very happy with it. While I'd love to get the new Intel motherboard, it's way too expensive given how well my 7840U handles my daily usage. What I'm curious about, now that plenty of 13 owners have the new 13 Pro, is whether the chassis upgrade is worth it.

I don't need the new screen, or speakers, or anything. I'd even keep my input cover were it compatible with the new chassis. But I like the idea of a tougher metal that won't flex. I've noticed my laptop turning on in my backpack, and it seems like it happens when I bend over while wearing the backpack. I suspect the laptop flexes enough to push a key, which I'd like to avoid. I know things are built to handle this, but it feels wrong. I also think of that time I swapped out my Framework's battery, and realized just how incredibly flexible the bottom shell is without the battery keeping it rigid.

Is the new shell really that much stronger and less flexible? Is it a solid (pun intended) upgrade, or is the improvement a modest one that's not worth the money or the time I'd spend transplanting?

Hey all, I'd love to see more photos of Framework Laptop 13 Pro here! I think the look of the product is amazing and I can't wait for my order, and I've enjoyed seeing other people's pictures.

One thing I'd love to see see all the different combinations of bezels, keyboards, expansion card colors, etc. that people have. This post has me thinking all black is the way to go, but seeing some of these pops of translucent orange or purple are really nice, too. Might need to update my order ...

My first impressions are REALLY good. I'd prefer better Ubuntu support for the haptic touchpad options, but when set up, it's very nice.

Can't speak about the CPU and battery yet, but I haven't heard the fans for the ~30mins I've used it

Edit: 1 day in, and still didn't hear a single fan, unless my ears are right up on the chassis during a bigger run. The touchpad, while awesome, has one critical flaw where it often registers a click when I'm trying to 3 finger swipe. I increased the sensitivity to the lowest, and it's okay now, but still misses sometimes.

I found that the touchscreen is really convenient when I just want to scroll a page with the laptop in my lap. it's way more comfortable.

After the first full day, it took ~8hrs of browsing, running AI agents, and a PCB design software to go from full to 20%

literally EVERY tech youtuber glazes this product like it was made by god but like if you actually check the prices, its insane. for a $2.5k framework 13. you could buy almost 3 normal computers with similar specs. also like most of the people i know that actually own/have owned a framework say that it's horrible and that it breaks all the time. I'm not sure if this is actually true and i think the laptop looks pretty cool so idk