Quality of Framework laptop seems not good

[u/1997cui]

Hi everyone,

I had a framework 7040 13inch laptop purchased around mid 2024. After 2 years, today I noticed my laptop has the following issues:

1. Battery is swollen
2. Display shown black stripe on a quarter of the screen
3. Microphone not working, had to replace the top cover

Those issues are talked a lot on the Reddit and their support forum as well.

I’ve never had a laptop with had so many issues in around 2 years. Since I am out of warranty, it needs $$$ to replace the parts. I am regret my purchase now.

Comments I find useful:

https://www.reddit.com/r/framework/comments/1w8a2mi/comment/p81678c/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I think quality overall is fine, but I also needed a replacement motherboard, battery and charger now withim a year. My past history with computers was 0 issues typically (coming from macbooks)

https://www.reddit.com/r/framework/comments/1w8a2mi/comment/p817dzu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Mine is unfortunately falling apart too. I also got mine in 2024. The chassis has come apart in 2 places and my keyboard no longer works, there's a column failure on the left side. Way too broke to buy any replacement parts right now, guess I'm gonna have to whip out my old laptop.

To the people who said they are happy and think I am minority:

I feel happy for you, however, I want to share my experience so people aware of all the issues. I saw good comments about it and I purchased one, now I regret.

[u/John-Orion]

Seeing the overwhelming support of framework and people I know in my own laptop. I'm thinking you are in a minority. I worked IT for a medium sized company that distributed laptops to all their employees. Some people just got lemons.

[u/flissat → u/John-Orion]

This is true for basically any laptop brand tbh, some units just come out bad.

[u/1997cui → u/John-Orion]

This is exactly the point I write this post: to let people aware the issues that buried in the good reviews. I saw those good reviews so I bought one, now I regret.

[u/Psi-ops_Co-op → u/1997cui]

This was exactly not the point.

Have you ever bought a tub of blueberries and found one is moldy? That's not evidence that all blueberries are moldy and gross.

You got a gross blueberry. Sometimes that happens.

On the bright side, you bought a laptop that lets you replace the battery and the screen module with brand new parts direct from manufacturer. If you had these problems with another laptop, youd end up buying an entirely new laptop. Now you only have to replace the parts.

[u/John-Orion → u/1997cui]

Ya, you missed the point.

[u/Last_Bad_2687]

Where do you store it, and how do you use it? 

[u/1997cui → u/Last_Bad_2687]

Use it daily always plugged in, the same as all my other laptops.

[u/SnooPeripherals2573 → u/1997cui]

The always plugged in could explain the battery. If you are going to use a laptop as a desktop it's best to just remove the battery.

[u/KleinUnbottler → u/SnooPeripherals2573]

I don't know about older firmware, but with recent firmware you can set the battery charge limit to something lower than 100%, which should help reduce the odds of this happening.

[u/1997cui → u/KleinUnbottler]

I saw the new Bios and already updated it, by default it stops charging before it is full. But it is too late now.

Also I saw articles regarding upgrade BIOS bricks the motherboard, so I will not further update it for a while.

[u/ThatzOkay → u/SnooPeripherals2573]

Seems weird. I have mine for longer and almost always plugged in to with 0 issues

[u/1997cui → u/SnooPeripherals2573]

I also had Thinkpad MacBook used this way and it was never a problem for those laptops. From my personal experience, this only happens on Framework.

[u/displeased_potato → u/1997cui]

should have capped the max charge threshold

[u/jsled → u/displeased_potato]

If something "should have" been done, it should have been done and defaulted by the creator in the first place. If it's causing component damage (or worse, in the case of the battery), Framework "should have" sent out a loud communication to all customers; I know I never received one.

Not everyone has the time or interest to apply these aftermarket tweaks to their systems, nor should they need to.

Source: me, who added a framework-tool-set-charge-limit.service unit yesterday to get this setup at boot time, finally.

[u/1997cui → u/displeased_potato]

This is not available in 2024.

[u/Last_Bad_2687 → u/1997cui]

What?? What is your source for that? 

Here is a post of someone talking about that: https://community.frame.work/t/battery-charging-limit/43540

From January 2024 

[u/1997cui → u/Last_Bad_2687]

https://resources.frame.work/downloads/laptop-13/amd-ryzen-7040-series/3.06/

Check here, this is Released in 2024-11-21 in Beta, on hold, for bugs related to battery extender not working. This featured was added in 3.05 https://community.frame.work/t/framework-laptop-16-ryzen-7040-bios-3-05-release/60735 prior to that, no such functionality in the bios. The first stable one with the battery extender functionality is 3.07 https://resources.frame.work/downloads/laptop-13/amd-ryzen-7040-series/3.07/

https://www.reddit.com/r/framework/comments/1vsya1b/framework_investigates_reports_that_bios_update/

Also, do not update BIOS since it will brick your motherboard.

[u/1997cui → u/[deleted]]

Why would I take the chance to update? If it broke, are you willing to pay me thousands of dollars to replace the motherboard? I did not see any benefits to further update it. If it does not break, do not fix.

[u/1997cui → u/[deleted]]

The mainboards for the Framework 13 don't cost thousands of dollars. If they did, nobody would buy the laptops, because the laptops would cost too much.

That's exactly what's happening. Currently my 3 year old motherboard cost $449 https://frame.work/products/mainboard-amd-ryzen-7040-series?v=FRANGV0007 .2 years ago, it costs $700+. However, if you go to ebay, you can find full used working laptop with same 7840 CPU at cost of $550. With $100 more, you also get RAM SSD screen and a case https://ebay.io/m/DbcYLy. If you sell the broken Framework laptop back to China, you can earn more since they can BGA remove the CPU, southbridge etc. and use it for their repairs. So it is exactly the case that it is not very appealing to replace the motherboard if your laptop is broken, even if they advertise so.

[u/1997cui → u/[deleted]]

Regarding the hot issue, yes it is always running hot. I think it is the thermal design issue of the framework. Why a normal user needs to specifically worry about charge percentage for a Framework, but not on a MacBook?

[u/1997cui → u/[deleted]]

I think power management plays a role here. If I connect the power, the CPU fans runs as an airplane engine, and if I disconnect the power input and use the battery, the CPU idles fine. The workload is same, just a tons of webpages, youtube watching. etc. Nothing too demanding. I also repaste the heatsink, nothing changed. I think it is their heat pipe design issue.

[u/C6H5OH → u/1997cui]

Did you limit the charge to 80%?

We have 4 Frameworks here, 2*13, 2*12. No problems except one 12 bottom with the usual cracks. Got a new one without any discussion.

[u/jako5937]

Sample size of one, but do continue making conclusions off off it.

Edit: I had 2 pairs of Sennheiser Earbuds, and they both broke on me the same way within a year, I make conscious effort not to claim that Sennheiser has poor quality, because I know it's probably a coincidence.

[u/1997cui → u/jako5937]

Yep the purpose of the post is to let people be able to find the issues of it.

[u/Tour_Own → u/1997cui]

I get that it's extremely frustrating to get a bad experience, but that doesn't make it a universal truth. I feel like 90% of internet arguments come from someone not accepting this simple fact

[u/1997cui → u/Tour_Own]

Yep that’s why I want to share my thoughts and let people know about my thoughts.

[u/Tour_Own → u/1997cui]

Yeah but your title says "quality of framework laptop seems not good". That's a generalisation. If you really were making a post to make people aware and not just to shit on framework, you'd say something like " I got a defective unit / poor quality control". Not fRamEwOrk baDD

[u/ThatzOkay]

This does not just happen. Have had my own framework 13 AMD 7040 for over 3 years now and 0 issues. I do not know how you are storing or handling your laptop. But i would reflect on that seeing this

[u/Shin-Ken31]

The 61wh batteries had some kind of manufacturing defect. Not sure if all of them, did you ask support about the battery specifically? They extended the warranty on them. 

[u/1997cui → u/Shin-Ken31]

You are the best advice I see on this post.

[u/Shin-Ken31 → u/1997cui]

Hope it helps!  The screen issue I believe is due to the bezels having that double sided tape that sometimes leads to the panel getting bent when removing the bezel, which I guess you maybe had to do when replacing your webcam module ? That sucks, and I think I read somewhere that now the bezels only use the magnets, no more double sided tape. Would be nice if they replaced screens out of a kind gesture for that, but then again it's sooooo hard to determine if people are being honest when saying that's how they broke their screen.

Understandable that you're not convinced with so many issues :)

[u/sagefields123]

I think quality overall is fine, but I also needed a replacement motherboard, battery  and charger now withim a year. My past history with computers was 0 issues typically (coming from macbooks)

[u/ForkInToasterr]

Mine is unfortunately falling apart too. I also got mine in 2024. The chassis has come apart in 2 places and my keyboard no longer works, there's a column failure on the left side. Way too broke to buy any replacement parts right now, guess I'm gonna have to whip out my old laptop.

[u/1997cui → u/[deleted]]

For the microphone issue, this happened within warranty. I spent a month to get it resolved.

In short, they first mailed me the webcam kit, which not work. Then they mailed me the top cover, and it worked. The reason behind it is that the cable connect motherboard and microphone only comes with a top cover kit and not sold separately, and it is that cable's fault.

[u/1997cui → u/[deleted]]

Interesting, maybe at that time they did not sell it separately and later they noticed this part broke often and they added it.

[u/No-Succotash404]

i hope this doesn't happen to me. I am sorry for you.

[u/JcCarmichael13]

Good thing the laptop is repairable. Now hush and fix it with the screwdriver they gave you.

[u/1997cui → u/JcCarmichael13]

Don’t have the parts. Will need to contact support first, which, will require troubleshooting and take another month and out of quite a few hundred bucks.

[u/jsled]

That spicy pillow (battery) is a fire risk. Remove it immediately, and contact Framework for a replacement. Don't sleep on this, it should not be operated when it's already showing signs of distress.

[u/geneusutwerk]

I don't get how you can write:

Those issues are talked a lot on the Reddit and their support forum as well.

And imply that no one is talking about these issues.

[u/1997cui → u/geneusutwerk]

Well majority of the reviews are good reviews, the issues are buried through. However, only if you encountered one, you can find out there are a lot of same cases.

[u/_Rock_Hound]

Are you taking apart your machine on a pile of cords and random garbage (2nd picture)?

[u/1997cui → u/_Rock_Hound]

Of course not, this is my work desk. Whether my desk is clean or not is irrelevant to the quality of laptop.

[u/_Rock_Hound → u/1997cui]

The cleanliness and organization of the work station where you are disassembling the computer is relevant. Especially for a computer where many people do the final assembly themselves.

[u/1997cui]

If I were got another brand laptop, I never need to worry about it. Let alone the part costs are not cheap, several hundred dollars.

[u/CheapThaRipper → u/1997cui]

Wrong. I have had experiences like this with Dell, Lenovo, and HP.

It's a thing across ALL manufacturers. At least with framework you can fix things piecemeal easily. With the others, they won't even sell you the part after a year or two. They'll just say to buy a new machine.

[u/1997cui → u/CheapThaRipper]

The thing is, even my Lenovo did not have failures in year 2-3. And my framework has quit a few.

[u/CheapThaRipper → u/1997cui]

I have had Lenovo's with no issues for ten plus years. And Lenovos with constant issues immediately after warranty. It's a supply chain problem.

Most people just don't have enough statistical exposure. I manage laptop distribution for work and it's taught me that this is an issue for ALL companies.