I have a Framework 16 laptop with the Ryzen™ 9 7940HS. I got a DIY so I added 32GB of Crucial 5600mhz Ram and a 2TB WD SN850X m.2.
My laptop was working perfectly fine until 2 days ago where when I turned on my laptop it showed the Framework Logo and then went black. The fans are running, the RGB keyboard is still lit and the white led light for the power button is on. I tried to figure out what the problem was so of course I researched it. I tried reseating my ram and tried to use 1 on either 0 or 1 slot. I tried reseating my storage. I tried using a different ram and storage. I tried reinstalling windows 10.
The keyboard inputs didn’t respond, there are sometimes that when I rebooted the laptop it would say automatic repair are running. There are times where I did try to login, but I get to the screen that says can’t do an advanced diagnostic check / repair (your pc did not start correctly) so try restarting your computer.
Nothing worked. The best thing that happened was when I left it off in my metal cabinet overnight, it turned on working until 2 hours later it went black again. The display doesn’t seem to be a problem and I don’t think it could be the storage or ram. Does anyone have any idea?
I just updated the bios that I saw on the community posts as well - did not fix the issue
I’d think that maybe there’s a loose connection with the eDP cable. Does the screen go black as in off or black as in you can still see the backlight? I’m a little worried about the Windows repair showing up. Did that happen after reseating the RAM or before? If before reseating the RAM you might have a much bigger issue.
It went black as in off, but the thing is I was able to go into the bios and did the update without any problem (the screen stayed on). I feel like it might not be the eDP cable (but then again I haven’t done anything with the screen just yet).
The windows repair showed up before reseating the ram. After reseating the ram, and after doing a fresh install as well. I feel like it shows up every other forced reboot.
I would almost guarantee it is the RAM from your description. Do you have only one RAM module or do you have two? If you have only one it would probably be worth getting a pair of 8GB modules of eBay to verify as alternate modules.
I got a pair of 48GB modules for my FL16, and one has gone bad producing identical symptoms to what you describe. It took me quite a while to sort out which one it was, and to confirm it wasn’t the sockets on the motherboard before I decided I definitely have a faulty RAM module. It also started with both modules working, then the machine slowly locking up as it failed.
I’d suggest taking it apart and making sure all the connections are seated properly (unplug and replug). Hopefully it’s an issue with a loose connection somewhere. Otherwise I’d be worried about a hardware issue either somewhere on the main board or in the CPU. Also, @Alan_Pearce might have the solution for you. I’d hate for you to have to RMA the whole laptop.
I have two ram modules of 16gb each. i have tried another pair of 8gb 5600mhz ram as well and the problem still persists. I can try to just pick up another pair to try and see if it really is the ram. If it still happens than I guess an RMA would have to be the solution…
I just picked up a brand new kit from microcenter and tested them out. It seems like the problem is still the same ;-; I did let it run to let the memory train as well for about 15mins. I guess I need to rma the laptop.
Thank you @Klay_Hart for your suggestions too. I did replug all the cables I saw and still nothing happened too.
Well, I wasn’t suggesting you get new modules if you already had two, where you could already swap them around - but it will help.
I think you will find that FW will provide you with a replacement main board, rather than the whole laptop. Don’t forget to reference this thread when sretting up your support request.
Yea I just wanted to make sure. It was fairly close to my workplace so it was a quick trip. Oh great! I will make sure to reference this thread when contacting them. Thank you!
Sorry to hear your frustrations. It sounds like it is more the motherboard, the EC, or the OS (though not likely)
To rule out the OS, once you get a clean boot into Windows, turn off all power saving, set it to High Performance mode and check that the laptop goes to sleep: Never. Blanking the display should be ok you can change that to like 2 minutes. Let it sit for a few hours and if it does it again it is hardware/firmware related.
After you flashed the new BIOS, there is a rare issue where some odd values are left in the Embedded Controller (EC). To help mitigate this, go into your BIOS and reset the Default Values (I think it is F9?) Then reboot your machine.
If you are handy and feel like exploring a little you could try making an Ubuntu 24.04 USB and booting to the Live environment and see if the same thing happens. It probably will. Let us know how it turns out.