Clarification needed on High power consumption

In the Expansion Card Slot functionality on Framework Laptop 16 - the “higher power consumption” icons - do these apply to:

  1. You are able to charge your device with higher power
  2. the USB-A extension port will cause a higher discharge if placed in this port

Eventually this should be clarified. it is not very clear to me, even though I am quite daily in the forum.

1 Like

AFAIK, it’s referring to the second option, where a usb-a port is will consume more power if placed in those ports specifically.

3 Likes

This is why I had asked if that could be specified more clearly :}

Number 2 only.

Perhaps if the text read: “higher power consumption with a USB-A expansion card”?

How would an USB-A port influence charging? Those tings are “exit only” power wise.

Well, some chargers charge my phone in an hour, others in3. So there must be something.

Ohhhh you mean a downstream device.

Afaik the framework has no outgoing fast-charging of any kind (no PD, no quickcharge, no whatever the hell huawei calls theirs or any of the others).

Well, that’s the point. That is not clear, reason I asked that to be clarified on that page. IMHO best place to do that.

Could be cleared but going from “power consumption” to charging output is a bit of a jump too, especially since it is a warning and I’d think a higher output charging capability would be a feature not a warning.

The root issue here is that the usb4 redrivers in the framework can’t sleep right with the usb-a cards connected which leads to higher idle consumption.

4 Likes

Then maybe just clarify that as written.
Next guy who goes on that page will eventually ask the same question :}

I think there is technically outgoing PD, however it’s only 15w (otherwise outgoing charging is limited to 7.5w).

3 Likes

I definitely wasn’t able to get anything but 5V out of any of the ports but I guess you are right 5v negotiated over technically PD still counts as PD.

How does this work?
Where is that used power going with the A port connected? Only possibility is heat with nothing else connected to it.

Correct. The power goes to excess heat.

The USB-A port being present causes the retimers (chips that essentially retransmit USB4 signals with adjusted timings in order to improve signaling integrity, especially over longer cables) to get stuck in a state where they are constantly on unnecessarily, which causes the retimers to consume power and produce heat.

9 Likes

Unfortunately, Framework has said that there appears to be no AMD compatible chips available without this issue.

1 Like

I don’t think it a huge problem. There’s no real reason to waste the USB4/Thunderbolt3 ports on a slow USB-A connection anyway.

6 Likes

Yeah, not like the A ports support USB 4 speeds anyway. Put them in the USB 3.x bays at the front.

I don’t see it as a problem at all. But definitely something to be aware of. I would also expect it to change on new motherboard/cpu release combinations.

If there is a FW16 Intel board, there’s likely still a limit of 4x USB 4 ports.

3 Likes

Except if you want to connect 3 USB-A devices to your laptop without using a USB HUB… Like, IDK, an external hard disk (or USB memory stick), a keyboard and a mouse. Or two of those things and a gamecontroller…

I assumed my default configuration for the Framework 13 AMD I ordered would be 1x USB-C (for charging) and 3x USB-A (for whatever I want to connect, I don’t have many USB-C devices, and those I do have use USB2), but apparently I should stick another adapter into the second USB4 port…

If I get a USB-C 3.0 connected USB Hub (or Cardreader/USB-Hub combo), and connect that to a USB-C 4 port of the laptop, will that cause the same power consumption issues?