In the Expansion Card Slot functionality on Framework Laptop 16 - the “higher power consumption” icons - do these apply to:
Eventually this should be clarified. it is not very clear to me, even though I am quite daily in the forum.
AFAIK, it’s referring to the second option, where a usb-a port is will consume more power if placed in those ports specifically.
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.
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).
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.
Unfortunately, Framework has said that there appears to be no AMD compatible chips available without this issue.
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.
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.
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?