Deciding when to buy RAM & SSD

Framework Laptop 12
1

Hi everyone! I’ve pre-ordered the Framework 12 w/o the SSD or RAM. Since I’m in Batch 10, I’m aware that it’ll most likely ship late September/early October.

My biggest concern right now is regarding the stuff I won’t be getting with my pre-order. Specifically, since we are currently in peak hurricane season, I wanted to make sure my RAM and SSD arrive roughly around the same time as my laptop. Yes, I am aware I should probably buy it physically if this is a concern, but my options are strictly Walmart and Best Buy (no, I am not kidding) and online retailers have relatively cheaper offerings.

I’m thinking Crucial 16GB RAM, Kingston 1TB SSD and this charger. My other option would be buying everything directly from Framework, which would just mean simplifying my build for my current budget.

(if anyone can offer any alternative buying options that are not amazon and ship to Puerto Rico, I’d really appreciate it.)

So, ultimately, it comes down to buy it now and not be covered by the return period or buy it later and possibly wait to build the laptop.

2

For a Batch 4 FW12 shipping to the contiguous US:
My “We’re preparing your batch!” email was August 3rd.
My card was charged and my “Your order is shipping soon” email was August 5th.
My “Your order has shipped” email was August 6th.
My order was delivered on August 7th.

Tracking shows it leaving Taiwan on August 6th and arriving at my address on August 7th, which is faster than I expected.

I’m not sure how long shipping normally takes for you, but I’d guess that if you order your parts right when you get the “We’re preparing your batch!” email, they should arrive close enough to the laptop that you’d be able to try everything in the return window.

If you want a little more warning, try watching the Batch 9 thread to see when their units are shipping, and figure that yours will probably ship a week or so later.

I’m not in Puerto Rico, but I got my parts from https://www.bhphotovideo.com/ . They often price things the same as Amazon. They ship pretty quickly and they package things better than amazon does. Their free shipping is only for the “contiguous USA”, but they do claim to ship to Puerto Rico. They don’t have as broad a selection, though.

1 Like
3

I ordered the SSD weeks before mine got shipped, as I could test the SSD in other PCs have, and could use it even if would have to return the FW12. At this time there was a good price.

I ordered the RAM on the day I got the tracking-number and got it two days before the FW12 arrived. So if I should have to return the FW12 I have roughly 10 days too test, and could still return the RAM.

1 Like
4

User name checks out :smile:

I was also tempted to buy some during Prime day as there were some good deals. But eventually did not buy due to return window

5

I took my time, looking for great deals while awaiting shipment. That means looking for sales or significant discounts via refurb stuff on Amazon. I saved probably $50 on my SSD and $40 on my RAM by getting them through Amazon’s refurbished sellers. You might even be able to save some more by looking on Facebook Marketplace or reddit’s /r/homelabsales or /r/hardwareswap. I’ve had good luck there in the last few years.

1 Like
6

I ordered the nvme way in advance, because it was something I could test without the laptop. The RAM I waited for the preparing your batch email.

1 Like
7

Same as @Rightaway and @Tako : SSDs are probably safe to buy in advance as long as you make sure you get the right specs, if you can test it in another computer (internally or with an external case) when you receive it. I was more wary of RAM compatibility vs. return window so I waited for the “preparing” e-mail before ordering, and received it the day before the laptop arrived.

Side note: I actually bought a 2280 SSD months earlier after pre-ordering a Ryzen AI Laptop 13, only to then change my mind and pre-order a Laptop 12 instead :smiley: Well that’s now in an external case and used as a backup drive…

2 Likes
8

You can never have to much drives :wink: so it’s not a miss if you can afford the extra money. :+1:

1 Like
9

Alright, thanks guys! I’ve found that newegg also ships to Puerto Rico and has similar enough pricing to Amazon. I did check out bhphotovideo but found their stock a bit limiting.

I did also check on Facebook Marketplace, but most people are selling whole computers, not necessarily the individual parts. A shame, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for refurbished parts in the future. Saving every little cent whenever possible lol.

Moreover, as for shipping, Amazon has been a hassle recently, with some of our orders getting lost. So I’m going to test out newegg and see if the shipping is any better.

As always, keeping an eye on the batches. When Batch 9 gets their orders, I’ll be placing my items in the cart. Then, I’ll just wait for the email.

Once again, thanks for the help! It’s good to hear that the ssd isn’t so much a problem as the ram is. Hopefully I won’t have any issues.

1 Like
10

If you are based in US maybe check the sales for Labor Day?

11

Oooooh, I hadn’t thought of that! Labor Day weekend is this weekend. That should also lower the price of the ssd at minimum. RAM I’m thinking is too early a buy.

12

I’m posting this in case any future Puerto Rican buyers want a rough idea when they should buy their components. NOTE: if you buy during the heavier seasons like Christmas, wherein the postal carriers have a lot more work, these dates might change.

I ordered my memory and storage as soon as I received the “we are preparing your batch” email (which was on September 11) and received them on September 17. I thought they might take longer, but it seems I got lucky.

Additionally, my card was charged yesterday (September 18) and my order shipped today (September 19). It should be arriving by next week, so everything is in their return period.

1 Like