Detailed specs? Wondering about TB support

Hey there! I’ve been following Framework for years, but I haven’t made a purchase yet. I’m really curious about the Framework 12. I need a 12-inch laptop, especially one that runs Linux, and this seems like the perfect fit. However, while watching the video, I noticed it mentioned USB 3.2, but there was no mention of Thunderbolt or power delivery for any of the ports. Will that information be available? Will at least one of the ports on this laptop support full-featured Thunderbolt?

1 Like

All four ports support power input (around the 5 minute mark in the video). No mention of Thunderbolt, but USB C 3.2

Personal guess: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (Up to 10Gbps and up to 100W PD) - we’ll know for sure within the next 24 hours hopefully.

just wait until tomorrow :slight_smile:

How can he ask that of us?!
:astonished_face: :face_with_spiral_eyes: :face_without_mouth:

3 Likes

I do hope that it’ll at least be 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps)

Not having at least usb4 would be a shame, it’s not as much about the bandwidth as it is about the availability of pcie tunneling. Not that putting an expensive egpu on a budget laptop is the most reasonable thing to do usb4/tb just gives you a ton of flexibility.

You’re not gonna be doing much gaming on a shitty ULV 2 P-core chip from over 2 years ago

1 Like

People game on all kinds of stuff but the kneecapped memory definitely isn’t helping. Hell I have done a bunch of gaming on my t480s that is much weaker in all aspects you just gotta cut off enough edges XD.

Usb4 is not only for gaming though, it’s actually mostly for other stuff, you can connect pretty much anything.

Also the thing is kind of marketed at the school/children laptop market so you and me both know there is gaming going to happen even if it’s a potato. Maybe more happy wheels than cyberpunk but still.

1 Like

Honestly, I think the “for kids” angle here is way overblown. Most people could get by on a Core 2 Duo on a lightweight Linux distro, so a chip equivalent to the Apple M2/Ryzen 5 3600 in terms of CPU performance is definitely adequate for 99 percent of computer users.

It was officially stated as such but I am sure a lot of adults will buy them (I kinda want one too but I already have a 13 and dislike some of the choices they made so I am not).

I doubt it’s going to be quite near an M2 or 3600 (especially not sustained) but I do agree that most people could live with a lot less performance than they have (maybe not a core 2 duo, at least not without added hw decoders), especially if windows didn’t keep eating all of it to do stuff noone asked for XD.

Okay, it was actually barely even the M1 level, but the point here still stands, for people who use their computer only for web browsing (see 95% of the population), even that is overkill. I’m typing this on a custom built desktop PC with a i7-3770 with what I’d consider fairly heavy usage (some Android custom ROM compilation, Flutter development, Linux kernel compiling, heavy web browsing with often 100 tabs open WHILE I’m developing, and it’s only recently I’ve felt like I need an upgrade.

1 Like

Even in the video where the CEO shows a few more details of the FW12 he mentions that they initially went for kids & students, but had to re-adjust their thinking. Response from every adult / business partner that saw the FW12 during development was “I want one”.

I know I do. :slight_smile:

5 Likes

Gimme a plastic case for my 13 XD

1 Like

I’d rather they just make the boards intercompatible.

that ship has sailed

1 Like

They could do it in a future revision of the FW13 chassis. The current design is nearing 4 years old, it’s due for a replacement in the short-to-mid term.

Or they could just release a good enough cad file so people can print their own chasis XD

Is this good enough?

https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/Framework-Laptop-13/blob/main/Framework%20Laptop%2013%20CAD.stp

I think that’s the official one and last time I checked that wasn’t even close to being usable to make something printable from. But this is really off topic here.

1 Like

Yeah… anyway, I don’t think there’s any point discussing the topic. We only need to wait another 3 and 1/2 hours. Gosh darn the anticipation hurts.

1 Like