The systemd service is enabled automatically upon installation, so by setting the desired strategy as default in /etc/fw-fanctrl/config.json enables it on boot. I’ve done just that now, and it works
The current version of fw-fanctrl has got a new command: print.
fw-fanctrl print current
shows the strategy that’s in use
fw-fanctrl print list
shows a list with all available strategies
fw-fanctrl print speed
displays the current fan speed in percent. fw-fanctrl running as a service means you don’t have to sudo ectool in order to read the fan speed.
I’ve got a FW16 with the optional numpad. What annoys me is that 1) there is no scroll lock key (I used that to switch between kbd layouts) and 2) there are no LEDs for the fn lock or the num lock. Only the caps lock indicates its state.
Otherwise, I’m quite happy with the machine. Yes, it does not feel as solid as my Dell laptop and not as fast either but the price is rather better, the weight is a lot less, does not need a 300W monster of a charger and, most importantly, has no compatibility issues with Linux.
I put Void linux on the FW16 (not officially supported) because that does not use systemd and everything worked without problems.
I found the fan noise acceptable, but indeed the middle of the machine got uncomfortably hot at 100% CPU load. I personally found the kbd pretty reasonable (I’m a fairly light typer). The connector port modules are brilliant, I can configure them whichever way I need it; they are even hot-swapable. The display is very nice and quite bright.
Overall, I think the good outnumber the bad and as per the ugly, I can live with that.
It has a good cooling solution, but at least in Windows there is no specific software to control the fans or the TDP that is accessible to the user. This could perhaps be entered in the bios
I finally got my kit, but I haven’t had the time to go home and install it yet. However, I have seen some reports of people who got the laptop much later than the cut-off where the pads must have been pre-applied, but they were not. I recommend opening the laptop up and seeing for yourself - and, if they re not, oen a Support ticket and attach a few pictures of the areas that should be covered by the pads not being covered by the pads.
On fan control (which has come up within this thread)
I bought a Framework laptop for (1) its modularity and repairability, and (2) in order to avoid precisely this sort of fix-the-OS-yourself nonsense. True, I’m on Mint, which is not officially supported, but the original poster is on Fedora, which, I believe, is.
Still, I’m grateful for the workaround provided by this thread. On that subject: I read, in the repo for the fw-fanctrl program, that the configuration files are stored in /etc, but it turns out they are stored in /etc/fanctrl.
As this thread appears to be the top indexed search engine result presented when searching “Framework 16”, I wanted to close the loop. This is about the 2024 version. Framework has since made numerous changes and improvements. I have a 2016 16" model and many of the issues listed here have been addressed. It is a great machine that I highly recommend.
OP here. Since this made it to the front again, it’s time for an update. I’ve daily driven the laptop for two years, though mostly stationary - I’ve only transported it around 30 times total in that time.
A bit more than a year ago I had massive issues with the internal display, which required a full replacement. A few months ago, the internal displayport cable broke and also had to be replaced. Both parts were free of charge (after jumping through sufficient hoops with the service to document and pin point the issues), but the failures didn’t exactly help with my “trust issues”. I also removed the initial metal-based thermal paste and replaced it with a PTM, which the support kindly provided after I asked for it. Similarly, my FW16’s keyboard is now supported by the additional sticky pads that (mostly) sit on the heat pipes, which I believe became standard shortly after my unit was shipped.
I’ll briefly go through some of the original points I’ve made.
All of the good points still stand.
The battery life has increased a bit and the laptop gets less hot after the thermal paste replacement, and probably the BIOS updates also played a role in that. I have the laptop raised up at home (helps with airflow) and the fans only spin up under heavier loads.
I know now that the FW16 doesn’t just feel flimsy, it is. Both times I’ve had display issues, they appeared for the first time after carrying the laptop in my backpack, and got worse the more I physically moved it around. From my POV these were failures induced through mechanical stress. A 2nd gen, more rigid top cover was available relatively quickly after the FW16s release, which I believe is additional evidence for the 1st gen’s fragility.
I rarely use the touchpad and keyboard, but when I do, I still think the haptics are not particularly great. Again, there is a 2nd gen keyboard for a reason, and now there are even unified parts that get rid of the spacers (both touchpad and keyboard) completely for a less-rattly design.
No more Fedora issues. Most of them disappeared naturally, and the last disappeared when I switched over to NixOS. More on that below.
What still stands out after 2 years with the machine, from worst to best
The form factor is a bit awkward and I’m still afraid of breaking the thing. This goes from the silver plastic pieces poking into the screen over holding it wrong to mechanical motion degrading flimsy parts. And sleeves that match the FW16’s format are basically non-existent.
For a device that tries to make such a strong point for its serviceability, it’s surprisingly labor-intensive to service. For example, I recently exchanged the thermal paste on my old Thinkpad T480s. That process was substantially faster (~3x) than doing the same on the FW16, and involved much fewer screws. I think the FW16’s carrier plate design with the pogo pins ultimately comes with too many trade-offs for the overall mechanical design of the laptop. It’s quirky and interesting, but the net downsides outweigh the positives.
The “One Piece Touchpad” was announced in April and still isn’t available; at least not in Europe. I cannot remember when the “One Key Module” was announced but I’m pretty sure it’s been more than a year.
The battery life is fine for what this machine is (i.e. a Ryzen 7000-based mobile workstation). It comfortably gets me through a few hours of work and I can charge the laptop with a compact 100W charger instead of having to carry the big 180W brick.
Not specific to the FW16 but having the hot-swappable expansion cards isn’t just a great party trick, it’s also genuinely useful, e.g. when it’s demo time and the USB-C-only MacBook people left their HDMI adaptors at home. The FW16 also gets a lot of attention from people who know what it is; it’s still quite rare to see them in the wild.
The NixOS experience is absolutely stellar. It took a while to configure but now feels like a “native” OS on this laptop now and I barely even think about drivers or making hardware work. Going to and waking from sleep, dual booting, HDMI @ 40k/120Hz + ethernet + webcam + mouse + keyboard + audio + charging reliably from a single USB-C port is incredible. This is the dock I’m using, by the way - got it mainly because of the HDMI 2.1 port.
Framework as a company is great and I want them to win.
Given my experience with the FW16, would I still get a Framework laptop if I hadn’t gotten one already? Yes, but probably a 13 Pro, and also because I like hardware experiments and I have several old laptops that I can use in case my main machine has issues. I’m not sure if at this point I’d already trust Framework laptops enough to be my only machine, at least not yet.
I love my FW16. I would not recommend it to everyone (and that’s okay). Some of the points you mentioned here are reasons why.
That being said, I have not personally thought of my laptop as “fragile”, but maybe that’s because I have a more-recent build of the device (assembled mid-2025). It is quite solid! I travel for a living and it comes with me everywhere!
I do also wish you mentioned some of the software issues that plague the 7040 platform of the FW16, being the 0.55GHz lock issue as well as ports sporadically dying after a sleep/wake cycle.
Again, I wholeheartedly support Framework’s mission and have been using this laptop daily for about a year at this point. I want them to keep doing what they are doing, namely:
Show off stuff that didn’t work! The content created showing off prototype designs or engineering concepts was brilliant and shows that Framework is listening to the community.
Talk about ways you will improve! Putting aside the existence of the FW13 Pro, introducing the One Piece Haptic touchpad, improved top/bottom covers and new GPUs, motherboards show that Framework is committed to supporting the Framework 16 platform and their community.
Engaging with the community! Some of the posts on here from catastrophic have put a smile on my face as they accomplish two things: (1) discussing cool stuff with the community at large, and (2) discussing out loud stuff that the user base likes and wants to see.
I love all of it! I just need them to keep doing more. Oh, and perhaps consider hiring more engineers to work on BIOS/UEFI updates maybe
I do also wish you mentioned some of the software issues that plague the 7040 platform of the FW16, being the 0.55GHz lock issue as well as ports sporadically dying after a sleep/wake cycle.
I haven’t experienced either. Had to look up the 0.55GHz issue and at first glance it seems like most (though not all) affected users are on Windows? Maybe that’s why I never saw it. And since I rarely use the ports (except for the top left usb-c where my dock goes) I cannot speak to the flaky behavior you mention.
