Planning on upgrading my 11th gen to the current specs

Framework Laptop 13
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I have not bothered to upgrade my gen 11 yet so I was thinking about finally doing that. Just to be clear the parts that need to be replaced are the following, Correct? If I’m missing any thing please let me know.

  1. The main board - (Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 1)(I currently have the i7-1165G7)
  2. The screen - Framework Laptop 13 Display Kit 2.8k
  3. Framework Laptop 13 Top Cover - CNC
  4. Framework Laptop 13 Hinge Kit (2nd Gen) - 3.5kg
  5. Framework Laptop 13 Battery 61 wh
  6. Framework Laptop 13 Speaker Kit 80db

I already have 64gb ram DDR4-3200. Is the DDR5-5600 completable with the new ultra boards? I’ll probably upgrade this last.

I’ve just ordered a bigger m.2 card so I’m good on drive space.

Do I have to use Win 11 on the newer boards? I was planning on going back to Win 10 as I just don’t like 11.

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You want to go to Intel 13th gen or the AMD model? The AMD model is faster and newer.

The older Intel mainboards need ddr4 ram, the AMD mainboards and the new Ultra Intel boards need ddr5. They’re not cross compatible.

Windows 10 can be used but isn’t really compatible. Expect some issues and more energy usage. Windows 11 (or Linux of course) is recommended.

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There’s a new webcam as well.

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Yes, but the board needs DDR5 RAM if I am not wrong.
So the most simple upgrade would be just that two items, all the others are optional.

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does that make sense from a financial perspective? I just totaled everything up and assuming you buy the lowest end intel ultra motherboard it comes out to $935 for all the upgrades you listed. Buying a new laptop comes out to like 1200 and that includes expansion cards and a power adapter

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The speaker is not really an upgrade. The 80dB sacrifices audio fidelity to increase volume. You may well not want to change this (note that both are still the same price, and both are still in stock and current). I’m not actually sure which one is in new laptops.

As someone who has had the 1st gen hinge, the stiffer 1st gen hinge, and the 2nd gen hinge, I feel like you should only get a new hinge if you’re not happy with your current one. The tolerances, especially on the original hinges, were rather wide, and so some were fine, I think.

If you already have expansion cards and the same power adapter, that isn’t really an advantage.

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Sure it is, because then you can just sell the old laptop as a unit and seriously defray the cost of an upgrade, plus time saved from not DIY your upgrades.

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Only up to 13th gen, the new 14th gen boards also use DDR5. So OP will need new RAM

@Seym56 and yes, you must use Win 11 or Linux as Win 10 is not supported by Framework for these boards, so no driver package for Win 10. Also Win 10 loses all updates next year so you’ll have to change OS anyways.

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Your probably right about not needing the hinge though I’m getting the cnc cover so I might need the extra weight tolerance. I’m a truck driver and the current speaker is honestly not loud enough to be heard over the engine. And I’m planning on converting the old mb into a plex server so I have no reason to buy a brand new laptop when I can just upgrade the old one.

I’m thinking of just going with the 13 gen mb rather than waiting till the end of year for the 14 gen to ship anyway. By then I will have my 2024 tax refund and be able to get the 16.

My plan was to upgrade my laptop and use the old mb for my plex server (My current server is on its last legs). Then when I can afford the 16, I’ll give the upgraded 13 to my mother.

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Fixed. I wasn’t really aware of the new Intel Ultra boards.

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I just got home to check my mail and I had a brand new speaker waiting for me. I have to say for loud environments the upgraded speaker is the way to go.

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