Hi everyone, just a tiny question here.
If I would be likely charging my phone while using the Framework, assuming the Framework is running at full load, would a 65W adapter be sufficient or would it be better to get something higher (maybe 96-100W)?
Thank you.
I would get higher. But whatever size you choose, it MUST be a trustworthy brand, not just because of power quality/stability, but also because USB PD is a potential attack vector that could be used to compromise the machine.
NEVER use a USB PD charger you don’t completely trust or one that is offered for public use.
I also carry power-only cables for this purpose.
Been playing with my F.w i5-11 on a 100w USB-PD charger with a power meter in between them. 19.7v at .5 to 2.4 amps actual draw shown. I suspect a 60w would work okay, but might sip from the F.w battery for very short time periods to charge the phone if you also were running CPU into the higher TDP range…
Thanks guys. I am thinking of a power only cable too. Anyway, most USB-PD 100W cables are USB 2.0 speeds so I don’t think they would be good. The thunderbolt ones with 100W power are crazily expensive 
I will get a 100W adapter then.
Thanks guys.
Any ideas on a good 100w power adapter for the Framework?
Thanks
I am using a 100W UGreen on, because I can charge a few devices but I prefer the Apple charger for those Macbook Pros because of the grounding.
Jieren,
Thanks, I had heard about Macbook Pro power. This is what I found on Amazon today.
What do you think?
I mean the original Apple Charger (140W)
You can get the US equivalent or maybe the 96W model.
I saw a couple of videos disassembling the Apple charger, the quality of the components are good actually.
As a layman, I am trying to get a good power adapter that works with the Framework. It seems that controller issues (above my pay grade) etc., make the 65W Framework adapter less than optimum. From reading the various posts, the consensus seems to indicate that around 100w is the sweet spot for my laptop (11th Gen Intel(R) Core™ i5).
As you say, the 96w is probably close enough for my needs.
Anyhow, much appreciate your info. Very helpful.
Nick
How about their own 180W charger (once it becomes available)?
Saw it, quite big for traveling around, which is what the Framework was supposed to be used for. I put my ass in different non-profit seats throughout Brooklyn and Queens and this laptop is optimized for that kind of work.
Thanks
I do not pretend to understand the arcane discussion here about the controller and the battery interaction. As the discussion in this kind of disjointed community threads are all over the place, it is sometimes hard to find the correct information. What I have gleaned is that the power adapter should be larger than the supplied 65w. Why exactly? Ask someone with tech skills, not this layman. And to answer your query, yes I do have some peripherial hardware. Not sure it qualifies as serious drain on the power supply, but there it is. I have run into issues with USB-C modules and the power supply and occasionally, not often, but enough times the module will simply stop working with the power adapter and the old kludge of moving the power cable to the next USB-C connector works, each and every time. Why? Not a clue.
Nick
Now I am thoroughly confused. Should I get a 100w or better power adapter or stick with the 65w one included with my Framework? Do you really need the 180w new adapter Framework has put out there and if so, why?
Thanks
Nick
That’s for the upcoming FW16 which, with various GPU options, will have a much greater power envelope than the FW13. You will definitely not need 180W for the FW13 (and I doubt the FW13 can negotiate the voltage at which that would be available).
I guess people who want a 100W are afraid that pushing the 65W one to its limit might strain the unit. You’ll have to work very hard to draw more than 40W for an extended time period (and that would probably involve charging a nearly flat battery while doing significant computations). I’ve been very happy with the 65W.
Should you find yourself in scenarios where you need 100W (I’m not sure that the thermal design of the FW13 can really sustain that for very long), you can always get another adaptor. That’s the nice thing about USB-C charging (and 60W is a respectable amount so you’ll find a use for the other charger anyway).
Nils,…
As I have the FW11, even less need for that 180w… I am a semi-retired tech writer from CMP Media and Ziff-Davis, among many other writing gigs over the years. (Now non-profit grants for kids). I was always called the dumbest guy in the room up until I wrote something and blew the real techies away and my line was always the same:“I can write, you can’t.”
Shameless stealing of other people’s expertise. Dr. Dobb’s Journal is where I confounded the true techies the most. Research is key to good writing.
But I digress. I think I shall stick with the Framework adapter for now. It seems there are controller issues too, way above my pay grade. I have not pulled the trigger on buying a 100w power adapter and will not do so at this point.
For now I’m more than ok with the Framework. It became my ersatz desktop computer as I could not rely upon it in the field, as I travel between multiple non-profits. The tools I have on the Framework don’t easily translate to my tiny 4 gig Evolve travel note… as basic as you can get, but beggars can’t be choosers and it was an in-kind donation to me for work I did for yet another small non-profit which is and was cash short.
Thanks,
Nick
Any USB-PD adapter will work fine. 65W is enough to get full performance from the FW13, any generation of mainboard. A 100W adapter will pretty much just allow the battery to charge faster while the laptop is under high load.
I think the 28, 36, 48 V levels were a relatively new addition – I think after the FW13 came out – so it’s quite possible FW13 does not have the electronics to negotiate those power levels (they would also not be necessary). Can someone confirm if the FW13 can negotiate those higher voltages and whether the cord supplied with it allows for those voltages?
I’d be interested in seeing a reference for this alleged issue that provides a basic explanation of what the problem might be. Someone with good electronics testing equipment putting the adaptor through its paces together with a write-up about which specs are important/problematic would be an interesting read!
I’ve heard nothing about controller issues on the power adapter side, and Framework’s adapter has actually been pretty widely praised. Early on there was an issue with the laptop being unable to use the 15V PD level but it is very rare that it ever negotiates to that voltage and I think the issue’s been resolved. FW13 definitely isn’t engineered for >20V PD, and the type-C cable with the adapter is likely only E-markered for 5A 20V and won’t allow higher voltage modes to be negotiated. I think that once the FW16 comes out it’s new C-C cable will replace the old one.
Well, to all who are following this thread, as I said, I’m a layman here. I read all the disjointed threads (am no fan of how the Community learns things here. Info is all over the place, but that too is not my call. So, anything I say you must take with a grain of salt. I’m merely repeating what I’ve read, nothing on the hardware research front my front porch.
Nick