Thank you for the corrections @Kyle_Reis, @Nils, and @Azure! Not sure how I missed the details in the battery announcement.
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Note that if you’re on Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core), this should no longer be the case. If it is, we certainly want to know.
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@cmart, thanks for the nice review
Are you using Debian on the 13? Did you try Ubuntu or Fedora or Pop! ?
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This is exciting – which expansion cards consume less power with the 13th gen Intel main board? Wish I’d known that when I ordered 
Yes, Debian 12. I don’t need to try other distros now, but Ubuntu and Fedora are supported, I expect they both work fine. No idea about Pop!, but it sounds like a fork of Ubuntu, so it’s probably fine too? 
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Appreciate the feedback and we have updated the TLP battery optimization guides to reflect the differences between 13th Gen Intel Core and 11th/12th Gen Intel Core.
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This is great news I surprisingly haven’t seen announced or talked about and I think many would like to know more (especially before purchase!) such as is this going to apply to the AMD boards (clearly not ATM or you would have said but in the future), what about the 11th and 12th gens will they be able to see the same fixes?
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The problem (as far as I know) is also fixed with the current AMD board. Note that the AMD board is a later development than the 13th gen Intel boards and thus should have got all the same bugfixes (and some more). It will also get the new energy saving revisions of the expansion cards.
Of course there might be new bugs, considering it is the first revision of an AMD board.
Couldn’t someone solve the empty expansion card problem by 3d printing a blank expansion card? And/Or frame.work could sell blank expansion cards in the marketplace.
Linking to the source of that would help.
It’s from a Framework email to all AMD preorders.
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It’s from an email to all FWL 13 AMD batch 1 customers. I can’t really link to the source.
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I keep a USB-C on each side, along with one Snack Drawer and a screwdriver expansion port, so I can mess with my laptop during my frequent traveling. (Okay, sometimes it’s just to show off).
Nice review, btw. I replaced my Thinkpad with an 11th gen batch 5. Thinkpads are well-made and robust, with top-notch customer support. But I prefer the FW. The ability to self repair and upgrade keeps getting more and more valuable. I just ordered an AMD upgrade kit, and will convert my old mainboard into a work computer using the Cooler Master case. I already upgraded my hinges (they were defective) and added the CNC cover.
I definitely prefer the Framework’s display aspect ratio, but I tend to work with one document at a time and like to see as much as possible. I’ve had no problems with GNOME’s handling of font scaling.
Like you, I expected to miss the trackpoint more than I actually did. FW’s touchpad is responsive and easy to use. I go with tap-to-click.
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Really appreciate this semi-review. It’s probably the most informative thing I’ve read about the Framework 13. Excited to get my AMD in hand.
This will be my first laptop purchase in ~15 years. I decided to pull the trigger because I was fed-up with the MS Surface laptops I get thru my job, and I really want to support Framework’s vision. Hoping I’ll be able to recommend Framework when people ask me what laptop they should get.
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I just wanted to show my gratitude for the OP. This review led me to revise my dpi and scale settings and adopt 100% / 1.25.
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Linux runs amazingly well on the Framework laptop, and like you I really appreciate that they focus on that.
Thank you for the write up!
This was very informative. I think I’m going to “borrow” my wife’s storage card and just rock two storage and 2 usb C cards. When I need a USB A, I’ll just pop it in.
I don’t mind the power draw (I mean I want it to improve) because I know how hard what Framework is doing is. That they keep improving has proven time and time again that they are in it for the reasons they say they are. The Framework laptop (13") has only improved. I don’t know any of any other company that seems to really care for the best interest of the customer like how Framework does. It is a business, and they have to make money to make this all possible, but they are doing what they can, and it is obvious.
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Do note that this is only accurate for the AMD Framework Laptop 13, not any of the intel ones.
This was an excellent write up. Thank you for taking the time.
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This is why Tesla encourages most of their owners to charge only to
90%80% () (archive), which corresponds to a lower-than-design-maximum charge termination voltage.
FWIW Elon Musk himself said 90% is fine
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1068745921079345152
As he also stated, you don’t need to worry about going to 0% as most if not all batteries keep some buffer above its minimum voltage. My phone and laptop hits 0% at 3.3-3.5V while a Lithium cells can go as low as 2.5-2.8V
As others have mentioned, the termination voltage differs between each cell, and the race lately has been about increasing the max voltage while still getting acceptable longevity (1000 cycles). The maximum charging voltage printed on each battery is almost always the maximum charging voltage specified by the manufacturer to achieve 1000 cycles
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