Enjoying my new framework 16, I’m really happy with it so far except for this one issue. What’s happening is my external portable monitor doesn’t work with any cable (including certified USB4) on any port. Same configuration works with every other computer I’ve used it on… (Other than an AMD fw13, lol).
It does work, as other people have already found, if the monitor is powered before the USB-C cable is connected to the laptop. This requires two cables though and is really annoying. This issue seems to happen on both the fw16 and fw13, as I’ve experienced personally and I’ve seen here on the forums and on Reddit. I would be super happy to see a response from framework on this, even if it’s not strictly their fault it would be nice to know what’s going wrong. And if this is something that could potentially be fixed with a firmware update.
Other details:
Primary OS is Ubuntu 24.04, followed setup guide. Also tried different kernels, live disk, other distro(s)
Many people have reported issues with using certain external displays through USB C. USB C monitor support is really a hit or miss with the Framework Laptops.
Unfortunately, your only options right now seem to either be using an HDMI / DisplayPort to HDMI (or whatever your monitor supports) cable with the USB C to HDMI / DisplayPort Expansion card or using a HDMI / DisplayPort to USB C with the Framework connected to the HDMI / DisplayPort through a USB C to HDMI / DisplayPort Expansion card.
What OP means is that although video over USB-C is working, it seems to require a separate cable to power the external monitor, as using a single cable for both power and video seems to fail most of the time.
Replacing USB-C with an HDMI or DisplayPort cable does not change the fact that a separate power cable is still needed.
(and yes, I’ve also experienced this, especially when using the dGPU)
While Framework staff does sometimes answer questions here, this is a primarily a community forum. And they have said that this forum is not a channel for obtaining official support from them / direct questions to Framework. I suggest contacting support if you want a response from Framework staff.
A response from staff would be neat, but if anyone has any good workarounds for the issue I’d love to hear about that as well. I have noticed that a dock that provides USB-C output will run the display just fine with a single cable… So, laptop → dock → display, which is probably what I will end up using if a firmware update can’t fix the issue. That, or I’ll try another display since I’ve seen people mention that worked for them.
It might be that the dock has a USB C video controller that actually supports the display while the Framework 16 has one that supports the Docks USB C controller but not the display’s. External Displays really do seem to be a hit or miss with Frameworks, especially the ones from not so popular vendors.
i also cannot get it working , with any of the side usb ports , very frustrating as this is my mobile trading station and i need a second monitor.
however , it does work fine with the dGPU , using the back port. it seems like you can either have display port out over usb and high power , not both.
I just purchased a Dell P2720DC monitor to replace a monitor that would black out for a very long time before finally becoming stable. I am happy to report that this Dell monitor does not flash.
Unfortunately, my Framework 13 only sees the monitor using HDMI. I can get power to the laptop using usb-c but the display is not detected. I am using the cable from the power adapter.
This thread ([RESOLVED] USB-C Monitor Support) indicated a different usb-c cable might work, but they didn’t say what they used. I’d prefer to know what works before I order.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a known-good usb-c cable? Or would a thunderbold 3 or 4 cable work?
Getting tb cables is one of the more reliable ways to get full featured cables, however also more expensive than getting one that’s just good enough for display.
Does your monitor not come with a usb-c cable? If so, that one should probably work fine.
You would need a cable that supports display port alt-mode (for the video output) and power delivery (to charge your laptop). Probably any thunderbolt 3 or 4 cable would suffice, but there are cheaper options available as well.
I read your post when you initially posted, but I missed this part!
Which power adapter cable?
If you’re talking about the one included with the FWL16 power adapter… I think I vaguely recall that might be your problem. I could be remembering wrong but I think it’s not alt-mode capable. Fully featured thunderbolt cables that do everything are expensive and tend to be thicker, stiffer than non all-in-one cables. Since the cable was intended for charging FW didn’t see a reason to charge people more for something they may not need + have it be thicker and stiffer. Always have to check what a USB-C cable does. If it’s not labeled with a speed, can’t assume it does anything more than what you already know it does.
