On Reddit and here I noticed multiple people having issues with the trackpad, hinges and battery(CMOS). I know people have a tendency to share the bad ones instead of the good ones too.
Multiple horror stories but there’s always people that says Framework is awesome not matter what, some even take criticism of a specific product as personal.
It’s fairly easy to talk about other people problems but ours always hit hard.
I think quality is extremely important specially when we talk about longevity. What would be the point of a device that we need to keep replacing parts because they break after months of use? That would not be sustainable.
I see that Framework has improved and keep improving and I believe they will be great some day, but I do understand your frustration.
I hope we can win your heart back someday.
I’ve just discovered that my USB-A module no longer works in the front-left port. The same USB-A module works in all other ports. There is no visible dust, debris, or damage in the port. And the HDMI module still works on that port. So I’m not really sure what could have gone wrong there. But I guess I’ll add it to the list.
Likely a short issue, I’ve had similar happen. Unplug all expansion cards, shut down laptop, power on laptop, plug back in. That fixed my port issues when I accidentally connected 5v to ground by fumbling a USB-C connector into a USB-A slot.
A new issue has cropped up. My fan now produces a buzzing noise on interval. The interval and severity depends on how hard the fans are running. At low speeds, it just sounds like a periodic scratching. At higher speeds, it’s a more pronounced buzzing.
I’ve tried cleaning the fan with short bursts of compressed air. And when that didn’t work, I took it apart and inspected and cleaned more thoroughly. The fan did not appear to be significantly dirty.
I’m not really sure what to do for my next laptop. My original plan was to do a motherboard swap to the new AMD platform. But I have effectively zero confidence in the Framework platform’s reliability at this point, despite how much I want to support their mission.
Unfortunately, this is where my Framework journey ends for now. I’ve been planning an upgrade to a 7000 series Amd laptop, and I’ve been struggling with the decision to upgrade the motherboard in my Framework, or purchase a different laptop.
As much as I love the idea of upgrading my Framework, based on the experience I’ve had so far, I just can’t justify continuing to invest in and use it as my daily driver machine. So I’ve ordered a different laptop. The Framework will not go to waste though. I’ll continue to find some use for it as an appliance or server machine.
I believe in Framework’s mission. And I hope they continue to improve and address issues over time. I’d like to give them another chance in the future.
According to their technical support, the laptop is certified to work with Linux, and my issues sound like defective hardware. According to their repair depot, my issues are compatibility issues with Linux. Despite the laptop being officially certified for Linux compatibility.
Aside from the loose hinges, every issue I’ve ever had with my Framework has been worked out, and customer support was very each to reach and quick to respond. And the Linux support is fantastic. I’ve been continuing to use my Framework while waiting for all the RMA processes and communications with Lenovo. And the Framework never has an issue.
I’ve just filed my first ever credit card chargeback, because Lenovo refuses to accept a return on the defecitve laptop. And they also refuse to repair it since their repair depot doesn’t believe in their Linux Certification. So if that works out and I can get my money back, maybe I’ll come back to Framework.
I never owned a laptop that does not have major issues. I love the thinkpad design language, but always hated their driver and firmware bugs.
I am too switching from a thinkpad to a framework soon and still expecting bugs to be present. But at least framework has a very strong and technical community focusing only on two products.
I got a framework 13 with a 7780U back in December and have recently also noticed that the hinge can be loose at times though is not a huge issue in my daily workflow
I decided to come back and give Framework another shot, following my issues with Lenovo.
I ordered a new AMD 7840u mainboard, a set of 2nd generation hinges, and a Coolermaster case so I can continue to use my old mainboard as an appliance PC.
So far so good on the new mainboard and hinges. But the coolermaster case is defective, with what is seemingly a common problem with bad tolerances as seen here: Cooler Master case fit issue
It’s crazy to me that this keeps happening. This thread is marked [SOLVED] because I no longer have permission to edit the original title or post. But Framework’s quality control issues are far from solved
Yupp, same story with the hinges on my side: They were defective in my Batch 8 unit, showing no linearity and could not support the display in all situations. I got replacements but now after not even using the laptop much (can’t stand the wobble of the display, makes me travel sick when on trains), the hinges showed the same behavior.
I ordered the 4kg hinges, they are better with less display wobble but it is still there.
I suspect Framework will have to either change the overall mechanical design of the hinges and/or use better materials to make the hinges last longer than 5 years (the useful lifespan of most other premium laptops and usually the longest mfg. warranty you can find in any brand).
With the goal of continuous upgrades in the same chassis, Framework has to go even further than other brands to make sure the hinges last as many years as possible before needing replacement, probably aiming for 10 years.
I’ve been supporting/repairing laptops for at least 32 years now, including as a certified IBM Thinkpad serviceperson (before they sold Thinkpad to Lenovo). Hinge failures were almost always due to user abuse/accidents. The only times I saw hinges fail under normal use were in the very low-end models meant for home use and designed to last no more than 1 year and usually priced at under $300. It was far more common to see the cables that go through the hinge fail due to repeated opening and closing than the hinge itself fail.
A year late, since I’m just now upgrading to the V2 hinge. But now that I’ve swapped them, I can confirm that once again the left hinge failed, but the right hinge feels fine. So there’s a consistent pattern of one hinge failing in each set.
1st set: One hinge failed, but I didn’t confirm which before throwing them out
2nd set: Left hinge failed, right still felt good
3rd set: Left hinge failed, right still felt good
I have no idea if this is just a coincidence or not. But given that @Usernames also had problems with his left hinge, it’s a solid theory.
You’re points are absolutely correct. The hinges are flawed by design, this was discussed also in other threads, the tolerances in the beginning for the hinge force were really bad, maybe they are better today. The other thing is the wobble, because of the length between the hinge points where it isn’t screwed down, they act like a spring in it self.
I’ve noticed that since the mainboard and hinge upgrade, trackpad clicks no longer work consistently. Unless I press extra hard, the trackpad will randomly detect being released even when it’s still pressed. It will sometimes flicker on and off resulting in multiple presses for one click. As a result, I’m frequently triggering duplication actions when I try to click things.
I didn’t change anything on the input cover. It was merely removed and then reinstalled when the mainboard was replaced. This is already my second input cover, because the original one had an issue where the trackpad would not always register clicks.
Received the replacement Coolermaster case today. It has the same problem. Motherboard doesn’t fit because of the exact same defect with the pegs being covered in excess plastic.
Not a wibble of a wooble.