Hi everyone, I have an early batch Laptop 13 Intel 11th gen running Windows 11 that was recently returned to me by an ex friend after letting them borrow it for a couple of years for work. It needs repairs and so I’m seeking support on both what might need repaired/replaced and what areas have been improved since the early generations that I could update. There’s the obvious improvements but I’m also looking for the smaller changes that make the newer laptops better put together than the first generation.
It has been running very slowly as in taking extra time to open files and run programs, it does not turn on unless plugged in (even with a full charge), the battery seems to drain as quickly as it charges when on, the charger is frayed all over so absolutely needs to be replaced, and it was upgraded to Windows 11 without my permission.
What changes should I be looking at making to fix it up? I should mention this is my personal laptop, mostly for running smaller games or watching videos, and occasionally practicing art on it. I am also looking at moving to Linux because Windows 11 will be the death of me, but I have friends helping me try out variants like Mint and Fedora on my desktop first to see what I like. Any and all thoughts will be appreciated and considered!
I was able to do the substitution myself and it’s not too difficult so long as you take your time and you are meticulous and careful.
Charger wires for the 13 are just standard USB-C cables, or for the power cable it’d be (your country’s plug type) > IEC C5. Nothing special there.
Battery may need replacement if it’s draining quickly, however I’d be tempted to put it through a good few charge cycles as it could be that the charging circuit hasn’t had enough full cycles recently in order to report the battery status properly.
Slow opening of files / programs could just be a Windows thing. I’d try reinstalling the OS to get a fresh start, as that would get a good clean slate to work from. If you’re wanting to try out Linux, i’d recommend Fedora as that’s what I run on my 13, and haven’t had any issues to speak of.
(Source: am an 11th Gen 13” owner, still rocking the 11th gen!)
Agreed the Windows install may have bloated itself and it does slow itself down over time.
One of the big things limiting modern computers is RAM. If it only has 8gb everything will be much snappier with at least 16gb and better yet 32gb+.
The RTC rechargeable battery is likely dead or close to it, Framework will supply a replacement for free if a ticket is made.
Frayed power cables are a danger to anything but especially laptops with higher power. Buy a quality cable from Anker or someone who has a decent reputation. It doesn’t have to be the Framework one necessarily.
The battery health may be degraded and this is an easy part to replace. If the newer 61Wh battery is ordered make sure to update the BIOS to a later version so it is recognized AND limited the charge to 80% if it is plugged in most of the time.
The newest mainboards are exceedingly faster than the 11th Gen boards are. Even the entry level one will run circles around the fastest 11th gen board. Keep in mind that the newest ones use DDR5 memory though. Sadly all memory and SSD are stupid expensive right now.
Linux is much more lightweight for sure but often times the limitstion is not enough RAM. All the core things with the Framework 13 are mostly the same it is just a matter of what personally is worth it to the end user as far as worthwhile upgrades.