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Its integrated GPU can barely handle Minecraft at 60 fps, not +to mention hundreds of virtual instruments I mess with are struggling +with the processing power of this machine which wasn’t anything to brag +about even when it first came out. It also took a lot of beatings, which +are mainly from my own abuse, like <a href="https://chrisoft.org/blog/post/2017-01-09.html">this one</a> +(warning: post is in Chinese), and is nearly falling apart. Considering +I’m not well settled in this land that is alien to me, a full fledged +desktop is hard to justify. So a new laptop it is.</p> +<p>Additionally, unlike their 11th gen desktop processors, Intel’s 11th +gen ultrabook offerings looks extremely compelling due to the new Xe +integrated graphics introduced in this generation. Its (theoretical) +performance is finally catching up with previous generation entry-level +gaming graphics and current generation dedicated graphics found in slim +laptops (1050 Ti and MX 350/450). Of course this is Intel and +theoretical performance doesn’t mean much when their driver kind of +sucks (severe performance drops and incompatibilities in some games). +But it’s been rock solid for daily desktop usage (and Minecraft gaming +because that’s literally the only game I play now). So I decided I’m +just going to roll with it.</p> +<h2 id="tocanch1" class="tvis">Why Framework?</h2> +<p>I’m not a fan of laptops in the desktop replacement category, even I +often use mine as one (in terms of the workload I run on it). They are +just too chunky for liking.</p> +<p>Trackpoint is essential for my survival when using a laptop. Instead +with torturing myself with a huge touchpad, I’d rather stick with an old +ThinkPad with no touchpad.</p> +<p>Wait, don’t these two criteria alone restrict my choice to ThinkPads +and a few other business laptops?</p> +<p>Well, true… but when I laid my hands on a 9th generation X1 Carbon, +it feels so different that I wasn’t even convinced that I was +interacting with a ThinkPad anymore: especially the new keyboard with +further reduced travel and the trackpoint buttons with virtually no +tactile response. I decided to extend my radar to include models that +don’t have a trackpoint, and use an external trackpoint keyboard with it +if I get one of such models instead. Of course I was not ruling out +ThinkPads, I was just allowing myself to get something other than a +ThinkPad.</p> +<p>In Feburary 2021 I saw a few news articles about this new “Framework” +thing popping up. I find it interesting, but the modular expansion thing +is just a gimmick, and I had suspicion that they are trying to ride the +hype around right to repair – not to say that is wrong. Of course the +hardware configuration is all fine and dandy, but I’m no buying +something with a single selling point of expansion modules (which at the +time of writing offers nothing but ports and features found on almost +every single laptop on the market).</p> +<p>When further details on the laptop surfaced, it started to get +interesting. It was suggested that motherboard of future revisions can +act as drop-in upgrades, and that the motherboard can be easily +transformed into a small form-factor PC. Also display and keyboard +assembly would be available for consumers to purchase online in case a +replacement is necessary. This immediately bring this laptop to a level +higher in my tier list, as it was becoming apparent that they are doing +actual work.</p> +<p>And then just a few weeks after I got into the States, my X1 yoga +started experiencing random system-wide freezes once again. It was a +good excuse for a new laptop, I thought. I checked Lenovo’s website but +found out (pretty shockingly) that there was no discount active during +that time, and all X1s were ludicrously priced. And then I placed my +pre-order of the Framework Laptop. (Of course I ordered the DIY edition, +saved me a decent chunk of funds!)</p> +<h2 id="tocanch2" class="tvis">Important dates</h2> +<ul> +<li>Pre-order placed: 2021-09-16, Batch 4 (I swear this is totally +unrelated to Linus Sebastian’s Framework investment video)</li> +<li>Remaining balance charged: 2021-10-06</li> +<li>Shipped: 2021-10-11</li> +<li>Received: 2021-10-13 (probably leaks my rough geological location, +but whatever)</li> +</ul> +<h2 id="tocanch3" class="tvis">Configuration ordered</h2> +<ul> +<li>DIY edition</li> +<li>i7-1185G7</li> +<li>64 GB RAM (2x Crucial CT32G4SFD832A shipped)</li> +<li>No SSD (Bring your own). 1 TB Samsung 970 Pro installed.</li> +<li>Intel AX210 wireless</li> +<li>ANSI keyboard (US layout)</li> +<li>2x USB Type-A expansion modules, 4x USB Type-C expansion modules, +and 1x HDMI expansion module</li> +<li>With power adapter</li> +<li>Windows 10 Professional license</li> +<li>$2153 before tax + $230 for the SSD</li> +</ul> +<h2 id="tocanch4" class="tvis">Unboxing and setting up</h2> +<p>The laptop arrived in an inconspicuous shipping box, with symbols on +it suggesting it contains stuff that may explode. Inside is the actual +box with intriguing designs. There was only minimal amount of paperwork +in the package.</p> +<p>Despite being the DIY edition, the laptop comes almost completely +pre-assembled. There’s <a href="https://frame.work/blog/the-evolution-of-the-framework-laptop-diy-edition">a +blog post</a> on the official website explaining why that is the case. +For this reason putting the thing together is incredibly straight +forward. Within minutes I got the thing up and running (while booting +into nothing of course).</p> +<table> +<tbody><tr> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwbox.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwbox.jpg"></a> <br>The box +</div> +</td> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwunbox.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwunbox.jpg"></a> <br>Unboxing +</div> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwunbox2.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwunbox2.jpg"></a> <br>The box inside the +box +</div> +</td> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwpaperwork.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwpaperwork.jpg"></a> <br>Paperwork +</div> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwinternals.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwinternals.jpg"></a> <br>Internals +</div> +</td> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwassembled.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwassembled.jpg"></a> <br>Components in +place +</div> +</td> +</tr> +</tbody></table> +<p>I decided to get Windows working first, even it hasn’t been my +primary operating system for almost a decade. I prepared the first +release of Windows 11 on a USB stick. But of course I decided to torture +myself by not using the official installation media (it doesn’t matter +anyway, as after the first attempt failed I tried the official +installation media and it also failed for some reason, see the pictures +below). Eventually I got the dism installation procedure working.</p> +<p>Windows, being Windows, gave me a few silly errors when I was going +through the OOBE. The official driver package is necessary to get all +devices working.</p> +<table> +<tbody><tr> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<p><a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwwindowsfail1.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwwindowsfail1.jpg"></a></p> +</div> +</td> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<p><a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwwindowsfail2.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwwindowsfail2.jpg"></a></p> +</div> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<p><a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwwindowsfail3.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwwindowsfail3.jpg"></a></p> +</div> +</td> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<p><a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwwindowsfail4.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwwindowsfail4.jpg"></a></p> +</div> +</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"> +1 hour of Windows failing +</td> +</tr> +</tbody></table> +<p>Next step will be my daily driving operating system. Of course it’s +going to be Gentoo. What do you mean I’m insane?</p> +<p>I used the Arch Linux ISO to bootstrap the installation. Now I made +people from both distros hate me.</p> +<p>After roughly 10 hours of CPU stress testing, a basic KDE plasma +desktop was emerged. Not too bad for a slim laptop.</p> +<table> +<tbody><tr> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwarchtrigger.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwarchtrigger.jpg"></a> <br>Trigger +warning +</div> +</td> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwfirstfetch.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwfirstfetch.jpg"></a> <br>First neofetch +</div> +</td> +</tr> +</tbody></table> +<h2 id="tocanch5" class="tvis">Performance</h2> +<p>For a comprehensive performance review of the Framework laptop, you +should be reading a more professional review, not this article. This +section will focus on my personal use cases instead.</p> +<h3 id="tocanch6" class="tvis">Processing power</h3> +<p>My daily work, when it comes to the processing power intense parts, +mainly involves running tests, building small-to-moderate sized +projects, and performance profiling. Of course there is also routine +rebuilds of huge applications due to my choice of distro. Plus some +music mixing when I have the time for it.</p> +<p>Thanks to the two additional cores and drastically improved clocks +and IPC, the 11th gen i7 is more than 3 times more powerful than my old +6th gen i7 for code compilation workloads, while having similar +sustained power consumption under such workload (RAPL reports ~28 watts +for both machines). As an example, Chromium 98.0.4710.4 took 883 minutes +to emerge on my old i7, while on the Framework it took 273 minutes. The +new processor is also able to handle music projects with over 100 +tracks, even with a decent performance headroom. In some other cases +where the load is less than “all-cores”, it even had more than 4 times +the performance of its older counterpart. To achieve an even better +result the only option is to go AMD, which they hadn’t yet offer +<a id="n1" href="#note1" class="note">[1]</a>. Overall the performance is +a win for me.</p> +<h3 id="tocanch7" class="tvis">Graphics</h3> +<p>As mentioned above, the performance of the integrated Xe graphics is +finally catching up with entry-level gaming GPUs within the last 2 +generations. While the Linux Mesa driver has been rock solid for desktop +usage for quite some time, a lot more could be expected for gaming as +online benchmark results show wild variations among different titles. +Not to mention the erroneous behavior with certain aspects of legacy +rendering APIs. Modern APIs behave a lot better in general.</p> +<p>On real-world performance, for the first time in history, Minecraft +with ultra shaders (BSL) can run (correctly!) on one of my laptops with +a stable 60 fps. They wouldn’t even apply correctly on any of the older +Intel GPUs I’ve used. With compromises, Microsoft Flight Simulator runs +(with Valve’s Proton) at a stable-ish 30 fps with acceptable +visuals.</p> +<h3 id="tocanch8" class="tvis">Thermal & Emissions</h3> +<p>One word: bad.</p> +<p>Not intolerable, but pretty bad.</p> +<p>Maybe this is just the inescapable curse of all ultrabooks. But under +heavy load the upper region of the keyboard is almost too hot to touch. +To make things worse, the unibody-inspired design (where the gaps +between keys is part of the top cover of the machine’s lower half, +rather than part of the keyboard assembly) means the metal part that is +between keys are at a even higher temperature. It’s not exactly +enjoyable to type on the built-in keyboard when the processor is under +heavy load.</p> +<p>Under constant max load, the processor temperature maintains steadily +at around 100 degrees Celcius. This is considerably higher than my X1 +yoga, which peaks at 95 degrees and drops to 85 degrees if the load is +sustained.</p> +<p>The fan noise is also way worse on the Framework. The fan curve is +quite aggressive, ramping up rapidly when the processor temperature +reaches 60 degrees, and maxes out at 80 degrees and beyond. The noise is +audible even in a moderately noisy room. In contrast the fan in my X1 +ramps up much slower with more steps.</p> +<p>Also there’s no manual undervolting on tigerlake-U platforms, likely +as a mitigation to the plundervolt vulnerability.</p> +<h3 id="tocanch9" class="tvis">Others</h3> +<p>One of the last consumer MLC SSDs, Samsung 970 Pro, performs well in +benchmarks.</p> +<p>Keyboard is not great (see below). Trackpad is … meh. I don’t use +that thing anyway.</p> +<table> +<tbody><tr> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwssdspeeds.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwssdspeeds.jpg"></a> <br>The best +consumer grade PCIe 3.0 SSD in the west (asterisk) +</div> +</td> +<td> +<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;"> +<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fwbadarrowklayout.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fwbadarrowklayout.jpg"></a> <br>Awkward +arrow key layout +</div> +</td> +</tr> +</tbody></table> +<p>ACPI reports a 8-hour estimate on battery. Running on battery for 90 +minutes with light-to-moderate usage usually uses 20% of the capacity +(screen always on, wireless on, typing with browser running in +background), give or take, consistent with the estimation. I’ve yet to +run the battery until it’s flat.</p> +<p>The screen is fabulous. Way more vibrant than that LCD on my first +generation X1 yoga. Not a professional graphic designer or in any other +job that depends on an accurate display, so that’s just my personal +opinion.</p> +<p>Speaker is at least 10 times better than any ThinkPads I’ve ever +used. Still not on par with an Apple laptop though.</p> +<h2 id="tocanch10" class="tvis">Issues</h2> +<h3 id="tocanch11" class="tvis">Instabilities</h3> +<p>The system sometimes goes into a complete lockup, unresponsive to any +inputs (except a forceful power off), when it has been left idle for an +extended period. This never happens if the system is loaded. I could not +obtain any useful diagnostics.</p> +<p>With the release of BIOS version 3.09, which claims to resolve an +“issue where the system will sometimes abnormally shutdown +unexpectedly”, hopefully this such freezes will be gone. However I +haven’t been running 3.09/3.10 for long enough to come to such +conclusion.</p> +<h3 id="tocanch12" class="tvis">Port interference? …</h3> +<p>My ThinkPad wireless mouse suffers from stuttery movement when used +on the Framework laptop. I’ve never had similar issues with this mouse +before. This affects both operating systems installed. It doesn’t happen +all the time, the chance of it happening is higher when the system is +more heavily loaded.</p> +<p>Occasionally, the ports on the right side stop working altogether, +and the kernel message gets flooded with output like this:</p> +<pre><code>[75512.894957] usb usb2-port2: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad? +[75517.158969] usb usb2-port2: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad? +[75521.422973] usb usb2-port2: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad? +[75525.686857] usb usb2-port2: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad? +[75529.950973] usb usb2-port2: Cannot enable. Maybe the USB cable is bad?</code></pre> +<p>On Windows, a notification “USB Device not recognized” is repeatedly +displayed.</p> +<p><a href="https://knowledgebase.frame.work/en_us/one-port-on-my-laptop-does-not-function-correctly-r1mqMnTet">This +knowledge base article</a> is not relevant to my particular case, as my +unit doesn’t have the problematic EMI shield.</p> +<p>However I’ve noticed that this issue hasn’t reoccurred for a while. +Perhaps It could be a BIOS issue that has been patched since.</p> +<h3 id="tocanch13" class="tvis">… and a general lack of ports</h3> +<p>But this one can’t be resolved by a BIOS patch. With the laptop +plugged in, I have a whopping 3 USB ports for USB peripherals. It +reduces to 2 when I use it with the trackpoint keyboard (which is pretty +much all the time as I need a trackpoint to survive). This is nowhere +close to enough – considering my old X1 also has 3 USB ports, not to +mention it has dedicated ports for two external monitors.</p> +<p>This is why I maintain my opinion that the expansion modules are +currently a gimmick. There are no expansion cards that are unique enough +to justify them – no WWAN card, no full size SD card reader, nor even an +ethernet port (until very recently). Full size DisplayPort and storage +expansion are cool, but they take up precious USB ports which means for +my use case a dock is mandatory anyway if one of those cards is +installed, nullifying the point of using these cards. I personally would +favor a design with more fixed ports (which is already the case for the +audio jack on the Framework), maybe 3 fixed USB Type-C ports on the left +and 2 expansion card slots on the right. More useful expansion cards +could also be a solution, like a mini hub with two USB Type-C ports. +Even a proprietary port for connecting expansion cards to the computer +(like two sets of USB 4 signals in a single port) is acceptable for me, +to allow simpler designs of some dual function cards (e.g. storage card +with a USB port); as these on board connectors aren’t meant to be used +directly, users are always expected to plug an expansion card into +them.</p> +<h3 id="tocanch14" class="tvis">Keyboard</h3> +<p>Like many people coming from a ThinkPad with 1.8 mm key travel, I +find the keyboard of the Framework laptop lacking in tactile response. +Even when compared to the keyboard on a 9th gen X1 Carbon which has the +same 1.5 mm travel, Framework’s keyboard still loses by quite a large +margin. Also the keyboard features the rather bad (in my opinion) layout +of arrow keys.</p> +<p>This is not to say the built-in keyboard is completely unusable as +such. But I do still prefer using a ThinkPad keyboard, whenever it’s +available to me.</p> +<h2 id="tocanch15" class="tvis">Customer Service</h2> +<p>This is where Framework really shines as a new player in the world of +laptop manufacturers. I wouldn’t expect to get in touch directly with +someone on their hardware team by simply reporting a firmware issue.</p> +<p>So I decided to try out the latest development version of memtest86+. +I built it myself, however it booted on all my machines but the +Framework laptop. I reported the issue to memtest86+ developers, and +came to the conclusion that it has something to do with the firmware. So +I contacted support, and linked the github issue in the support request. +The support team wrote back pretty fast (within 24 hours), and to my +surprise, agreed to connect me with the hardware team directly. After a +few back and forth between the hardware team and memtest86+ developers, +it was determined that the cause is 8254 timer gating. Later I heard +back from the person on the hardware team that the relevant setting will +be added in BIOS version 3.09, which was released a few days ago. I +installed the update and set 8254 timer gating to disabled, and +memtest86+ worked as expected.</p> +<p>That was my only, yet pretty bizarre experience of Framework’s +customer service. I don’t think there could be any chance ever that I +could get in touch with someone on the hardware team of any prominent +laptop brands, but Framework can do it. Kudos to the Framework support +team, and I hope they would be able to maintain this level of customer +service when they get bigger.</p> +<p>The full issue report on github is <a href="https://github.com/memtest86plus/memtest86plus/issues/40">here</a>.</p> +<h2 id="tocanch16" class="tvis">Y no upgrade to 12th gen?</h2> +<p>Intel’s 12th gen processors are winning grounds on the desktop front, +but in the mobile sector they don’t look so hot. I’ve seen people with +their shiny new 10th gen X1 Carbon complaining about poor battery life +and even worse thermal performances. Also in order to upgrade without +letting the original motherboard fall into disuse, I would either buy +new RAM and SSD for it, or sell it somehow. Either option is hard to +justify for me. That’s why I decided against upgrading for now. I may +consider upgrading to 13th gen whenever that gets released.</p> +<h2 id="tocanch17" class="tvis">Any buyer’s remorse?</h2> +<p>Hate to break it for you, but I’m still not daily driving my +Framework laptop – in fact, I’m typing this sentence on my old X1.</p> +<p>But there’s no buyer’s remorse in general. Not being a daily driver +doesn’t mean it has fallen out of favor. Instead, there are now clear +roles assigned to these two laptops. I’ve moved all my music production +setup and games to the Framework laptop. It also functions as a build +server now (both for binary Gentoo packages, and as a networked build +server). The X1 only functions as a typewriter and web browser +nowadays.</p> +<p>All current issues I had with this machine have either been resolved, +or have existing workarounds. There is no trackpoint, no WWAN, no touch +screen or digitizer, or connecting to 3 USB devices and an external +monitor while charging compared to my old X1 – this is not a ThinkPad +after all. But it does have third party board level repair with support +from the company itself (they have started to provide full schematics to +third party repair shops under NDA), easy access to parts, open source +firmware, upgradable platform, and promise of a coreboot BIOS. These are +the reasons I chose to support Framework as a company. So let my first +purchase be a small contribution to them.</p> +</article> +</div><br><hr> + <div class="TText" id="notediv" style="font-size:80%;"><span class="TText"><a id="note1" href="#n1">[1]</a>: and I’m not going to choose even if there is one, due to +previous traumatic experience I had with AMD platforms. Unreasonable I +know, but it’s hard to overcome.<br></span></div> + <div id="insanch" style="height:3em;"></div> + <div id="footer" style=""> + <div id="pagesw" class="TText" style="width:100%;height:0.5em;"></div> + <div style="text-align:center;" class="TText"> + Proudly powered by SSBS <reduced style="font-size:70%;">(the static stupid blogging system)</reduced> 2.5 + <br> + Content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. <span id="purgep" style="display:none;font-size:70%;">This page has passphrase(s) stored. 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