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@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ function ol()
<li id="tocouter">
<span>Table of Contents</span>
<ul id="tocroot">
- <li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch0">“Repasting” with PTM 7950</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch1">Semi-long term review</a></li><li><ul class="tocnode"><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch2">Disassembly reveals …</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch3">Other early adopter issues</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch4">How well did it hold up?</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch5">Random rants</a></li></ul></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch6">Contemplating upgrades</a></li></ul>
+ <li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch0">“Repasting” with PTM 7950</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch1">Semi-long term review</a></li><li><ul class="tocnode"><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch2">Disassembly reveals …</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch3">Other early adopter issues</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch4">How well did it hold up?</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch5">Random rants</a></li></ul></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch6">Contemplating upgrades</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch7">RTC
+battery substitute module installation and upgrades</a></li><li><ul class="tocnode"><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch8">Troubleshooting the modded
+laptop</a></li><li><a class="toctarg" href="#tocanch9">Other upgrades</a></li></ul></li></ul>
</li>
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@@ -59,6 +61,8 @@ function ol()
<h2 id="titleh" class="TText" style="font-wight:normal;">Framework Laptop: Repasting &amp; Two Year Report</h2>
<div id="datetags" class="TText" style="margin-bottom:1em;">2023-11-13<br>#device-review #computer-repairing</div>
<hr><div id="article" class="TText"><article>
+<p>Updated 2023-11-27: Added stuff on the RTC battery replacement module
+installation and part swap.</p>
<h2 id="tocanch0" class="tvis">“Repasting” with PTM 7950</h2>
<p>I’ve been reading testimonials from people replacing thermal paste in
their laptops with
@@ -241,16 +245,203 @@ replacement any day of the week. The price is a little steep though.</p>
<p>There’s another upgrade that I’d love to get. A trackpoint keyboard
with proper mouse buttons. I’m sure Lenovo would do anything to sabotage
it, but I can always dream.</p>
+<h2 id="tocanch7" class="tvis">RTC
+battery substitute module installation and upgrades</h2>
+<p>The battery module was sent out the day before US Thanksgiving. I
+also decided to treat myself with the aforementioned matte screen
+upgrade and a proper Chinese keyboard, which were sent out on the same
+day.</p>
+<p>Following the official guide linked above, the installation was
+pretty straight forward. I don’t have stellar soldering skills or very
+stable hands, but here are a few photos from the installation plus my
+commentry.</p>
+<table>
+<tbody><tr>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-rtcmp.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-rtcmp.jpg"></a> <br>RTC battery
+substitute module packing. Unassuming.
+</div>
+</td>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-rtcmi.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-rtcmi.jpg"></a> <br>The module itself.
+</div>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-rtcmt.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-rtcmt.jpg"></a> <br>After soldering. I
+applied a <em>little</em> bit too much solder.
+</div>
+</td>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-rtcmf.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-rtcmf.jpg"></a> <br>Final position.
+</div>
+</td>
+</tr>
+</tbody></table>
+<h3 id="tocanch8" class="tvis">Troubleshooting the modded
+laptop</h3>
+<p>Unfortunately, as things usually are for me, it didn’t go right after
+this point. Immediately after finishing the mod the machine still
+refused to turn on with the AC adaptor unplugged. It could boot with the
+adaptor plugged in and stay on after unplugging it while the laptop is
+running. Unplugging the machine with it turned off would erase all CMOS
+data. This was the exact same behavior exhibited before I performed the
+RTC battery modification.</p>
+<p>So I had to start the troubleshooting process. The power wire to the
+RTC battery substitute module measured 17.5 V to ground when the machine
+was powered on, so I didn’t mess up the soldering <a id="n4" href="#note4" class="note">[4]</a>. The outer ring of the module measured 3.2 V to ground,
+so the module itself is good. Neither values changed when I turned the
+machine off or had it unplugged after that. At this point pretty much
+all hardware faults that I could think of have been ruled out.</p>
+<p>Then I remembered that my machine is on BIOS version 3.17, while the
+latest release was 3.19 for this motherboard. So I decided to give that
+a shot. I quickly grabbed the update from their website and installed
+it, and voilà: the machine was able to turn on without the AC power
+attached once the BIOS has been updated.</p>
+<p>I still felt a bit iffy with my installation though, so I decided to
+go through the official installation guide again to make sure I followed
+everything – and of course I did not. There is apparently a specific
+orientation requirement for the module (a working one is shown in the
+second picture of step 3 in the guide). So I adjusted mine to match the
+picture for good measure, which resulted in the final installation photo
+shown above. There was also a comment under the official mentioning the
+module orientation issue.</p>
+<table>
+<tbody><tr>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-rtctv0.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-rtctv0.jpg"></a> <br>3.2 V present on
+outer ring of the module with the computer powered on and plugged in.
+</div>
+</td>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-rtctv1.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-rtctv1.jpg"></a> <br>17.5 V going into
+the module with the computer powered on and plugged in.
+</div>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-rtctv2.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-rtctv2.jpg"></a> <br>3.2 V still
+present when the machine is turned off but remain plugged in.
+</div>
+</td>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-rtctv3.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-rtctv3.jpg"></a> <br>3.2 V still
+present when the machine is both turned off and unplugged.
+</div>
+</td>
+</tr>
+</tbody></table>
+<p>By now I have the RTC battery substitute module fully working as
+Framework intended. However I couldn’t help but notice that this still
+doesn’t give the laptop the normally expected behavior according to the
+schematic of the module and a statement from Framework themselves, both
+of which can be found
+<a href="https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/RTCRework">here</a>. For a
+normal laptop one would expect when its main battery runs out it would
+still be able to keep time and the BIOS configuration. However with this
+modification being essentially just a voltage regulator (NCP718) and
+having no significant energy storage at all, the machine
+<strong>will</strong> lose all CMOS data once the main battery cuts out,
+which functions more like a normal laptop with a dead CMOS battery. But
+I guess it’s probably better than losing CMOS data even with a fully
+charged main battery…</p>
+<h3 id="tocanch9" class="tvis">Other upgrades</h3>
+<p>I actually performed these part swaps between soldering the battery
+module thingy in and the troubleshooting process. But that didn’t really
+matter because these upgrades went pretty smoothly without any drama.
+There were a lot of screws to undo and screw back in though (25 black
+ones and <strong>48</strong> silver ones?? I couldn’t really keep track
+of the number.) <a id="n5" href="#note5" class="note">[5]</a> These screws are pretty annoying to
+handle because they have incredibly short shanks and are incredibly easy
+to strip. With the official screw driver they easily stick together and
+the ifixit screw driver couldn’t reliably pick them up. The sheer number
+of them only added to the trouble I had to go through to replace my
+perfectly working keyboard with one that has additional legends on the
+keys that I will barely look at. Is it really worth the trouble? (Yes…
+if it had a trackpoint goddammit!)</p>
+<table>
+<tbody><tr>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-scr.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-scr.jpg"></a> <br>The screen. Wanky
+Apple-esque packaging.
+</div>
+</td>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-scp.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-scp.jpg"></a> <br>Screen unboxed.
+Apparently the newer 13 inch AMD model comes with this type of screen.
+<br>(which is objectively superior btw)
+</div>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-kbp.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-kbp.jpg"></a> <br>Keyboard unboxed. I
+can type Chinese using bopomofo at like 3 ch/min and I barely remember
+anything about Cangjie.
+</div>
+</td>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-ksc.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-ksc.jpg"></a> <br>National guild of
+screws. Nobody will get this reference.
+</div>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-scc.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-scc.jpg"></a> <br>The screens side by
+side. Original screen on the left. The matte screen actually looked very
+good for what it is.
+</div>
+</td>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-scb.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-scb.jpg"></a> <br>Back of the screens.
+Original on the left. Both made by BOE.
+</div>
+</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td>
+<div style="text-align:center;max-width:98%;">
+<a href="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/fw-kbb.jpg"><img style="width: 50%;" src="//filestorage.chrisoft.org/blog/img/ssbsthumb_1024x1024_fw-kbb.jpg"></a> <br>The new keyboard
+with backlight on. Fun fact: practically all computers sold in mainland
+China come with a standard US ANSI keyboard.
+</div>
+</td>
+<td>
+</td>
+</tr>
+</tbody></table>
</article>
</div><br><hr>
<div class="TText" id="notediv" style="font-size:80%;"><span class="TText"><a id="note1" href="#n1">[1]</a>:
<a href="https://community.frame.work/t/touchpad-clicking-issues/37059">[1]</a>
<a href="https://community.frame.work/t/touchpad-click-not-working-and-getting-loose/16408">[2]</a>
-<br></span><span class="TText"><a id="note2" href="#n2">[2]</a>: their
+<br></span><span class="TText"><a id="note2" href="#n2">[2]</a>: Their
crappy GPU driver being a major PITA for me – my experience with AMD
graphics seems very inconsistent with most Linux users. No I refuse to
elaborate here because that would derail the entire post.<br></span><span class="TText"><a id="note3" href="#n3">[3]</a>: Because I
-run Gentoo. Now laugh at me as you wish.<br></span></div>
+run Gentoo. Now laugh at me as you wish.<br></span><span class="TText"><a id="note4" href="#n4">[4]</a>: Even
+admittedly it looked pretty bad as all my soldering jobs have been so
+far.<br></span><span class="TText"><a id="note5" href="#n5">[5]</a>: So many that they actually forgot to circle
+out two of them in their official guide. Multiple comments under the
+guide already pointed this out, but Framework hasn’t modified the guide
+at the time of writing.<br></span></div>
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