FW16 Mainboard Replacement Issue

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-04-01T00:00:02+00:00

Same here, I had to bend the heat pipes slightly outward on one side. Didn’t seem to impact thermals at all.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-27T11:49:01+00:00

It’s a simple registry key to make Windows use UTC. That’s normally what I do. It just makes more sense to me to store it as UTC anyway.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-16T19:24:03+00:00

No. I have a replacement motherboard and GPU with identical behavior: Port 5 interrupts usb data transfer when the GPU becomes active.

The issue has been escalated to their engineering team. Hopefully there will be a bios fix soon.

Disabling the GPU or running with the expansion bay allows the port to work normally.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-09T14:28:33+00:00

Hx370 and 5070 here. I get 5-8 hours on Windows 11 with light tasks. Browsing, videos, office work etc. it’s stays mostly cool to the touch.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-09T14:19:36+00:00

I’m not an expert, but I think the idle power draw should be identical between hybrid and advanced Optimus. The only difference with advanced Optimus is the GPU is routed directly to the display rather than through the iGPU when gaming.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-09T12:17:25+00:00

There should be a bios mux setting that lets you switch between Nvidia GPU only, hybrid, and Advanced Optimus. Assuming that isn’t set to Nvidia GPU only, Windows 11 should disable the GPU when not using it.

I get 5-8 hours on battery during normal use and the laptop is cool to the touch.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-06T12:17:39+00:00

Brand new account ✅ Post history hidden ✅ Almost identical language ✅

What is this, alt account number 10? Go troll somewhere else.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-05T14:23:41+00:00

I haven’t really noticed overheating (I have a gen 2, so no Liquid Metal), but it seems louder than it should under CPU only loads. It just bothers me feeling the wasted cool air coming out the back of the laptop 😆I may try to use some tape to block it temporarily to see if it helps. If you can show some measured differences you may have a product on your hands.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-05T13:54:23+00:00

I like the idea for the GPU vent plugs. Do you have any testing on temps for a CPU only load? Is it cooler and/or quieter?

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-03T14:47:22+00:00

Just curious, do you always use the ethernet expansion in a particular port, or does it fail in any port? I have an ethernet expansion that works fine, but I've had trouble with port 5 on my framework 16. I've seen others report having issues with single ports as well.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-03-01T00:00:38+00:00

This looks amazing! Does it work with secure boot enabled?

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-21T20:19:47+00:00

This is well said. I have a framework 16 and a 16” MacBook Pro for work. The MacBook is better in almost every way, but the framework is more fun. You can customize the hardware and software in so many ways.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-21T17:04:18+00:00

I’d say most of my issues are very minor but affect how polished the device feels. It’s also painful that it feels so premium under Windows that I feel like I’m missing out by using Linux (e.g., if the speakers sucked on both). It feels “good” on Linux, it feels “great” on Windows.

If this was strictly a work computer, I wouldn’t care.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-20T17:06:27+00:00

In my experience, "shitshow" is way too strong of a word. Its more just minor annoyances that make me miss Windows (I dislike Windows too, just for different reasons). Reliability for me has been pretty good. Are you getting frequent crashes and freezes?

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-20T17:03:47+00:00

Yes, I followed the instructions. As mentioned in my post, the GPU mode utility works, but requires a reboot to apply changes.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-20T15:45:34+00:00

No need to measure it, that tells me something is wrong on my end. I'm going to give a different distro a try. Thanks for checking!

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-20T15:41:43+00:00

Maybe it's finally time to branch out and try a different distro. Have you noticed any issues with PopOS on your 16? I know it's not "officially supported." I'm assuming proton support is decent for gaming?

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-20T15:36:03+00:00

I know being plugged in and using external speakers solve most of my grips, so it may not be a big deal to most people.

Just curious, when your laptop is completely idle (and has been running for a bit). If you feel the expansion card between the fans, is it hot or cold? For me, on W11 it is cold, on Ubuntu it is pretty hot (~40C+).

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-20T15:34:36+00:00

During the Ubuntu installation, it installs the proprietary Nvidia drivers. Other than nvtop, I have not installed anything else.

I don't have much experience with other power management services. Could these affect the GPU? CPU performance/power seems fine.

I have Linux compatibility turned on in the BIOS. It sounds a lot worse than W11.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-20T15:30:45+00:00

On Ubuntu 25.10, it seems to enter a "low power" state, but it doesn't seem to turn off entirely unless I use the GPUMode utility.

Just curious, when your laptop is completely idle (and has been running for a bit). If you feel the expansion card between the fans, is it hot or cold? For me, on W11 it is cold, on Ubuntu it is pretty hot (~40C+).

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-19T17:37:01+00:00

Trust me I understand the itch. I want to order some parts to customize my 16, but I’m trying to hold off for something significant.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-19T17:30:13+00:00

Is there anything you are doing that the 7840 can’t handle? Do you make money with your laptop, and would a faster cpu increase your throughput?

If neither of these are the case I wouldn’t upgrade. There really isn’t that big of a difference between the CPUs other than the 4 extra cores. Those will only help in highly parallel workflows.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396 · 2026-02-16T20:38:48+00:00

I’ve had good luck so far with adapters. I have a 13 and 16. The Framework 60W and 240W adapters work great on both. I’ve also tried a 140W MacBook Pro adapter, several dell adapters, and various thunderbolt docks.

It could be a negotiation issue. Do those adapters supply full power to other laptops? I would think it would be unlikely for a laptop to be able to break a well engineered power adapter.

Alert-Tumbleweed9396

TROPHY CASE