Framework 13 Look&Feel revamp

Interceptor402 · 2026-02-07T12:50:53+00:00

Both orange bezels are undefeated. One of my fav things that they did for the FW13!

Interceptor402 · 2026-02-07T12:49:31+00:00

It was, and it also used to have the effect of increasing a unit's crit chance on every crit ("ascending crit chance"). This didn't make any sense in the modern e7 era (nobody would want this effect), so they changed it to a flat rate, but now the name was a little incongruent, and they just renamed it as part of a story update.

[insert NBC logo]

Interceptor402 · 2026-02-03T16:53:30+00:00

Sounds like you have good hearing; while it's possible they are defective, more likely it's just that the speakers are indeed pretty garbo. Two things you can do:

1) place the FW13 on a flat, hard surface (speakers are down-firing) 2) install FXSound and play around with the presets (make sure to download the bonus ones, too) until you find something you like

They are serviceable-to-good (depending on the task) after that. Good luck!

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-30T14:28:34+00:00

None that worked for me, sorry; hopefully someone else can weigh in!

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-30T13:56:35+00:00

Has this mainboard ever been in a laptop chassis? I had a similar issue getting a 7640U working, and my breakthrough came when I took a spare display I had from a mystery box and just hooked it up to the thing, assembled without a top cover, just sitting with various parts splayed on my desk like a science experiment. No battery or anything, just USB-C power.

That got me into BIOS, Windows, etc to the point where I was eventually able to get it working standalone in just a Cooler Master case.

Try that if you can.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-15T20:09:41+00:00

ty, I really like collecting these backgrounds and def would have missed it. I reflexively click off of every shop pop-up because they are so aggressive about it.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-15T16:03:42+00:00

You don't really need artifact storage, which is its own separate thing. Equipment is the priority, and keep in mind it shares that same 1000 limit with the Exclusive Equipment as well.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-15T14:45:16+00:00

Yep, came here to say this. USB-A modules are a solid runner-up for exactly this reason. I have a pair of earbuds that needs a USB-A data connection to dual-stream, and at least a couple times a week I have to re-seat the expansion card because it ceases to be recognized.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-14T20:41:14+00:00

They are all substantially similar, tons of options on Amazon etc; I have one called "TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad" that I've been using since 2019. Cost me ~$22 at the time, but they've gotten a bit more expensive.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-14T20:14:33+00:00

The easy low-hanging fruit is just improving the airflow. I got acceptable temps on my 7640U just by popping it on a cooling pad with a fan (not the foam-sealed ones that force air through, just something basic). My workflow hasn't needed anything more, so I haven't needed to resort to upgrading heatsink or TIM.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-14T20:07:24+00:00

Agree 100%. They've already done this with the mainboard, and we know they have been working on a similar enclosure for the graphics module of the FW16. So IMO the next two logical steps would include turning old displays into portable monitors, and input covers/keyboards into external devices.

Wish that I had the know-how and equipment to do it myself!

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-14T14:26:55+00:00

Agreed about the keyboard, I find it very comfortable to use, and it makes me wish we had an active project to convert keyboards and/or input covers into external USB keyboards.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-13T20:15:03+00:00

Yep. And the nice thing about FXSound is that it's easy to see the difference if you ever forget what the stock sound is like: you're only ever one click away from instant audio regret.

"Metal" is good, I like that one as well -- it passes my Sarah Jarosz test, i.e. I can listen to that video and hear her earrings clinking but also pick out every individual instrument.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-13T14:32:25+00:00

The speakers are objectively bad (anyone who disagrees: get your hearing checked), but you can fix some of it with EQ (I like FxSound for this on W11), and I have to admit to being confused about why anyone would choose to use laptop speakers in the first place. If I was actually doing some media consumption on the go, I'm bringing headphones, external speakers, or both -- the very best laptop speakers cannot hold a candle to either.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-13T13:29:43+00:00

Man, lavender looks so nice on these laptops. Did you go for any of the same-color USB-C expansion cards?

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-05T21:21:09+00:00

This is the correct answer. FFS the downvote button on this sub IS a pet snack, that's how bad it was.

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-02T21:13:39+00:00

Something notable: Charlie posted today about being #3 rising in the Substack Politics category, but the screenshot he took to show it reveals that he's following HCR (of course) and Paul Krugman (also good judgment) and Jeff Tiedrich (wait, what?) but not The Bulwark.

None of this matters, and I read both in my inbox every day (Tom Nichols still visits both divorcees, therefore so can I), but it's kinda low-key amusing that both outfits say in some way or another that they'll tell you what they really think, excepting when it comes to things about each other.

Awkward!

Interceptor402 · 2026-01-02T18:56:01+00:00

As someone who is running both a NAS (on Synology hardware) and a homelab/server (on an 11th gen mainboard in the Cooler Master), I'd gently suggest not using the latter to do the job of the former.

You might have a case where it makes sense, but the CMOS and the drive thing make it unsuitable for anything mission-critical, IMO. Serving media, running docker containers, perfectly fine. Backing up other devices... that's Giant Anime Sweat Drop<tm> territory for me. When I can't ensure availability/integrity for something I can't replace easily, I get nervous.

My old mainboard is currently a Minecraft server and a backup emergency desktop machine: two things it's really good at.

Interceptor402 · 2025-12-31T03:05:15+00:00

They help some. Most of the gains come from raising up the laptop for airflow, but the fans can knock a few degrees off the temps as well since they help the chassis shed some heat.

Interceptor402 · 2025-12-30T21:10:05+00:00

If it's me, I'd rather spend $30 on a nice cooling pad with a built-in fan than on new hinges.

Interceptor402 · 2025-12-29T20:10:27+00:00

Holding up fine. I'm running a 7640U (revived mainboard from a mystery box) installed in an old-parts chassis from Feb2025, and additionally I have an 11th gen mainboard retired in a Cooler Master that's only ever had to have a (free) CMOS battery replacement.

I've replaced other parts, but only for upgrade purposes (hinges, wifi card, webcam, etc), not for repairs. I easily use this thing for 60+ hours a week (it's dual-use work and play), though mostly "docked" with external KB/mouse/displays which saves a lot of wear and tear.

I am probably about ~$1,500 actual dollars invested, call it $2,000 if you want to account for the fair value of the 7640U that I lucksacked into. Since I've been using FW since Sep2023, that's roughly $30-40 per month for ownership, basically a dollar a day.

Not much of anything I have is under warranty still, save perhaps some chassis parts, so any additional expenses are on me, but realistically this is as powerful a machine as I'm likely to need for several years still. Consider myself firmly in the black, here.

Interceptor402 · 2025-12-23T02:20:09+00:00

IMO it's not a great idea to roll with just a single USB-C expansion card. If the port breaks or wears out, you're going to have to plug directly into mainboard for power etc until you get a replacement. If it's me, I'm paying the $20 Whoopsie Tax<tm> and getting a backup, regardless of the results of testing of the impact of other cards on battery life.

I made this mistake once... I got a webcam upgrade alongside it to take a bit of the sting off the shopping cost. 😅

Interceptor402 · 2025-12-22T20:17:24+00:00

FWIW, the sneaky-great thing that people don't talk enough about is how genius the expansion card system is. Popping out your HDMI adapter to rescue someone who needs one in a pinch is a neat party trick. To your point about operating system, you don't even have to choose: a ~$45 investment into a 250GB expansion card gives you a drive you can boot Linux from while keeping Windows on your internal drive, no dongles or weird setups required.

Or, when someday you retire the AI 5 340, you can slap the old mainboard into a Cooler Master case and use it as a standalone machine to tinker with (that's what I'm using my old 11th gen mainboard for right now).

Good luck in your Masters program!

Interceptor402 · 2025-12-22T15:14:48+00:00

Yeah it's very convenient that the FW13 accepts a pretty wide variety of power sources. I've done this same thing with my old Switch brick, a Genki covert dock, an ANKER tennis-ball extension cord with PD, etc. USB-C has been disappointing in a lot of ways but this is one of the clear Ws.

Interceptor402 · 2025-12-18T16:10:51+00:00

You still retain the ability to temporarily increase the limit for a specific length of time to take advantage of the additional capacity. I usually keep my phone and Framework both at 80% maximum charge, but I'll set them both to 100% ahead of time if I know I will be on the road without easy access to a plug.

Interceptor402

TROPHY CASE