The whole Framework idea is something I never even dared to wish for. I always wanted to build a laptop the way I build a desktop. And I recently built a HTPC by dismantling my custom-built file server, and a device made from recycled laptop parts would have made much more sense. I don't have much use for a laptop at the moment (my current one is from 2017 and I hardly use it), but if I did, I'd go for a Framework in an instant.
$39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
111–120 of 160 posts
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
My biggest issue with those is that sometimes their cooling solution is ridiculously bad. They have a next-to-nonexistent heat sink, so the fan needs to spin like crazy to cool it down. Bonus points for the fan stopping from time to time, so it has to spin even faster than it would need to if it were running all the time. Had this is an older HP laptop. My newer one lets me configure it so that the fan spins all the…
A fanless laptop sounds attractive for this. Dropping the money on a MacBook Air seems wasteful though, and I’m not aware of other fanless laptops.
Here you go:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-ThinkPad-X13s-G1-Laptop...
Although IIRC it's more expensive than the Air.
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
I heard about people who use simple timer sockets to mitigate that. The battery won't die nearly as quickly if it's not at 100% all the time.
How have battery management systems not evolved to deal with this issue? It's especially confusing considering the massive number of laptops deployed by companies to part time work-from-home employees many of whom keep their devices plugged in nearly 100% of the time.
They haven't evolved to stop issues happening, partly because many a consumer won't understand the need so won't accept it (I'm returning this because it never charges to 100%) and there isn't enough demand from elsewhere for it to affect sales of devices (in office environments those laptops are usually cycled out before it would be a significant issue anyway).
But these days there are often controls in place to cut off power if things look bad (battery getting too hot, mainly) so things are more likely to die on their own rather than setting fire to themselves and anything near-by.
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#114Be so nice to have VESA mounts so it sandwiched between a monitor and the stand.
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#115I've been daily driving various Macs since the release of the Mac Mini in 2023. I love the "it just works" promise of the hardware but honestly I'm not terribly excited about the software these days, especially all the cloud stuff. Once my current hardware snuffs it there is a very high chance that a Framework laptop will be my next machine.
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
*without replacing the entire thing
If you’re planning on keeping it a long time, surely you’d get more RAM at purchase time? Minimum ram is never going to be good in 5-10 years.
Some people can't afford that, and Apple sells storage and RAM at extortionate prices.
Maybe you start out thinking you just need to do your taxes but then get a job in video editing. People want to upgrade all the time and it's really bad that you have to toss out the whole computer to do it.
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#117I really like this as a way to repurpose old hardware; I have known many laptops that end up sitting around in cupboards after their 'useful' life is over, that could probably still comfortably be serving as lightweight desktops even today.
My 2010 MacBook Pro still lives on my network running as a print server for my old laser printer that no longer works with modern OS's due to the lack of 64 bit drivers. I'm looking into installing HomeAssistant and possibly PiHole as well in the near future since it's way overkill for only running a print server.
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#118I know framework is a popular company on tech forums but it's always felt like a solution in search of a problem. Laptops I own that only have a CPU are rarely computationally bounded in what I'm trying to do, by the time the CPU is showing its age the battery and case are usually showing their age too. But lets say I need the most up to date CPU and can't wait, why would I now need a desktop computer with no expanda…
Completely agree.
It’s more wasteful than the path the we are in (full integration)
Laptop will more and more look like an Iphone (glue together, with no replaceable parts)
Every connector, every wire, every locking mechanism, every screw has a weight, cost and reliability problem. Making the system very integrated will decrease cost, weight and failures.
Apple is leading the way with their M1/M2 everything on one chip or package: cpu, gpu, ram, storage. This make them faster, cheaper, consume less energy.
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#119Hmm what's the power consumption of these (parts of) laptops?
And how bad it is power wise and cpu wise to have usb-c ethernet instead of pci?
Thinking home server here.
Re: $39 Cooler Master case turns your old Framework Laptop parts into a tiny PC
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
I bet if you look in the app store there is something in there that will let you use your phone as a media remote.
I use Unified Remote ( https://www.unifiedremote.com/ ) for this, works great.
Glad to see this app is still kicking. I used it a decade ago in college to control my PC while laying in bed and watching movies.