We've covered plenty of Framework's modular and easy-to-repair laptops here on Engadget and rightly so. Their mission is to end the need for users to throw away an otherwise perfect machine when just one component fails. But as the company matures, it also has to address the question of what happens when people choose to upgrade for performance reasons. An early buyer could choose to trade in their 11th-gen Intel motherboard for any of its successors, or cross the aisle to get the newly released AMD edition. That leaves them with an otherwise perfectly functional motherboard that they have to sell, turn into a hobby project, or, more likely, leave on a shelf collecting dust as a just-in-case option. That's why the company partnered with Cooler Master to give you a much better alternative.
He Framework x Cooler Master Motherboard Case It's a basic $39 chassis that you can put your existing Framework motherboard into. For that, you get an attractive plastic frame and kickstand, with four VESA mounting screws buried inside and, um, not much else. That's the point, as you can cannibalize other components from your laptop, use whatever compatible replacement parts are out there, or pick up new ones from Framework on the cheap. I would say that this is not aimed at the dedicated and talented Framework hobbyist community, who have created a lot of excellent 3D printed cases on their own. Instead, it targets people like me, who start sweating every time DIY Advantages Video mentions welding. (If you're reading this, you've no doubt seen that video about preserving broken laptops, but I also bet you've never tried it.)
If you're starting from scratch, you can probably get a mini PC with better specs for less money. But if you're already in the Framework ecosystem and have one of those boards on hand, as well as a few other spare components, then this makes a lot of sense. After all, the first-generation model I tested included a Core i7-1165G7; More than enough power for everyday tasks such as navigation, productive work or for use as a multimedia center. The case is flexible enough to let you choose which accessories you need or use, including pre-drilled holes to add SMA antennas instead of reusing a laptop WiFi module. Oh, and you'll need to buy a 100W charger, since the motherboard was designed to be used with a battery.
The synonym is flexibility in allowing you to choose how you want to design your system, but also a comment on build quality. $39 doesn't buy you much, and the two halves of the plastic case are much flimsier than I would like. It doesn't help that you don't mount the components to the board but place them inside, and then they stay in place when you screw the cover on. It's easy enough to drop all the pieces in, although the lack of cable routing for WiFi was a problem when it came to sealing this all up. Not to mention, the first time I screwed it all together, the USB-C ports for the expansion cards didn't sit properly over the holes for them to pass through.
The only other hurdle in my initial setup was that I couldn't get the unit to send video to the TV. You need to set the motherboard to standalone mode, but iFixit style guides Don't make it very clear how you are going to do it. Especially if you spend half an hour in the BIOS searching in vain for settings before and after installing a batch of updates. In the end I just left the board in the case to see if anything had changed and to my surprise it booted right up to the screen. It's worth hoping that Framework remembers that its user base might have a wider range of skills than you expect and that instructions should not be given off the cuff.
Once I dealt with those initial issues and put the WiFi cables back into place by inserting a screwdriver through the VESA mounting hole, I was ready to go. Since this is a Framework laptop right out of its usual chassis, you get the same selection of USB-C expansion cards as usual. With an HDMI output and a pair of USB-A ports for peripherals, I was able to stream 4K video without issue as soon as I logged into Plex. Crucially, for those of us who are too shy to even think about implementing our own hobby project, it's tools like this that make these projects accessible.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cooler-masters-framework-case-gives-your-laptop-a-second-life-150051741.html?src=rss