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FL13 Display - Changing to all pre-req steps

Minor Versionm

by Iroh

    • Power off the Framework Laptop by navigating to the Windows icon on the bottom left and clicking on "Power" followed by "Shut down," or if on Linux, the equivalent action there.

    IMPORTANT: If you plan to install your existing mainboard in a CoolerMaster case, make sure to boot into the BIOS and enable standalone mode before continuing.

    Richard Tango-Lowy - Reply

    Pretty sure you might want to include a reminder to backup the bitlocker recovery key if it is enabled. The system will definitely boot to the bitlocker recovery screen since it will be a different TPM.

    James Wu - Reply

    It could be helpful to give the bash terminal command to shutdown such as

    sudo shutdown -h now

    Patrick Corey - Reply

    Bottom left*

    Vijfhoek - Reply

  1. Unplug your power cable from the USB-C Expansion Card in your Framework Laptop.
    • Unplug your power cable from the USB-C Expansion Card in your Framework Laptop.

    (I had formerly left a long comment here about how you guys 'forgot' to have a bit about removing the expansion cards...and while some official guide on this is probably a good idea to have, it's...not actually necessary to remove them! Even though in the build guide, they go in last, they don't actually need to come out in order to replace the screen! Heh.)

    Eli B - Reply

    • Close the lid on your Framework Laptop and place it upside down on a soft, non-marring surface, such as the bag that it shipped in.

    • Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver, unscrew the 5 fasteners on the Bottom Cover. These fasteners will remain attached in the Bottom Cover so that you do not lose them.

    • The fastener on the bottom left (circled in red) will not unscrew as far as the others, as it is acting as a lifter for the Input Cover.

    • You'll hear this fastener start clicking as you rotate when it is unscrewed far enough.

    • Do not use a powered tool for these steps, as this will likely result in damage to the fasteners.

    Thank you for writing the specific detail on the lower left corner screw.

    I thought something was not working correct until re-read this guide.

    Patrick Corey - Reply

    • Flip the Framework Laptop back over and open the lid to around 120 degrees.

    • Important: Pull the Input Cover off carefully as it is still attached to the Mainboard via the Touchpad Cable. You don't need to disconnect this cable to do most repairs. You can just flip the Input Cover over. If you do want to disconnect it though, make sure to disconnect the Mainboard side using the finger loop over the orange label.

    • The bottom right corner of the Input Cover lifts up when the five fasteners are properly unscrewed from the previous step. You should not have to use any excessive force to remove the Input Cover.

    • Carefully lift the cover up from the bottom right corner. If you need to, you can use the spudger end of the Framework Screwdriver to lift it as well. Lift the Input Cover off the Mainboard, flip it over (keyboard side down), and place it about halfway on the Bottom Cover.

    • Be sure not to put too much force on the Touchpad Cable when doing this.

    • If the LEDs on the left and right sides of the system are flashing red when you lift off the cover, it means the system is still powered on. Make sure your power cable isn't plugged in and that you have shut down correctly.

    • Note that it may take up to 30 seconds after shutting down for the system to fully power off. Wait until the LEDs stop flashing before proceeding.

    • You should keep the Battery connector plugged in unless you need to replace the Battery, Mainboard, or Speakers. This connector is easy to accidentally damage, so it's better to not handle it.

    You should flip the keyboard around the x-axis (so that the back edge comes towards you as you flip) and not the z-axis (resulting in the left edge rotating to the right). I started to do the z-axis and the touchpad cable was getting twisted. I am capable of messing up all instructions. This is my anti-super-power... or joker power in the Wild Cards universe.

    Brian - Reply

  2. Disconnect the Touchpad Cable from the Mainboard by inserting your finger into the loop and pull directly upward using a slight amount of force. Once the Touchpad Cable is disconnected, remove the Input Cover away from the Mainboard. The Input Cover is now fully disconnected from the Bottom Cover.
    • Disconnect the Touchpad Cable from the Mainboard by inserting your finger into the loop and pull directly upward using a slight amount of force.

    • Once the Touchpad Cable is disconnected, remove the Input Cover away from the Mainboard.

    • The Input Cover is now fully disconnected from the Bottom Cover.

    • Open the Framework Laptop 180 degrees to remove the Bezel.

    • The Framework Bezel is attached by magnets so you will not require any tools to remove it. Just use your fingernail and pry the Bezel away from the display from one of the top corners of the Framework Laptop.

    • Once the Bezel starts peeling off towards the bottom of the Display, lift it up using caution. You might feel a little resistance due to the adhesive at the bottom of the display.

  3. Find the black Display Cable that connects the display to the mainboard. Unplug the cable by pulling it directly upwards using the black pull tab. Carefully lift up the silver grounding tape that is holding the Display Cable to the hinge.
    • Find the black Display Cable that connects the display to the mainboard. Unplug the cable by pulling it directly upwards using the black pull tab.

    • Carefully lift up the silver grounding tape that is holding the Display Cable to the hinge.

    • Free the Display Cable from the Bottom Cover and carefully remove it from any routing pegs. It will remain connected to the display.

    • Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver, unscrew the 4 fasteners connecting the Display to the Top Cover.

    • The Display is now fully unattached to the Top Cover, you can gently lift it up from the corner using your fingernail.

    • Be sure to only handle the Display by the side edges and avoid touching the bottom area.

    • There are four alignment pins located on the Top Cover. They are located right next to the four fastener slots. Place the silver brackets connected to Display directly over the pins.

    • Be sure to only handle the Display by the side edges and avoid touching the bottom area.

  4. Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver screw the four fasteners into place. Be sure to not over tighten the fasteners.
    • Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver screw the four fasteners into place.

    • Be sure to not over tighten the fasteners.

    • Route the black Display Cable through the routing channel as indicated in the picture.

    • Secure the silver grounding tape as indicated in the first image.

    • Using the black pull tab, align the Display Cable connector with the connection on the Mainboard and firmly press down.

    • The Display installation is now complete.

  5. If installing a new Bezel, remove the liner pieces on the bottom of the Bezel to expose the adhesive.
    • If installing a new Bezel, remove the liner pieces on the bottom of the Bezel to expose the adhesive.

    It seems almost all of the comments here belong in the next section about actually installing the bezel - only a few of them (if any?) are pertinent to removing the liner pieces to expose the adhesive on the bezel, which is the only action taken here. It's a bit bonkers there's 17 comments before mine in this section about removing liner pieces and only 4 comments at the time of writing in the next section about bezel installation, the latter of which is clearly an order of magnitude more difficult it seems.

    Richard Lloyd - Reply

    There should be some mention of the removable plastic on the switches at the top of the input cover for (en/dis)abling the camera and microphone.

    David P - Reply

    My bezel seemed to install well but the lower left hand corner ended up becoming quite stuck and warped for some reason (perhaps how a particular cable was positioned near the microphone).

    It jammed and was almost impossible to open. I have had to detach the lower hinge of the bezel for now and will need a replacement.

    Not the best experience.

    Nicholas - Reply

    Also had issues with the left corner of the bezel. What happened was I was trying to route the left corner cable below the hinge! That was stupid of me, but it seemed like the appropriate place for the cable to go without much knowledge of laptop bezels. I did fully read and follow the guide, and had the right cable properly fitted; but for some reason it seemed the left cable was supposed to fit under the hinge.

    For anyone who might run into the same problem like I did, here is a picture of how the left cable is supposed to be properly seated:

    https://imgur.com/a/3JcA0xh

    Also, to be fair, the cable was already a bit seated under the hinge when I first opened the laptop, which led me to assume that was how it was supposed to be.

    Ciaran Sanders - Reply

    the guide says "the ezel" instead of "the bezel" at the end of the 4th bullet point.

    Chickenman - Reply

    For me this was really simple and took about 30 seconds.

    Richard Tango-Lowy - Reply

    installed the bezel carefully, or so i thought, when i was finished closed the lid (top cover still off) and the captive screws levered the screen which caused the hinge cover at the bottom of the bezel to just shear off - awesome...i had to re-separate the bezel completely and install from the hinge cover first and then tip the laptop so the captive screws didn't catch in order to check the function again, working now but i've also got half a hinge cover separated from the bezel. Kind of took the shine off my laptop i've been waiting 4 months for

    RJ P - Reply

    Surprisingly, the bezel was by far the hardest item to install for me. I found that it's easier if done without the top cover, however, be very careful to keep the screws fully seated in when moving the hinge - they can lodge themselves in the wrong spot and cause damage otherwise. This was also pointed out in a comment below, but it should really be a warning at the top of each guide.

    As many have noted, the difficult part is getting the lower corners to sit flush. After a lot of tries the best technique I found is:

    - release tension from the cables by taking them out from some of their holding brackets

    - route them so that, with the laptop sitting flat and horizontal, their highest point is no higher than the hinge's. The picture in the guide shows how to do that - the hinge edges are skinnier than the rest, and you're trying to wrap around that tiny bit of space that they leave.

    Even then it's not perfect and my bottom right corner wants to sit a hair higher than the others.

    Demetrio Girardi - Reply

    I also had an issue when placing the bottom left of the bezel onto the screen. A cable connecting to the display was causing the the bezel to just not sit flush once it was closed. If you opened it with the cable misaligned it would cause the bottom left side of the bezel to jut out and really look like it would snap. If this guide could provide a picture on how the wiring of the bottom left should look it would be super helpful.

    I managed to figure out how to position it after some troubleshooting, I just removed the bezel and kept closing the lid with the cable in a new spot. When the cable didn't pop out the back I tried it with the bezel installed, then closed the lid, then checked the back of the casing. I still noticed the bezel wasn't flush but after just pushing it up against the case it managed to snap into position and now seems to work fine after opening/closing the lid.

    Vincent Becerra - Reply

    I had problems with the cable on the left side which caused the lower left corner of the bezel to slightly stick out. You should definitely show a picture of how the left cable should be aligned. Similar to the picture for the Antenna and Camera.

    gbid - Reply

    If the corners are not aligned. carefully lift up the part of the ezel and guide it into place.

    Can I get a comma and a "b" please... ;)

    Todd - Reply

    If the new bezel being aligned was not black it would more clearly demonstrate how to attach the new bezel.

    I incurred two problems.

    When installing my new purple bezel, I removed the left adhesive completely from the bottom of the Bezel when removing the liner piece. I was able to REapply it as it was sticky both sides.

    I had more issues with the left hinge, in fact it snapped when I initially closed it. I was terrified but was thankfully able to dislodge it. I bloody well hope this will not effect the performance.

    Very poor quality indeed, cheap flimsy plastic.

    I did not trust myself to continue setting up my Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core) and put it away until I had more confidence.

    Loretta Bozelle - Reply

    The bezel is cheap plastic and will break easy… if it happens to break it will start to cause issues. Will update with a pic, bezel definitely needs to be redesigned or done already assembled.

    Cameron W Downie - Reply

    Two captive screws on the bottom of the laptop, near hinges, can mess with opening the screen fully if they are extended too far. Try to push them up (towards the motherboard) to avoid interference. In my case they even left a dent on the inner edge of the screen metal lid.

    https://imgur.com/a/IoeMZeK

    Andrew Bond - Reply

    On your picture, you already have installed the keyboard, which would be the next step in the process. Do the screws still stick out without the keyboard installed?

    Jonathan Haas -

    Same issue here, it somehow fixed itself after pressing the bezel a bit. It does click when I open the lid, though. I think the wire might need some tape?

    Yochai Gal - Reply

    I was having issues as well. Check the wires that are tucked in on each side and make sure they are flush with the hinge. There was some tension with the wires and you can use the flat chisel side of the screwdriver tool to gently press the wires down into the chassis grooves.

    Dwalla - Reply

    The bottom right corner of my bezel is not fully pressed down along the display. It's only 1 or 2 mm raised, but it is noticeable when looking at the display from a side view.

    Do not be alarmed if this happens to you as it seems others have experienced something similar based on posts in the community. I spent way too long repeatedly taking off and placing off the bezel to try and resolve it. All other edges of the bezel lay perfectly.

    Sam Mikell - Reply

    • Open the Framework Laptop 180 degrees to attach the Bezel.

    • Starting with the bottom of the Bezel which covers the hinges and cables, align the corners of the Bezel to the display and place it down. The Bezel is attached by magnets and should easily click into place.

    • We recommend feeling along each edge of the Bezel to make sure it is seated correctly before proceeding, if it doesn't seem to be sitting flush, lift it back up and try lowering it into place again.

    • Do not try to install the Bezel without first opening the Laptop fully, doing so could damage the Bezel and potentially the Display.

    • If the bottom of the Bezel doesn't seem to fit, lift it back off and check that the cables are seated correctly on both sides. If the Bezel doesn't seem to fit at all, please contact support and do not force it into place.

    If you have trouble getting the bezel to fit flush all the way around:

    If there's a consistent place the bezel is usually unable to sit flush, try seating that point first and working your way around the rest of the bezel. Be gentle, but don't be afraid to take the bezel off and try again (it took a good number of attempts for mine to seat nicely). Gentle force is okay, but if it's not seating take it off and try again

    Cris E - Reply

    NOTE regarding clicking while closing:

    if the screws on the underside of the laptop, closest to the hinge, are held captive by the laptop body but dangling loose, when you try to close the laptop you may hear a crunchy click sort of sound as the bottom edge face of the bezel interferes with the screws. For me, picking up the laptop and orienting it so that the screws weren't dangling and sat more flush allowed me to close the laptop without issue, confirming this seemed to be my issue. You may also be able to screw in those screws ever so slightly so they're held more flush with the laptop body before putting the bezel on, but inspect the laptop and make sure you're not causing any problems before attempting, as this is not the recommend order of operations in the guide. You may not want to close the laptop all the way if you do this as the bezel may help to protect the screen

    Cris E - Reply

    I think adding a clear picture of how the bottom cables should be dressed, or a diagram, would be helpful. With black cables on a black frame, it's hard to see what is supposed to happen and you can break your bezel easily.

    Scott Thomphson - Reply

    Before installing the bezel, check the display cable is routed correctly as per this picture.

    Lima Yankee - Reply

    At the left hinge, the cable seems to belong on the side closer to the display. Mine was on the opposite side, causing the bezel not to fit well, and after closing and reopening the lid, the bezel tore in this corner. It took a lot of wiggling and adjusting to free the bezel and move the cable to its correct position before the lid could be closed and opened easily.

    David P - Reply

    I feel it's easier to start with the top of the bezel. It's easier to feel the corner with fingers and let the bezel snap into place, than having it taped to bottom first and potentially having misalignment at the top later.

    NAVras - Reply

    "Starting with the bottom of the Bezel which covers the hinges and cables, align the corners of the Bezel to the display and place it down. The Bezel is attached by magnets and should easily click into place."

    But the "bottom of the Bezel which covers the hinges and cables" is the bent/angled, part with the "framework" logo on it, no?

    abc - Reply

    • Gently place the Input Cover keyboard side down on the Bottom Cover as indicated on the image. The cover should be about an inch and a half away from the bottom of the Mainboard so that you can comfortably install the Touchpad Cable.

    • Note: The orientation of the Input Cover matters. Study the first image in this step to ensure you are properly attaching the cover.

    • Locate the loop on the end of the Touchpad Cable and insert your finger into it.

    • Using slight force, connect the Touchpad Cable by aligning it to the socket on Mainboard. You should hear it click into place once properly connected.

  6. Before closing up the laptop, make sure that the Touchpad end of the Touchpad Cable is fully seated in the receptacle. The cable should be inserted far enough that the white line almost touches the receptacle.
    • Before closing up the laptop, make sure that the Touchpad end of the Touchpad Cable is fully seated in the receptacle.

    • The cable should be inserted far enough that the white line almost touches the receptacle.

    • If it is not inserted far enough, you'll need to flip up the black latch on the other side of the connector, slide the cable in further, and then close the black latch again.

    • Once the Touchpad cable is secured to the Mainboard, flip the Input Cover over the Bottom Cover so that the keyboard is facing up and attach it to the Bottom Cover by aligning the top and bottom edges of both covers.

    • Tip: The covers are magnetic and should fit into one another easily. If you feel any resistance simply lift the Input Cover up and try again.

    • Close the Framework Laptop and place it upside down to reveal the fasteners on the Bottom Cover.

    • Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver, screw all 5 fasteners back into the Bottom Cover.

    • Be sure to not over-tighten the fasteners.

    Should I hear clicking when closing the laptop?

    Ramon - Reply

Conclusion
  • To purchase a Framework Laptop visit the Framework website
  • Want to learn more about the Framework Laptop? Take a look at our blog
  • If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to Framework Support

23 other people completed this guide.

Jehan Suleman

Member since: 03/08/2021

17 Guides authored

Team

Framework Member of Framework

8 Members

85 Guides authored

11 Comments

The display replacement guide provided by Framework guides is incredibly useful for individuals looking to repair or upgrade their laptop screens. The step-by-step instructions and detailed explanations make the process easy to follow, even for those with limited technical experience. This resource empowers users to perform screen replacements confidently and efficiently. Thank you for sharing this valuable guide.

Shiv Teckchandani - Reply

I have not yet studied the specifications in sufficient detail and maybe I can find the answer myself, but if somebody helps me, I can quickly decide to order this laptop for myself.

I'm interested in the possibility of replacing the matrix with another one if I suddenly manage to find a suitable size. I want to find a 3840x2400 led display (or maybe even a screen from my 16" laptop will do, then I won’t even think about it lol).

Tell me, what should I pay attention to besides the dimensions?

Konstantin - Reply

After installing the matte display, the screen is now set on a very low brightness and I can barely see anything. I can tell the screen is on, but it is not bright enough to navigate the OS so I can troubleshoot. Before I started the display swap I made sure the screen brightness was set to maximum in windows. Using the on keyboard display brightness buttons does not increase display brightness. What are my options besides having to wait until nighttime?

jeff - Reply

The back-light on my brand-new framework initially didn't work.

Thought I had a DOA for 3 hours straight, whilst not wanting to give up getting it to work. Then it suddenly started to work, after I gently pressed on the display-to-cable connection... So not the display connector on the motherboard, but the other side underneath the bezel.

Not sure if I should be wary about a possible bad connection, or if the display reed-sensor is somewhere in that area causing a bad reading...

TimDV -

I agree with the other commenter – the screen is perfectly readable even at the lowest brightness (in fact, I keep it on the first or second brightness step for the vast majority of the time and very rarely need to go above that).

Kirill Elagin -

The screen might not be connected properly. It looks like you have no (or only very low) backlight power. Please ensure that the connector is connected properly and there are no pins bent or damaged.

Jonathan Haas -

There were 3 important steps missing from this guide when replacing my original glossy 13" display for the new matte one. As mentioned, one was peeling the backing off the silver grounding tape. This is presumably a fairly serious omission, assuming that without peeling the backing off, the display can never be properly grounded?

The other two omissions were:

1. peeling off the white tape which was securing the display cable to the back of the display (presumably for protection during shipping) - best done between steps 7 and 8

2. peeling off the protective cover from the front of the display, using the black tab near the top-right corner - best done between steps 10 and 11.

Finally, in step 4 the video shows the input cover being lifted first from the top corners; however the text says "Carefully lift the cover up from the bottom right corner." I found this confusing, so it would have been good if the guidance in the text matched the video.

Other than those , I found the whole process very straightforward!

Adam Spiers - Reply

Secure the silver grounding tape as indicated in the first image.

I was a little confused about the silver tape, it didn’t seem sticky, was there a backing I was supposed to remove?

Alexander Schokking - Reply

There is a fibre backing on the new grounding tape that you have to peel off.

Adam Reynolds -

Any timeline on when we’ll be able to purchase replacement displays?

Dale Harper - Reply

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