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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz to c/fuck_ai@lemmy.world

My laptop stopped charging last week, it ran until the battery died. I tested a bunch of USB-C chargers and cables.... Fuck!

It is 7 years old, which is my second shortest run from a laptop.

I started looking at replacements, I have my eye on a Framework, the 13 Pro specifically, now that ship to NZ.

But fuck, $1600NZD for 32GB.... That is almost what I paid for my whole previous laptop. Luckily I can take my 4TB SSD from my failed machine, otherwise $1800NZD to replace that.

Update:
I ordered a second hand HP, $940NZD with 32GB of RAM. A couple of years newer than the failed one.

I'll see if there is a repair cafe near where I am, but this is a good solution for now.

Thanks for all the replies.

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[-] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 1 points 4 days ago

I love Linux; I literally just took my 4TB SSD out of my failed Zenbook and plugged it in to the new HP

Booted with no issues and runs like a dream......

[-] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 6 days ago

It costs maybe $30 in my country to pay someone to solder on a new usb-c receptacle for charging. It has to be done every few years

[-] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Neither USB-C port is working to charge the laptop. I initially thought the same as you, so when I took the bottom cover off I tested (tried to wiggle) each port, both are very solidly attached to the board.

I also generally only used one port for charging.

I will try to repair it once I have my replacement here and the OS is upgraded to Linux.

[-] CarlSagan42@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

Fucking insanity! I bought a new rig right before the craziness luckily. If you assemble a sheep army I will follow you into battle against these AI corporations.

[-] django@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 week ago

Maybe try visiting a repair cafe?

[-] danielquinn@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 week ago

Laptop batteries can often be replaced or even refilled by a competent repair guy. You might want to ask around locally to see if you have someone like that around.

[-] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 3 points 1 week ago

It's not the battery, it is the charging circuit itself.

It doesn't detect that the charger is plugged in. Not sure what else to do.

[-] danielquinn@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 week ago

That actually might be better news as a repair might be a simple fix. It can't hurt to visit a repair shop and ask. It might save you a lot of money :-)

Another alternative might be buying a used/refurbished laptop comparable or even better than your current one.

[-] rapchee@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

this is definitely a fixable problem, maybe even you yourself could do it
i have a laptop that had a really flimsy power connector, one piece broke off, and the plug went inside when you tried to charge it
i looked up disassebly online (laptops can be tricky) and i tried different thing, tbh i forgot what i did that works now but i think a piece of plastic is holding it in place now, and it's been a few years
also, if it is more complicated, laptop shops can fix a lot of things, even if something needs to be replaced, it not that much without ram

[-] iusemybrain@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago

motherboards generally limit the amount of voltage that you can get from the power supply, generally that's 20V. if that component is broken or fully degraded, your best bet is to buy another laptop.

that said, try updating the BIOS if it hasn't been updated recently. It sounds like this is a low-level controller issue then an actual hardware issue.

[-] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago

I've had a framework 16 for maybe a year and a half now. Love the thing. The other person is right there's a decent chance things get more expensive before they get cheaper so if you need a rig soon go for it. The beauty of a framework is if things get cheaper later you can upgrade it

[-] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 1 points 6 days ago
[-] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 days ago

My scale says it weighs about 2kg. This is the first laptop I've actually owned and it is the 16 not 13, so idk how to compare it relative to anything. It can be a bit tiring to carry around; it's somewhat beefy and that's without the GPU upgrade. It does look thinner than a lot of the gaming laptops I've seen though so I suspect it is somewhere in the lighter end of heavy

[-] Cheebus@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

I’d still get something now, it’s gunna get way worse

[-] iusemybrain@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

just go used on ebay, and if you prefer to do a project, buy a "broken" laptop in some area, and you can save 30% from retail cost. I bought an Asus zephyrus g14 (2023) for $500 because the n-key didn't work, once after updating the bios I had a perfectly functional $1000 to $1500 laptop (if I wanted to resell).

[-] Bebopalouie@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago

The dreaded Amazripoff usually has cheap supplies.

[-] eremophila@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago

They look like an extreme ripoff. The prebuilt models are also showing as pre-order, with delivery in December.

this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2026
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