Which rechargeable RTC battery can I use in Framework Laptop 13?

June 8 2023 8:30pm

Warning: Only use rechargeable 3V RTC batteries.  Inserting a non-rechargeable battery could result in serious damage.

We’ve designed the Framework Laptop 13 starting from 12th Gen Intel® Core™ to be able to operate without an RTC battery inserted. Beginning with 13th Gen Intel® Core™ and AMD Ryzen™ 7040 Series, we ship without the RTC battery installed to reduce environmental impact and comply with new safety certifications around coin cell batteries.

Instead, the main battery preserves the system clock. If you disconnect the battery, the clock will reset, but will be restored by your OS upon syncing with a network time server. If you regularly disconnect your battery or want to use the Mainboard standalone, you may want to install an RTC battery. We plan to stock these in the Framework Marketplace. You can also source your own, but make sure to follow the below compatibility parameters to both ensure it will function correctly and operate safely:

12th Gen and 13th Gen Intel® Core™: Rechargeable 3V ML1220 Lithium manganese dioxide coin cell battery, like a KTS BML1220.

Ryzen 7040 Series: Rechargeable 3V Lithium manganese dioxide battery with a Molex 51021-86022 compatible 2-pin connector.