Framework, the modular laptop firm, has simply introduced its first desktop PC, which is one thing it completely didn’t must do — however I’m glad it did.
Partly as a result of the world wants extra tiny 4.5-liter mini-ITX PCs, partly as a result of it makes use of AMD’s strongest APU ever (Strix Halo) with some precise gaming chops and as much as 128GB of unified LPDDR5x reminiscence… and partly as a result of it appears to be like like this.
Sure, you may create your personal entrance panel out of 21 interchangeable (and freely 3D printable) tiles, choose your personal two entrance I/O ports, and sure that’s a standard-size mini-ITX motherboard under, together with a {custom} thermal system co-developed by Cooler Grasp and Noctua with commonplace 120mm followers, a semi-custom 400W Flex ATX energy provide co-developed by FSP, an entire lot of seemingly perfect-length cables for a comparatively cable-light system, your selection of black or translucent facet panels… and, at left, an non-obligatory LAN celebration carry deal with!
Simply don’t search for any reminiscence slots — it’s soldered. “We spent months working with AMD to discover methods round this however finally decided that it wasn’t technically possible to land modular reminiscence at excessive throughput with the 256-bit reminiscence bus,” writes Framework.
Beneath, discover a nearer take a look at Framework’s desktop motherboard and cooling; you solely get a PCIe x4 port, not PCIe x8 or x16, and no legacy connectors like SATA, but it surely’s extra loaded than the picture lets on: Framework says it’s acquired onboard 5Gbps Ethernet, two USB4, two DisplayPort, one HDMI, not one however two M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots for as much as 16TB of storage, and a Wi-Fi 7 module, plus what seem like two full-size USB-A ports and a headphone jack (on the rear).
Right here’s a little bit little bit of the construct course of, as instructed by the photographs Framework despatched us:
And right here’s some higher photographs of the Framework Desktop mainboard’s I/O, in a rack-mounted, daisy-chained configuration that the corporate expects some AI lovers would possibly snap up — because of the native AI chops and 128GB of reminiscence on the highest-end Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 Plus config.
“With Framework Desktop, you may run large, succesful fashions like Llama 3.3 70B Q6 at real-time conversational pace proper in your desk,” the corporate claims, including “With USB4 and 5Gbit Ethernet networking, you may join a number of programs or Mainboards to run even bigger fashions like the complete DeepSeek R1 671B.”
Framework CEO Nirav Patel says it was additionally designed with LANs in thoughts — although with a bit much less bulk than the large CRT moniotrs and desktops of previous.
What sort of gaming chops would possibly it actually have? My colleague Antonio has seen in his time with the Asus Z13 gaming pill that Strix Halo is roughly across the efficiency of an Nvidia RTX 4060 cellular chip. AMD gaming architect boss Frank Azor was additionally right here with some 1080p benchmarks at excessive settings; it apparently can’t fairly play probably the most demanding video games (like Black Fable Wukong and Starfield) at over 60fps at native decision with every thing turned up, however the declare is that even 1440p at 60fps is feasible with AMD’s FSR upscaling.
Even for those who’re not getting your cash’s value out of AI, although, the costs on these desktops don’t appear all that outlandish. Whereas a desktop with a 16 CPU cores, 40 graphics cores, 80MB of cache of the 395 Plus chip, and 128GB of reminiscence will value $1,999 — not together with bring-your-own storage and OS — you may choose one with 8 CPU cores, 32 graphics cores, 40MB of cache and 32GB of reminiscence for $1,099. There’s additionally an 395 Plus with simply 64GB of RAM for $1,599. Or, you should purchase a mainboard alone for $799 for those who present your personal mini-ITX case and energy provide, too.
In case you are in search of probably the most highly effective mini-PC, Patel advised the $1,999 mannequin compares favorably to an Apple Mac Studio, which may value over twice as a lot for a similar 128GB of RAM.
Framework says these desktops and mainboard must be avaialble to preorder in the present day, with plans to ship in Q3. When you’re studying these phrases, I’m presently at a Framework occasion in San Francisco, the place the corporate additionally simply launched a new AMD-powered model of its Framework Laptop computer 13 and the brand new Framework Laptop computer 12: its first funds laptop computer, its first touchscreen, and its first convertible.
