Chances are, you’ve heard about Framework’s modular laptops, which brings the upgradability of desktops to laptops by using plug-and-play components. While they still make those easy-to-upgrade laptops, their newest announcement, the Framework Desktop, has to be their most exciting offering yet.
That’s right, the guys who brought the upgradability of desktops to laptops are making their own desktop PC. It’s not like every other pre-built out there, though, as the product is built entirely off one of the most exciting and unique processors we’ve ever seen come to the market in the form of AMD’s Strix Halo Ryzen AI Max chips.
The Framework Desktop takes on a mini PC form factor that measures a compact 8.9 x 8.1 x 3.8 inches (height x depth x width) and weighs just 6.8 pounds. At that size, it’s the perfect PC to bring to a LAN party, since you can just throw it in a backpack and take it along pretty comfortably. And yes, this thing is powerful enough to use for serious 1440p gaming, since it comes with AMD’s Strix Halo Ryzen AI Max, which combines a 16-core CPU with integrated Radeon 8060S graphics. According to AMD, that integrated graphics is equivalent in performance to a 4060, which is absolutely insane for something that’s integrated into the actual processor.
They put that system on a Mini-ITX board, along with up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM, with the ability to assign up to 98GB of that system memory directly to the GPU. That’s right, you can have 98GB of VRAM on this thing, making it a potential game changer in consumer desktops. Do note, the memory on this desktop doesn’t just plug into RAM slots like other PCs. Instead, it has to be soldered directly to the board to achieve the desired 256GB/s memory bandwidth, so you can’t just buy more RAM later like you do with traditional desktop computers.
The Framework Desktop has two PCIe NVME slots that each support an 8TB SSD, so you can spec it with up to 16TB of onboard storage, as well as single empty PCIe slot, in case you want to add another accessory (e.g. a capture card). It comes with a full set of IO ports, including two DisplayPort, one HDMI 2.1 connector, an Ethernet slot, two USB-C 4.0 ports, two USB-A 3.2 port, and a 3.5mm slot. According to the outfit, the PC can connect up to four monitors at the same time. The PC uses a semi-custom 400W power supply and a custom thermal system with 120mm fans that’s been developed with Cooler Master and Noctua.
To add some semblance of the modularity that’s been the signature of the outfit’s laptops, the PC does have swappable front I/O ports, so you can easily equip with whatever ports you need at any time. The front of the case can also be decorated with up to 21 individual tiles, so you can customize it to your liking. You can buy the PC pre-built or just buy the mainboard, then combine it with your own case, cooling fan, and power supply.
The Framework Desktop is now available for preorder, with prices starting at $1,099. It ships in the third quarter.
