Repairable laptop maker Framework just wrapped up its '2nd Gen' event, where it made three major announcements – the most prominent of which is that it's now dipping its toes into desktop PC waters.
The company says its goal is to make desktops accessible and approachable, with a small footprint and plenty of power under the hood.
To that end, the Framework Desktop fits an AMD Ryzen AI Max (aka Strix Halo) processor, a Radeon 8060S integrated GPU, and up to 128 GB of soldered RAM in a 4.5-L Mini-ITX form factor. The chip is said to offer GPU performance similar to a RTX 4060, with up to 40 graphics cores.
Look closer, and you'll find adequate cooling in the form of a heatsink developed in partnership with Cooler Master, phase change thermal interface material to keep internal temperatures low, and a hefty 120-mm fan. There's even a fresh air intake for the 400-W power supply at the bottom of the case.
The rear panel offers two USB 4 ports, two USB-A ports, a HDMI port, two DisplayPorts, and a 5-gigabit Ethernet port. That should sort you out if you're looking to edit 4K video using networked storage. There's also a PCI Express slot, and room for two M.2 SSDs.
The front panel can fit two slots for translucent swappable expansion ports, as well as up to 21 interchangeable tiles to dress up your rig. You can get them all in black, pick a bunch of colored tiles, or 3D print your own. I got excited seeing the LTT folks throw LEGO-compatible tiles on there.
The side panels can be had in black or transparent finishes, and there's also a neat removable handle for the top that you can add as an accessory.
That's a lot of kit in a small form factor PC – which you can get with Windows or Linux. Perhaps the only ding here is you can't upgrade system memory after the fact; Framework says it simply wasn't possible despite its best efforts, because soldering the RAM onto the mainboard is the only way to enable 256 GB/s of throughput.
The base model with an 8-core CPU gets 32 GB of LPDDR5X RAM for US$1,099; the top-end variant pairs a 16-core chip with 128 GB of RAM for $1,999. Framework believes this will be plenty to get into gaming and working locally with AI models. It's not inexpensive, but going by how other Framework products have fared over the years, this should last you a long while.
The Desktop will ship in the third quarter of this year, and you can configure one to pre-order on the product page.
Laptop 12
The next big thing from Framework is a 12-inch laptop that not only features a touchscreen, but also converts into a tablet thanks to a 180-degree hinge. This one gets a 1,200p display that maxes out at 400 nits of brightness, and supports a color-matched stylus.
Speaking of colors, the Laptop 12 will be available in five pastel shades, each with a shock-absorbing TPU-coated plastic body surrounding a metal chassis. As with other laptops from the brand, you'll be able to switch out modular expansion slots for adding storage or ports – but this time around you'll be able to lock them in place with a switch.
The Laptop 12 will be graced by mid-range 13th-gen Intel Core i3 or i5 chips, up to 48 GB of DDR5-5200 RAM in a single slot, 2 TB of NVMe storage, and a 50-Wh battery.
All that could add up to a solid option for young students, particularly those who will appreciate a durable machine that can stand up to wear and tear in backpacks and bustling classrooms.
Framework hasn't revealed pricing for this model yet, but will start taking pre-orders in April, and begin shipping them later in the year.
7th-gen Laptop 13
Lastly, Framework has announced the seventh iteration of its popular Laptop 13. For the first time, you can configure it with a powerful 12-core AMD Ryzen 9 chip. There are also other more modest Ryzen AI 300 Strix Point processors available; all of these pack neural processing units to support AI features, including Copilot+ on Windows.
This update also brings improved cooling, an optional 2.8K 120-Hz screen, slimmer translucent bezels around the display, and Wi-Fi 7. The DIY option that you put together yourself starts at $899, but you can opt to have it built for you for $1,099. This one's available to order today, and will ship in April.
With that, Framework has a bunch of desirable new gear on offer for a broad range of PC enthusiasts. The company also noted it isn't done with its Laptop 16 gaming machine, but we'll have to wait a while longer to discover what it has up its sleeve for that one.
Source: Framework
