Mini Framework Desktop Revealed With Massive Gaming Capability
Barely taller than a banana, the Framework Desktop is the first gaming PC from modular laptop company Framework, and the first to use a heavy-duty AMD Ryzen AI Max processor. As with other Framework devices, the Desktop is designed to be easily assembled (and disassembled).
Framework has made a name for itself by creating laptops that can be built and taken apart by users, so that they’re easier to repair and upgrade. The same design principle is what’s behind the new Desktop model.
“Our philosophy is that by making well-considered design tradeoffs and trusting customers and repair shops with the access and information they need, we can make fantastic devices that are still easy to repair,” Framework said on its website. “Even better, what we’ve done to enable repair also opens up upgradeability and customization.”
Six Steps to Set Up
The Framework Desktop can be assembled in just 10 minutes. All a user has to do is take off the panels, install storage, add a fan, add custom tiles to panels and then reinstall these, and finally add Expansion Cards.
The Desktop can be easily personalized with up to 21 tiles, which come in a range of colors and images. The main side panel is available in black or translucent for added customization. Expansion Cards let users add extras, from additional USB ports to a Micro SD reader, and even storage (up to 1TB).
Big Power in a Little Package
The Framework Desktop measures just 96.8mm wide, 205.5mm in length, and 226.1mm in height, making it fit on any desk and portable enough to easily carry around. The Desktop also comes with nine I/O ports as standard, including four for USB, two DP (DisplayPorts) and one for 5Gbit Ethernet.
Users are free to install whichever OS they want, with the Desktop optimized for gaming-specific ones like Bazzite. The Desktop punches above its weight when it comes to gaming power too, thanks to AMD Ryzen AI Max. As the website puts it, if the question is “Can Desktop run it? The answer is always yes.”