Framework’s first tiny Desktop beautifully straddles the line between cute and badass

Framework, the modular computer company, has just announced its first desktop PC, which is something it absolutely did not need to do because desktops are already modular — but I’m glad it did.

Partly because the world needs more tiny 4.5-liter mini-ITX PCs, partly because it uses AMD’s most powerful APU ever (Strix Halo) with some actual gaming chops and up to 128GB of unified LPDDR5x memory… and partly because it looks like this.

Yes, you can create your own front panel out of 21 interchangeable (and freely 3D printable) tiles, pick your own two front I/O ports, and yes, that’s a standard-size mini-ITX motherboard below, along with a custom thermal system co-developed by Cooler Master and Noctua with standard 120mm fans, a semi-custom 400W Flex ATX power supply co-developed by FSP, a whole lot of seemingly perfect-length cables for a relatively cable-light system, your choice of black or translucent side panels… and, at left, an optional LAN party carry handle!

Just don’t look for any memory slots — it’s soldered. “We spent months working with AMD to explore ways around this but ultimately determined that it wasn’t technically feasible to land modular memory at high throughput with the 256-bit memory bus,” writes Framework.

I got to check out the system today at Framework’s event in San Francisco, and while we’re still working on some photos and video, my early impressions are good: this desktop is smaller than an PS5 or Xbox Series X, feels more powerful, and fits together nicely, with magnetic side and front panels that snap and then slide into place, a top plate that locks them in, folding thumbscrews that lock that top plate, and a seemingly cool and quiet build overall — based on the PCs I saw in an admittedly noisy room.

Below, find a closer look at Framework’s desktop motherboard and cooling; you only get a PCIe x4 port, not PCIe x8 or x16, and no legacy connectors like SATA, but it’s more loaded than the image lets on: Framework says it’s got onboard 5Gbps Ethernet, two USB4, two DisplayPort, one HDMI, not one but two M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots for up to 16TB of storage, and a Wi-Fi 7 module, plus what appear to be two full-size USB-A ports and a headphone jack (at the rear).

Here’s a little bit of the build process, as told by the images Framework sent us:

I will say that you can’t just slide the Framework Desktop mainboard in and out of the chassis, like I tried and failed to do at the event — an employee explained you do have to unscrew the top rails first.

And here are some better images of the Framework Desktop mainboard’s I/O, in a rack-mounted, daisy-chained configuration that the company expects some AI enthusiasts might snap up — thanks to the local AI chops and 128GB of memory on the highest-end Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 Plus config.

“With Framework Desktop, you can run giant, capable models like Llama 3.3 70B Q6 at real-time conversational speed right on your desk,” the company claims, adding, “With USB4 and 5Gbit Ethernet networking, you can connect multiple systems or Mainboards to run even larger models like the full DeepSeek R1 671B.”

Framework CEO Nirav Patel says it was also designed with LANs in mind — though with a bit less bulk than the massive CRT monitors and desktops of old.

What kind of gaming chops might it really have? While most Framework Desktops at the event were running the easy-to-play Counter-Strike, I was able to run and configure Cyberpunk 2077 too — and at a native 1440p, ultra spec minus ray-tracing, I completed a benchmark run with a low of 60fps and average north of 70fps. No FSR, no frame generation, not bad! That’s with the top-end Ryzen AI Max 395 Plus chip, which the Framework Desktop can run at its full 120 watts.

My colleague Antonio has also seen in his time with the Asus Z13 gaming tablet that Strix Halo is roughly around the performance of an Nvidia RTX 4060 mobile chip in that portable configuration. AMD chief gaming solutions architect Frank Azor was also here with some 1080p benchmarks at high settings, and he seemed to actually undersell the chip a bit; AMD’s benchmarks suggested it can’t quite play the most demanding games (like Black Myth Wukong and Starfield) at over 60fps at native resolution with everything turned up, and that 1440p60 might require FSR upscaling, but my Cyberpunk run seems to suggest it can do a bit better.

Even if you’re not getting your money’s worth out of AI, the prices on these desktops don’t seem all that outlandish. While a desktop with 16 CPU cores, 40 graphics cores, 80MB of cache of the 395 Plus chip, and 128GB of memory will cost $1,999 — not including bring-your-own storage and OS — you can pick one with 8 CPU cores, 32 graphics cores, 40MB of cache and 32GB of memory for $1,099. There’s also a 395 Plus with just 64GB of RAM for $1,599. Or, you can buy a mainboard alone for $799 if you provide your own mini-ITX case and power supply, too.

If you’re looking for the most powerful mini-PC, Patel suggested the $1,999 model compares favorably to an Apple Mac Studio, which can cost over twice as much for the same 128GB of RAM. And the prices seem competitive with the Asus ROG NUC tiny gaming PC, though that one was deemed overpriced at launch and is much smaller at 2.5 liters.

Framework says these desktops and mainboard should be available to preorder today, with plans to ship in Q3. The company also just introduced a new AMD-powered version of its Framework Laptop 13 today, as well as the new Framework Laptop 12: its first budget laptop, its first touchscreen, and its first convertible.

Update, February 26th: Read and watch our hands-on with the Framework Desktop here!