Framework launches modular desktop AI PC

Framework has introduced a new addition to its lineup, the Framework Desktop, a modular desktop AI PC that complements its repairable laptop offering. This Mini-ITX desktop is powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI Max processors and offers a range of configuration options to cater to different user needs.

Building on the success of the Expansion Card system from Framework Laptops, the Framework Desktop features two front slots that allow for front port customization. The front panel of the case is designed with 21 color-customizable tiles and offers an open-source design for 3D printing, providing users with the flexibility to personalize their desktop setup.

• Framework raises $18m to move beyond modular laptops
• Nvidia launches desktop AI computer

Nirav Patel, co-founder of Framework, explained the rationale behind venturing into the desktop market, stating, “Aren’t desktops already modular and upgradeable? They are. In fact, the desktop PC ethos is part of what inspired the Framework Laptop to begin with. There is a broad, long-lived, interoperable ecosystem with hundreds of brands and hundreds of millions of consumers participating."

Patel further added, "We want to make this space as accessible as we possibly can by building a desktop that is simultaneously small and simple and customizable.”

• First RISC-V mainboard for modular laptop
• The laptop that battles e-waste while you work

The Framework Desktop is equipped with the powerful Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, featuring 16 CPU cores with a boost clock speed of 5.1GHz, discrete-level Radeon 8060S graphics, and support for up to 128GB of unified LPDDR5x memory. This configuration enables high-performance gaming, creative workloads, and local AI applications.

With a standard Mini-ITX form factor mainboard, the Framework Desktop offers expandability through ATX headers, a PCIe x4 slot, and rear I/O ports including USB4, DisplayPort, HDMI, and Ethernet. The desktop comes with a semi-custom 400W power supply, standard 120mm CPU fans, and PCIe NVME M.2 slots for storage expansion.

Patel highlighted a departure from traditional PC memory norms, stating, “To enable the massive 256GB/s memory bandwidth that Ryzen AI Max delivers, the LPDDR5x is 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.”

Aside from the Framework Desktop, the company has also unveiled a modular 12.2-inch touchscreen laptop and a 13-inch laptop powered by the AMD AI 300 processor. The Framework Desktop units are expected to ship in the third quarter of 2025, with prices starting at $1099 for the base configuration featuring an 8-core Ryzen AI Max 385 processor and 32GB of memory.