Friday, May 23rd 2025
Framework Presents AI Mini PC Cluster and Customizable Laptops at Computex 2025
At Computex 2025 in Taipei, Framework Computer highlighted the growing importance of compact, serviceable hardware by unveiling an AI cluster built entirely from its new Framework Desktop mini PCs. Each 4.5-liter unit is equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, which combines 16 Zen 5 cores running up to 5.1 GHz and a Radeon 8060S graphics engine with up to 128 GB of unified LPDDR5x memory. In a striking demonstration, four of these desktops were mounted side by side in a 10-inch half-rack enclosure, creating a scalable cluster that delivers up to 200 TOPS of on-device AI performance from the XDNA 2 NPUs alone, before the 8060S comes into play. The rack features integrated Wi-Fi 7 and 5 GbE networking, while its modular expansion card slots allow users to tailor ports to their exact needs. By packaging powerful inference capability into a compact, repairable chassis with efficient cooling and low power draw, Framework is making it simpler for research labs, small businesses, and edge-computing enthusiasts to deploy AI solutions outside traditional data centers.
Alongside its desktop cluster, Framework showed off the fifth-generation Framework Laptop 13, which now offers AMD's Ryzen AI 300 "Strix Point" series processors alongside the previously available Intel Core Ultra options. The laptop supports up to 96 GB of DDR5 memory, and buyers can choose an optional 120 Hz 2.8 K LCD panel. True to the company's ethos, every component from the mainboard to the I/O modules can be upgraded or replaced by end users, helping to extend device lifespans and reduce electronic waste. Available configurations range from Ryzen 5 to the high-end Ryzen 9 HX 370, and customers may customize bezel color, port modules and storage capacity. With pricing starting at USD 899 for a DIY mainboard kit and USD 1099 for a fully assembled unit, the Framework Laptop 13 combines on-device AI readiness with a future-proof, user-centric design. Framework also showed touchscreen pens, available in multiple colors.
26 Comments on Framework Presents AI Mini PC Cluster and Customizable Laptops at Computex 2025
The main issue I have with them besides price was related to their scale, and being late with contemporary hardware due to the economies of that reality, but if they get popular enough, this is resolved.
Its an interesting product, but I do wonder how hard they are going to have keeping these parts available as they have had trouble in the past keeping pieces in stock.
IF I were in the market for a set-up like this, it would surely be near the top of the list, but of course, I will wait for reviews/test reports to see if they are any gotcha's....
There's something cringe about the promotional images, in this article and on their website for the desktop. Idk how else to describe it.
You can also just get the AI Max 385 mainboard alone for $800 and use your own ITX case.Proprietary-shaped parts for the whole Desktop, but all the connectors are USB-C. But they also offer just the mainboards which are all ITX.
Strix halo has access to 16 external PCIe lanes. There's no reason we couldn't have at least a x8 slot. GPUs age quickly, far faster than CPUs, and that's also not the only use for a x8/x16 slot. Even the likes of Dell/HP, when they use x4 slots, have the common courtesy to leave the end of the slot open so you can use cards with the x16 sized connector, since actual x4 edge connectors are very rare.
For a company that is all about longevity and repairability/modding/expansion, to the point they made a dGPU addon for one of their laptops, this is a pretty major oversight.Most ITX "cases" for DIY are far larger than necessary. Actual ITX cases that have two low profile slots are very rare (hence why my mini PCs are built into modded Dell chassis).
Framework came SO close to getting it right here.That would work if Framework didnt gimp it with a physical x4 slot that cannot accept x16 cards.What strikes me as strange is the lack of I/O.
The motherboard is pretty stripped for connectivity, (only two type A and two type C, and a SINGLE audio port? Really? ) and the cases only has 2 expansions slots? You get 4 on their 13" laptops and 6 on the bigger laptops. I'd expect a desktop this size to have at least 6, if not 8 or 10.
but I guess the puzzle pieces for the front were more important.
Remember this is a mobile APU, so it does not have a motherboard chipset (northbridge/southbridge? :laugh:) for socket FP11 like X870/B650 for AM5.
EDIT: For reference:
Looks like two USB4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 A ports , the 5 Gbps ethernet probably uses up half of the extra USB 3.2 Gen 2 (I don't know how that PHY is wired, maybe it uses PCI-E instead of USB?) and the two ports in front of the desktop since there are two USB-C E connectors on the motherboard. Sucks about the PCI-E port being x4 only though, but I think 1x is used up by the WiFi 7 chip, 8 lanes with the two NVMe slots, so 7 lanes remaining? Should've made it a PCI-E slot with an open end.
They do well in the laptop market, showing off features that are hard to come by all on one platform, and showing that (even if expensive), the concept works in practice and has its buyers. Hell, I still harbor interest in a Framework 13 for my next laptop. But they bring absolutely nothing new to the desktop space, except for a very expensive and fundamentally limited ITX frankenboard.
(the ones who don't know: this uses the "Strix Halo" 256-bit chip, using LPDDRX-8000 and it has a theoretical memory bandwidth of 256 GB/s (256 GB/s = 8000MT/s * 256-bit / 8 / 1000))
APPLE has 256-bit, 512-bit and 1024-bit consumer chips since 2021/2022 and now with AI LLM self-hosting, there is one more big reason to offer them:
[TABLE width="100%"]
[TR]
[td width="16.6359%"]Company name[/td][td width="16.6359%"]192-bit[/td][td width="16.6263%"]256-bit[/td][td width="16.707%"]384-bit[/td][td width="16.6359%"]512-bit[/td][td width="16.6359%"]1024-bit[/td]
[/TR]
[TR]
[td width="16.6359%"]AMD[/td][td width="16.6359%"][/td]
[td width="16.6263%"]Strix Halo (2025)[/td][td width="16.707%"]--[/td][td width="16.6359%"]--[/td][td width="16.6359%"]--[/td]
[/TR]
[TR]
[td width="16.6359%"]APPLE[/td][td width="16.6359%"]M3 Pro (2023) (discontinued)[/td][td width="16.6263%"]M1 Pro (2021)
M2 Pro (2023)
M4 Pro (2024)[/td][td width="16.707%"]30-core M3 Max (2023) (discontinued)
32-core M4 Max (2024)[/td][td width="16.6359%"]M1 Max (2021, 2022)
M2 Max (2023)
40-core M3 Max (2023)
40-core M4 Max (2024)
"up to 128GB unified memory"[/td][td width="16.6359%"]M1 Ultra (2022)
M2 Ultra (2023)
M3 Ultra (2025)
(no M4 Ultra so far)[/td]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Though, APPLE allows only up to 128 GB for the 512-bit chip, which seems artificially limited, because the 1024-bit chip allows up to 512 GB RAM.By then one may wait for a Strix Halo successor/higher tier 384-bit Medusa Halo (rumor).
To think that they are notable for being the first to advertise a Strix Halo board, and to extend faith here and assume no one will beat them to the punch, deliver a Strix Halo board in a desktop form factor, is offering them far too much credit. If their achievement withers with time, it is not an achievement. Nevermind all of the compromises made to their own mission statement to reach this point.
I'd personally prefer LPDDR5X for an even lower power consumption and more memory bandwidth. But my main gripe against it is that the battery is kinda small at 61Wh, whereas most competitors are using 70Wh+ batteries.
The demo with multiple FW desktops is also cool as a showcase for the rack and that it's possible, albeit in practice it's pretty useless due to that gimpy interconnect.Yeah, this pretty much summarizes my feelings for the demo itself.I think the dGPU argument for this specific product is a bit moot. It'd make no sense whatsoever to do so.
However, complaining about the lack of a full-width slot for usage with other PCIe devices, such as faster networking or more NVMe storage, is way more reasonable IMO.