Framework Desktop wows iFixit – even with the soldered RAM

Framework's modular mini desktop has received glowing approval from the repair experts at iFixit, despite having non-upgradeable memory because of its Ryzen AI Max processor.

The startup championing modular and repairable laptops unveiled a new line-up this week, including an upcoming 12-inch touchscreen convertible targeting the Chromebook end of the market, along with its first desktop PC system.

Repair biz iFixit was on hand at the Framework launch in San Francisco, and has published its findings on the latter unit.

Acknowledging the fact that desktop PCs are already modular and upgradeable, iFixit says the Framework Desktop features tool-free panels, standard connectors, and off-the-shelf components wherever possible, making for easy disassembly and stress-free upgrades.

"Before we even touched a screwdriver, we were already impressed. The case panels? Thumbscrews and magnets. The cooling? A Noctua fan, but swappable with any 120 mm fan. Storage? M.2 SSDs, both easily accessible. This is the kind of thoughtful design we wish every gadget had," writes iFixit's Director of Sustainability, Elizabeth Chamberlain.

As Framework detailed, the mainboard is a standard Mini-ITX form factor with ATX headers, a PCIe x4 slot, and a typical set of rear I/O (2x USB4, 2x DisplayPort, HDMI, and 5Gbit Ethernet), meaning users can fit it into a separate case if they wish. But that is pretty much par for the course and already allows enthusiasts to build their own PC from components sourced from various makers.

According to iFixit, removing the fan and M.2 SSDs requires undoing just a few screws, and it praised the use of Framework's expansion cards, giving users the flexibility to choose which front-facing ports they want. A full teardown video can be seen on YouTube.

The main bugbear is the soldered-down memory, rather than the slot-in memory modules that allow most PCs to be upgraded to a higher capacity if required.

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One Reg reader, responding to this week's release of the Framework Desktop, commented: "So they made a desktop that's LESS repairable/upgradeable?? Isn't that supposed to be their entire reason for existence?"

The reason for this design choice is that Framework went with AMD's Ryzen AI Max processors, which feature an integrated Radeon 8060S GPU and need to have the LPDDR5x memory closely coupled to enable the 256 GBps memory bandwidth for high performance.

According to iFixit, this makes it an "AI and gaming beast ... with up to 96 GB of memory dedicated to the GPU, this machine can handle massive AI models locally, running large-scale LLMs like Llama 3.3 70B in real-time."

As Framework explained, it worked closely with AMD, trying to figure out how to make modular memory work, but concluded that "detachable RAM would have tanked performance – potentially cutting bandwidth in half."

The system iFixit got to look at was an engineering sample, so it is holding off on assigning a repairability score until it gets a production model.

However, it seems that the system is likely to get a decent ranking, with Chamberlain stating: "If Framework keeps this level of accessibility intact, we expect a very high score."

"It's a true open-standard PC with modularity baked in. Sure, the soldered RAM isn't ideal, but everything else is designed to be repaired and upgraded – just as it should be."

Reg readers will no doubt draw their own conclusions. ®