Desktop Framework Review: Small and mighty, but just shy of an upgrade to greatness

Framework Desktop is an interesting machine. It delivers amazing performance on all fronts with even more surprising sustainability for such a small space of 4.5 litres. The price starts to make sense when you consider both aspects.

However, the desktop desktop is missing something as well. It’s partly a prebuilt Mini-ITX computer, and it just lacks some of the user upgradeability that desktops in general, and Framework specifically, are known for. Combining a CPU, GPU, NPU, and memory into a single package may have its advantages, but these advantages may only be fully realized in AI workloads since the desktop’s ability to reallocate its memory can help avoid the need to purchase an expensive discrete GPU. For everyone else, a Mini-ITX gaming PC design or even a full-sized desktop could be more efficient, let alone small PCs like Miniforum AI X1 Pro For people who can handle low-end graphics at a lower price.

desktop frame

Price as reviewed	$1,987
measuring	4.5 L (8.1 x 3.8 x 8.9 in/205.5 x 96.8 x 226.1 mm)
Motherboard	Customized Mini-ITX frame
CPU	AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 processor, 3000 MHz
memory	64GB LPDDR5x-8000
Graphics	Radeon 8060S (integrated)
storage	1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD (Boot) (WD_BLACK SN7100)
networks	5 Gigabit, AMD RZ717, Wi-Fi 7 802.11be, Bluetooth 5.4
communication	USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (x 2 rear), USB4 Type-C (x 2 rear), 3.5mm audio connector (x 1 rear), 5GbE, HDMI 2.1 (x 1 on GPU), DisplayPort 2.1 (x 2 rear, up to 10 Gb/s), USB-C expansion slots (x 2 front, up to USB 3.2 Gen 2)
Operating system	Windows 11 Home (tested)

Pricing for the Framework desktop starts at $1,139 for the model with AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 and 32GB of memory. That works out to $1,639 for access to the model tested here, which includes an upgraded Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 CPU, boosted integrated graphics and 64GB of memory. You can get up to 128GB of memory, bringing the system’s price to $2,459.

However, these prices are not suitable for a ready-to-run computer. Storage, an operating system, a CPU fan, expansion cards, a front tile, and even a power cord are priced as extras. These can really add up. For example, the base price for our test configuration jumps to $1,987 for 1TB of storage, a Windows 11 license, a power cable, a Noctua fan, and a $40 transparent side panel. And that’s before picking up some aesthetic front panel tiles and the two expansion cards that serve as front I/O (bringing the total to $2,039).

The frame also provides Mainboards on their ownWhich starts at $839, which suggests that the cost of the case and power supply adds $300 to the price of the system.

Powerful for its size, but still no desktop

In its small case, Framework Desktop hides an impressive hardware setup. The AMD Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 is the beating heart of this system, integrating the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), neural processing unit (NPU) and memory. There’s plenty of performance too, with the system managing a really impressive PCMark10 score of 8,715, a high often reserved for gaming PCs. This is a strong indicator that the frame has enough strength for a wide range of office tasks.

The CPU performance itself isn’t amazing, but it delivers high performance. Its single-core speeds are very strong, rivaling recent entries from Intel like the Intel Core i9-14900HX and Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, though it lags behind well-cooled desktop chips like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and even AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D. Apple’s M4 also still holds the lead in single-core performance.

Multi-core speeds are once again shifting in favor of the Desktop Framework, with the chip not only outperforming most mobile chips, but also ahead of Apple’s M4 in the market. Mac mini And iMac. It even enters the ballpark of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Intel Core i7-14700K when installed in large-format gaming desktops (with powerful liquid cooling in one case). The Framework Desktop manages this with a single-fan air-cooling setup that runs quietly even under heavy loads. As impressive as that is, large gaming desktops powered by other top-tier CPUs still hold the lead.

While high-end CPU performance was expected, the capabilities of the integrated GPU were a surprise. It’s a big step up from previous AMD integrated graphics and leaves Intel Arc integrated graphics in the dust. Across graphics benchmarks, the Radeon 8060S iGPU’s performance was on a level between the mobile version of the Nvidia RTX 4060 and the RTX 4070, although the higher-wattage RTX 4070 laptops tend to prove superior. It was enough that I had to check its gaming chops, and it was able to run Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p with the highest graphics preset, averaging 111 frames per second.

Given the system’s small stature and low-profile cooler, sustained performance was a concern, but Framework Desktop proved capable of maintaining its speed under sustained loads. A single pass of Cinebench R24 yielded results similar to a 10-minute run, and the system maintained more than 99% consistency in 3DMark’s Steel Nomad Light stress test.

Since the 64GB LPDDR5x-8000 system memory is shared, it is possible to allocate as much memory to the CPU, GPU, or NPU as needed. Part of the promise of the system is AI performance, and having a huge pile of memory available for whatever component you want to run the AI ​​model on can be useful. Although it may be difficult to make a direct comparison between AMD, Intel, and Nvidia in our benchmarks, there is certainly some hope for the Desktop Framework. By running UL’s Procyon Stable Diffusion XL image generation standard, Framework Desktop holds its own against… Miniforum AtomMan G7 Tiwhich had a mobile RTX 4070 Ti but was likely hampered by only 8GB of VRAM.

Less upgradable than you’d expect from a Framework

In a small 4.5-liter case, the Framework packed a mini-ITX motherboard almost completely covered by a CPU cooler. Next to it is a very small power supply, all framed in a metal chassis with a mostly plastic exterior.

Even with its cramped interior, there are still some expansion options. There’s an open PCIe 4.0×4 slot just south of the cooling fan, though that requires an additional very thin card that doesn’t extend to the back of the case. The motherboard has two M.2 slots, one on the front and one on the back. Each has a built-in heat shield. That’s all for future expansion. This almost puts Framework Desktop at odds with the spirit of the Framework so far. Their laptops can be upgraded to the level of few laptops. Here we have a desktop computer, a form factor known for its modularity and upgradability, with little to no upgrade without purchasing a brand new motherboard.

Back on the outside, the Framework Desktop feels a bit cheap, with a lot of uninspiring plastic. You can decorate the front panel with 21 small plastic pieces that give a kind of Lego effect, but strangely enough they also limit the airflow of the case.

My test unit came with a clear side panel, which isn’t a $40 upgrade I can recommend. The clear plastic doesn’t look great, especially when most of it is perforated with vents for the CPU cooler, as well as a small section in the corner for the power supply. It’s almost surprising that the Framework Desktop works as effectively as it does, given that its airflow design merely sucks fresh air in through the side panel and pushes it out through every available opening in the case.

The I/O lineup is also fairly bare. I can understand Framework’s desire to include its tile-based ports on the desktop, but it ends up being somewhat restrictive. You only get two front ports in the box, maxing out at USB 3.2 Gen 2 only. The back is also surprisingly sparse, with only two 10Gbps USB-A ports and two USB4 ports. Surprisingly, there are three dedicated display outputs: one HDMI 2.1 and two DisplayPort 2.1 ports. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 5Gbps Ethernet jack. The smaller Minisforum AI

While individual upgradability may not be too exciting, Framework notes that the system can be slotted into server racks and multiple motherboards can be linked together using 5GbE or USB4 ports, though that sort of thing is more intended for professional or professional setups.

Overall, Framework Desktop performs better than you might expect given its size, but that size also means that upgrade/extension options are very limited, and it can quickly get expensive thanks to its various (and often non-optional) add-ons. However, for a small desktop, performance is satisfactorily good.

Geekbench 6 (Multi-core)

Mac Mini M2 (2023) 10,152Lenovo Yoga AIO 32i (32ILL19) 10,866Apple Mac Mini M4 (2025) 14,908Miniforum AI X1 Pro 15,358Lenovo Yoga AIO 27i (27IAH10) 15,496Miniforum AtomMan G7 Ti 16,959desktop frame 17,389

Cinebench 2024 CPU (Multi-Core)

Lenovo Yoga AIO 32i (32ILL19) 577Mac Mini M2 (2023) 601Apple Mac Mini M4 (2025) 958Lenovo Yoga AIO 27i (27IAH10) 999Miniforum AI X1 Pro 1,225Miniforum AtomMan G7 Ti 1,413desktop frame 1,829

3DMark Steel Nomad

Miniforum AI X1 Pro 529Lenovo Yoga AIO 27i (27IAH10) 742Asus ZenBook S14 882Lenovo Yoga AIO 32i (32ILL19) 1,504desktop frame 2053

Procyon stable deployment 1.5

Asus ZenBook S16 150Miniforum AI X1 Pro 222desktop frame 248Lenovo Yoga AIO 27i (27IAH10) 383Lenovo Yoga AIO 32i (32ILL19) 393

Configurations

Apple Mac mini M4	Apple MacOS Sequoia 15.1, M4 chip 10-core CPU with 10-core GPU; 16GB LPDDR5 unified memory; 512 GB SSD
Apple Mac Mini 2023	Apple Mac Ventura 13.2; M2 chip for 8-core CPU with 10-core GPU; 8GB unified memory; 256 GB SSD
desktop frame	Windows 11 Home; 3GHz AMD Ryzen Ai Max+ 395; Radeon 8060S GPU (integrated); 64GB LPDDR5x-8000 RAM (shared); 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Lenovo LookTower 17IRR9 (90WY0000US)	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; Intel Core i5-14400F processor, 2.5 GHz; RAM 16 GB; 8GB NVIDIA RTX 4060 graphics; SSD
Lenovo Yoga AIO 32i (32ILL19)	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; Intel Core 7 Ultra 7 258V 2200MHz processor; 32GB LPDDR5X-8533; NVIDIA RTX 4050 graphics; 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Lenovo Yoga AIO 27i (27IAH10)	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; Intel Core Ultra 7 255H 2000MHz processor; 16GB LPDDR5x-7467; Intel Arc Graphics 140T; 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Miniforum AI X1 Pro	Microsoft Windows 11 Pro; 2GHz AMD Ryzen AI 9HX 370; 64GB DDR5 5,600MHz RAM; 2GB AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics; 1 TB SSD
Miniforum AtomMan G7 Ti	Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 2.2GHz Intel Core i9-14900HX; 32GB DDR5 5,600MHz RAM; 8GB NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics; 1 TB SSD