Framework is finally putting a date on its most memory-stacked desktop yet. Pre-orders for the new Framework Desktop open Wednesday, September 30, in the morning Pacific Time, though pricing and details on how the pre-order system will work haven't been shared.
The Framework Desktop is built around AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495, the Gorgon Halo chip Framework first previewed at AMD's Advancing AI event back in July. The core layout matches last year's Strix Halo-based Ryzen AI Max+ 395, with 16 cores and 32 threads, but the boost clock climbs to 5.2GHz. The Radeon 8065S graphics come with 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units, and Framework rates the whole system at 131 TOPS of combined AI performance.
The headline is the memory. It has a whopping 192 GB of unified LPDDR5X running at 273 GB/s, up from the 128 GB ceiling and 256 GB/s on the older chip, and up to 160 GB can be handed to the GPU. That's a big deal for anyone running large language models locally, and Framework says a single box can run DeepSeek V4-Flash at Q8 with room left for longer context. Since the memory is unified and soldered on, it can't be upgraded later, which is a slightly awkward fit for a company built on repairability.
There are a few other small changes. The PCIe x4 slot is now open-ended, so bigger cards fit, and Framework showed off two desktops linked with 50 GbE cards over RDMA to pool 384 GB of memory. A Noctua fan comes pre-installed, and there'll be a pre-built option with Fedora Linux loaded, with Windows 11 also supported. Otherwise, it's the same mini-ITX machine with a standard FlexATX power supply.
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Then there's the price, which is where this gets uncomfortable. Framework itself says rising LPDDR5X costs mean a big jump over the 128 GB model, which starts around $3,450, and even suggests buyers consider the 32, 64, or 128 GB versions instead. Rival 192 GB machines give a hint, with GMKtec's EVO-X5 Pro sitting at $6,800 and some pre-orders starting above $6,000. Apple's Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra starts at $5,500 and can climb past $6,800.
