Antonio G. Di Benedetto shares his experience of using the Framework Desktop combined with a Linux distro called Bazzite to create a powerful, easy-to-use PC gaming setup in his living room, offering a more versatile alternative to traditional consoles and gaming laptops.
Engadget reviews several new tech products including the Dell 14 Premium laptop, Framework Desktop, Sony Theater Bar 6 soundbar, Lenovo ThinkPad X9-14 Aura Edition, and previews watchOS 26 and Norton VPN, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
The article reviews the Framework Desktop, a modular and upgradeable mini PC that performs impressively for gaming and everyday tasks, making it a versatile and stylish addition to a living room entertainment setup, especially with its ability to handle demanding games on a 4K TV without a discrete GPU.
Originally Published 5 months ago — by Hacker News
The Framework Desktop offers a compelling, cost-effective alternative to Apple’s high-priced Macs with similar specs, especially in RAM and storage, though some debate its value and repairability compared to other mini PCs and traditional desktops. The discussion highlights the differences in performance, pricing, and upgradeability between AMD, Apple Silicon, and Intel-based systems, emphasizing the importance of memory bandwidth and hardware support for AI and large language models. Overall, users are weighing the trade-offs between cost, performance, repairability, and ecosystem support for their specific needs.
The Framework Desktop, powered by AMD Ryzen AI Max 300 Series 'Strix Halo' SoCs, is a compact, modular, Linux-friendly desktop PC that offers impressive performance and customization options, with some limitations on RAM upgradeability due to soldered memory.