Framework is finally opening pre-orders for its high-end Gorgon Halo-based Framework desktop. The compact workstation will be available to order Wednesday morning (Pacific Time), September 30. It features noticeably more unified memory than the existing Ryzen AI Max+ 395 configuration and a couple of small hardware changes. Unfortunately, pricing hasn’t been announced yet, and judging by the recent Gorgon Halo mini-PCs, it won’t be cheap.
The new Desktop Framework was first previewed in July at AMD’s Advancing AI event. It is powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 CPU, which has the same 16-core/32-thread layout as its Strix Halo-based predecessor, but increases the maximum CPU boost clock to 5.2 GHz. Its integrated Radeon 8065S GPU features 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units, while the NPU is rated at up to 55 TOPS. The framework lists the complete system with 131 TOPS of combined AI computation.
Framework equips the new configuration with 192GB of unified LPDDR5X memory, offering 273GB/s of bandwidth, of which 160GB can be allocated to the GPU. For comparison, the existing Ryzen AI Max+ 395 version tops out at 128GB, with GPU capacity capped at 96GB. Framework also states that the 192GB model will come with a pre-installed Noctua fan. A pre-built version with Fedora preloaded will also be offered, while Framework’s existing desktop platform already officially supports Fedora alongside Windows and other Linux distributions.
The PCIe x4 slot of the new Framework Desktop is now unlimited, allowing the installation of physically larger PCIe cards despite the x4 electrical connection. For example, you can install 50GbE adapters on two systems and connect them via RDMA over Ethernet, providing a total of 384GB of memory for the entire setup.
I have been an avid PC gamer since the age of 8. My passion for gaming eventually pushed me into general technology, and I got my first writing job at age 19. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and worked in manufacturing and a few other publications like Wccftech before joining Notebookcheck in November 2019. I cover a variety of topics including smartphones, gaming, and computer hardware.
