The Framework Laptop 13 is about to become one of the world’s first RISC-V laptops

3 months ago 30

What if your laptop didn’t request a processor from an established marque similar Intel oregon AMD? What if it didn’t adjacent trust connected proprietary paid architectures similar Arm and x86? RISC-V is 1 of the answers to those questions — it’s escaped for anyone to use! — and modular machine institution Framework has conscionable decided to invited RISC-V into its laptop lineup.

Specifically, Framework has partnered with DeepComputing, the institution down the precise archetypal RISC-V laptops, to physique a mainboard for the Framework Laptop 13 arsenic well. Framework already sells Intel and AMD mainboards that easy slot into its 13-inch chassis, and DeepComputing has present independently designed a caller 1 you could driblet into Framework’s laptop oregon adjacent this $39 Cooler Master case that turns those boards into mini-desktops.

The “DC-ROMA RISC-V Modular Mini Mainboard” that’ll slot into a Framework, by DeepComputing.

Image: DeepComputing

While it’s breathtaking to spot the open-source RISC-V go truthful accessible, you should cognize it’s beauteous aboriginal days. Framework warns that the show and features aren’t connected par with Intel and AMD:

This Mainboard is highly compelling, but we privation to beryllium wide that successful this generation, it is focused chiefly connected enabling developers, tinkerers, and hobbyists to commencement investigating and creating connected RISC-V. The peripheral acceptable and show aren’t yet competitory with our Intel and AMD-powered Framework Laptop Mainboards. This committee besides has soldered representation and uses MicroSD cards and eMMC for storage, some of which are limitations of the processor. It is simply a large mode to commencement playing with RISC-V though wrong of a thin, light, refined laptop.

And erstwhile Framework says they “aren’t yet competitive,” that whitethorn beryllium thing of an understatement: Phoronix’s Michael Larabel points out that adjacent a Raspberry Pi 4 mini-computer is apt faster than the quad-core 1.5GHz RISC-V StarFive JH7110 SoC you’re getting here.

But this is inactive an intriguing measurement successful bringing much contention to the spot market, particularly present that we nary longer unrecorded successful an property wherever “native” x86 chips and autochthonal Windows are required to tally decades of bequest applications decently well. The Steam Deck, Apple Silicon, and present a question of Qualcomm and Arm-powered Windows laptops are each present to beryllium that autochthonal isn’t ever champion and that we merit more.

And RISC-V isn’t specified an outlandish prime arsenic each that: the “R” successful Arm stands for “RISC,” aft all, and RISC-V chips are already successful usage successful embedded and server applications. The Framework Laptop 13 adjacent technically already has a RISC-V spot — it’s successful the fingerprint reader.

There’s nary merchandise day oregon terms for the Framework RISC-V mainboard yet; it’s “in aboriginal development,” and you tin motion up for updates here.

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