eSIM Studios
Last year computer maker Framework announced plans to release a RISC-V Mainboard for its 13 inch laptops. Then the company launched an early access program in November. And now the DeepComputing RISC-V Mainboard for the Framework Laptop 13 is now available for anyone to purchase: you can buy one for $199 at the Framework Marketplace.
If you already have a Framework Laptop 13 with an Intel or AMD motherboard, the new board is a drop-in replacement. But if you don't have a Framework Laptop you can also use the mainboard as a standalone computer: Framework sells a $39 Cooler Master case that effectively turns its mainboards into mini desktop computers.
The RISC-V Mainboard comes from a partnership between Framework and DeepComputing, the Chinese company behind the DC-ROMA laptops, which were some of the first notebook computers to ship with RISC-V processors.
The board features a StarFive JH7110 processor, which is a 1.5 GHz quad-core chip featuring SiFive U74 RISC-V CPU cores and Imagination BXE-4-32 graphics, and 8GB of onboard RAM. Unlike other Framework Mainboards, the RISC-V board does not have SODIMM slots for user-upgradeable memory or M.2 slots for user-replaceable storage. Instead it has an SD card reader for storage and optional support for an eMMC module.
Since the board is designed to fit in existing laptop frames though, it's the same size and shape as AMD or Intel models and has four USB ports in the same locations. But these ports are a little less versatile than the ones you might find on other Framework Laptop 13 Mainboards:
While RISC-V architecture has generated a lot of buzz in recent years as a royalty-free alternative to x86 and ARM chips, it's still in its infancy at this point. The JH7110 processor offers performance that's comparable to what you'd get from a quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor. Software support is also a work in progress, although Framework and DeepComputing says that the new RISC-V mainboard supports Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 or Fedora 41 operating systems.
But overall, Framework notes that this board is "very much a developer-focused board to help accelerate maturing the software ecosystem around RISC-V," rather than a consumer-oriented product.
The RISC-V Mainboard for the Framework Laptop 13 is also available from DeepComputing, which sells as series of kits. Prices currently start at $299 for a Standard Tier kit with a mainboard, Cooler Master Case, 64GB SD card, WiFi Module and four Expansion cards.
Customers who want a fully configured laptop can also pay $799 or more for a Framework Laptop 13 with a RISC-V mainboard, wireless module, SD card, and a couple of expansion cards.
via Framework Blog and DeepComputing
Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission).
But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping.
Contribute to our Patreon campaignor...
Contribute via PayPal * If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it. Join 9,554 other subscribers
No comments