Framework have today announced that DeepComputing (you may have heard of them due to their DC Roma laptops hitting the headlines recently) have developed a fully compatible Framework RISC-V mainboard suitable for both first party, and 3rd party Framework enclosures.
At the heart of the board will be a StarFive JH7110, which we know from existing devices such as the StarFive VisionFive 2. As such, it’s not going to the be the most powerful of devices but the upstream work by StarFive and partnerships with Canonical/Ubuntu will mean that this will likely be one of the better supported RISC-V laptops on the market.
We are thrilled to see the convergence of open standards resulting in such a versatile and refined product. The Framework Laptop 13 with a DC-ROMA RISC-V Modular motherboard will ensure more developers and innovators flock to the RISC-V ecosystem. Canonical is particularly enthusiastic about Ubuntu facilitating access to the open-source software ecosystem for users of this platform. This kind of ecosystem collaboration truly reflects the collaborative and open nature of the RISC-V community.
Gordan Markuš, Director of Silicon Alliances at Canonical
Touching on support, however, it is noted that the board will only support microSD and eMMC for storage, and the product is being aimed at those that really want to play with the RISC-V architecture in this kind of form factor rather than being a prime time product.
This is a sentiment I echoed just hours ago on Twitter as Sipeed announced their latest laptop offering, which like their Console 4A product, utilises their SoM (System on Module) designs to make the laptop upgradable down the line. With X60, C910, and P550 SoCs on offer across the LM3A, LM4A, and LM5A respectively.
Going back to the Framework RISC-V option though, for those of you wanting to get a glimpse at it, you can do so at next week’s RISC-V Summit.
Pricing is currently unknown, though you’re able to subscribe for updates regarding software, availability, and pricing in the future on their product page.
Framework RISC-V: Quick Thoughts
I’m happy to see more options being made available and having it in this type of form factor makes it great for those who may have a Framework laptop already and want to tinker. Would I recommend buying one just for this? Probably not. It’s going to be something you’d really want to do for the sake of doing it as whilst there will be somewhat decent software support, it’s still being targeted as a development kit. The JH110 inside isn’t the most powerful of SoCs either way so unless you’re planning to stick to light browsing, it’s probably not the choice for you.
With 3 RISC-V laptop announcements in quick succession, though, things are definitely moving in an interesting direction! If you’re looking for x86 alternatives and ARM isn’t your thing, you may not have to wait too much longer to have a feasible daily driver with the way things are going!
