The rise of RISC-V: Modular laptop vendor releases RISC-V motherboard as competition for x86 heats up — Framework avoids Qualcomm and Arm for now as it bets on growing interest in third-force

By James On Jun 26, 2024

Framework, best known for its modular laptops, has certainly been busy lately. The company recently unveiled a new version of its Framework Laptop 13 with Intel Core Ultra processors, 9.2-megapixel webcam, and support for 96GB of DDR5 RAM.

The company then released 3D CAD files of the Framework Laptop 16 so that enterprising users can 3D print their own skins, cases and accessories. The company just added Laptop 13 CAD files to its repository at GitHub.

Now Framework announces that it is partnering with DeepComputing to offer a motherboard with a RISC-V processor for the first time. Aimed at developers, hobbyists and tech enthusiasts, the new motherboard is designed for experimentation and development rather than performance. Framework buyers still have a choice of Intel and AMD processors.

Four RISC-V cores

At the heart of the new motherboard is StarFive’s JH7110 processor, which features four U74 RISC-V cores from SiFive. This marks one of the first applications of RISC-V technology in a consumer-facing product outside of embedded applications.

As a fully open Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), RISC-V acts as an interface between software and hardware, similar to the proprietary x86 used in today’s PCs. This architecture allows any developer to build their own processors without the expensive licensing fees associated with other more popular ISAs, such as Qualcomm and Arm. Framework prides itself on reducing component costs, so this is a logical choice.

Patel says Framework will provide solid Linux support for the new hardware through a partnership with Canonical and the Fedora Community.

Further details on functionality, compatibility and availability of the motherboard, which will be compatible with Framework Laptop 13 and the Cooler Master Mainboard Case, will be revealed in due course. There is already a product page available for it and DeepComputing will demonstrate an early version of the motherboard in a Laptop 13 at the upcoming RISC-V Summit Europe.

Nirav Patel, CEO of Framework said: “This is a huge milestone, both expanding the breadth of the Framework ecosystem and making RISC-V more accessible than ever. We designed the Framework Laptop to enable deep flexibility and personalization, and that now extends to processor architecture selection.”