Framework Desktop
It’s a solid 40% faster than the M4 Max and 50% faster than the M4 Pro! Now some will say “that’s just because Docker is faster on Linux,” and they’re not entirely wrong. Docker runs natively on Linux, so for this test, where the MySQL/Redis/ElasticSearch data stores run in Docker while Ruby and the app code runs natively, that’s part of the answer. Last I checked, it was about 25% of the difference.
But so what? Docker is an integral part of the workflow for tons of developers.
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[Multicore performance] Basically matching the M4 Max! […] To be fair, the M4s are faster in single-core performance. Apple holds the crown there. It’s about 20%.
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It gets even better when you bring price into the equation, though. The Framework Desktop with 64GB RAM + 2TB NVMe is $1,876. To get a Mac Studio with similar specs — M4 Max, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe — you’ll literally spend nearly twice as much at $3,299! If you go for 128GB RAM, you’ll spend $2,276 on the Framework, but $4,099 on the Mac.
See also: Andrew E. Freedman.
Update (2025-08-11): See also: Hacker News.
Update (2025-08-12): Rui Carmo:
I’ve been wanting to get my hands on one of these for both the ability to run local AI workloads and silent, power-efficient operation–and now that the Linux support is coming in the prospect of running a Fedora desktop on this kind of hardware is appealing enough for me to consider dropping macOS–I’ve spent the past few years slowly hedging my platform bets, and other than Mail.app and random compatibilty hassles, it wouldn’t be much of a change.
In the long run, APUs like this are the future for PCs of any size. Apple will of course keep improving their silicon, but the premium they charge for memory and storage makes no sense when AMD can match most of their performance for nearly half the going rate.
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@Kristoffer
I agree it is pricey given you can put together a different desktop for cheaper, but compared to the competitive Mac model, it's half the price, so it will seem downright reasonable in that market of smaller desktop models. Also, it's somewhat expandable compared to the average Mac or mini PC, but of course not to a regular desktop.
I'm intrigued at the very least.
