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Tom's Hardware
Framework embraces RISC-V processor trend with new laptop mainboard — partners with DeepComputing for StarFive JH7110 SoC board
By Jowi Morales,
2024-06-19
Framework has announced that it’s partnering with DeepComputing to create a mainboard powered by a RISC-V processor . This mainboard will be a drop in replacement for the modular Framework Laptop 13, giving more people easy access to the RISC-V CPU architecture. You can also purchase the RISC-V mainboard separately from the laptop, perhaps instead buying the Cooler Master Mainboard Case to use it as a Mini-PC.
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DeepComputing is the company behind the first RISC-V laptop and has recently been released in its second generation . But despite all its work on the DC-ROMA RISC-V Laptop II, the company was also busy in the background, building the Framework RISC-V Mainboard. In fact, the company already has a working prototype, and it will show it off at the RISC-V Summit Europe next week.
Framework’s philosophy of ‘an open system ecosystem is more powerful than the sum of its parts’ is a perfect fit with RISC-V’s open standard Instruction Set Architecture (ISA). Contemporary Framework laptops are available with either an Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen 7040 processor — proprietary x86 chips owned by Intel and AMD. Aside from these two chips, which own most of the PC market, we also have the Apple M-silicon and Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, with the latter going on-sale yesterday as Microsoft Copilot+ PCs . However, these chips are based on the ARM ISA, which is owned and licensed by Arm Holdings.
On the other hand, because RISC-V is an open and royalty-free standard, anyone can use and build on it without needing to ask for permission from RISC-V International, the Swiss-based non-profit association that maintains the ISA, or pay licensing fees.
Aside from cost considerations, RISC-V’s open nature means the U.S. cannot restrict other companies and countries from accessing it. The RISC-V Foundation, which was based in the California, even moved to Switzerland in 2019 because of Washington’s restrictive trade regulations and renamed itself to RISC-V International. This move to a historically neutral country meant laws cannot be used to limit anyone’s access to the ISA.
(Image credit: Framework, DeepComputing) Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Framework, DeepComputing)
Framework sees this trend, so by working with DeepComputing to introduce a RISC-V mainboard, it would make it easier for more people to get interested in and experiment with the standard. Although the company says that this RISC-V laptop will not have the performance of its AMD and Intel processors, it will be “a great way to start playing with RISC-V though (sic) inside of a thin, light, refined laptop.”
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