Framework is best known for its customizable laptops that let users swap out internal (and external) components at will. But the company’s products have now been put to use in a very different device, as one person has used them to create an ergonomic desktop PC in a very portable package.
YouTuber noisycarlos has managed to convert a Framework laptop into a battery-powered all-in-one (AIO) desktop computer that they call the Flying Lotus, complete with a built-in monitor stand for a better viewing angle. They’re also selling a $299 conversion kit so you can build your own Framework AIO, if you want to.
The Frankenstein’s monster of a computer contains an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U CPU, and noisycarlos benchmarked it against an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X desktop PC, an Intel Core i9-9900K CPU, and a 15-inch MacBook Pro with an Intel i7 chip. These devices were benchmarked in a rendering test and, according to the video, the Framework device came in second place. Of course, it's worth noting that the 9900K CPU and Intel MacBook are fairly outdated at this point, so it's not like this homebrew system is going to outperform the latest M3 MacBook Pro.
Working on the go
This whole project raises an awkward question: why bother buying a laptop and converting it into a desktop when you can just… buy one of the best desktop PCs? That would surely save a lot of time and money.
According to noisycarlos, a laptop is not ideal if you work and travel a lot. Hunching over a laptop can cause back pain, the YouTuber explains, while he found that a large 15-inch laptop was difficult to use in cramped places like airplane cabins. Instead, he wanted something that would be a bit more comfortable for working on the go.
One of the ways the Flying Lotus tries to do this is by including hooking pins, which let you mount it onto surfaces from above. The idea is that this makes it well-suited for use on an airplane where a traditional laptop would not be able to fold out properly.
For some people, the conversion kit’s $299 price tag is a lot to pay on top of the Framework laptop itself when you could just buy an AIO desktop PC instead. But noisycarlos believes the flexibility and portability of his idea will make it worthwhile. You can decide for yourself by seeing noisycarlos’s video on his YouTube channel.
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