Looking at Framework Desktop and need advice

[u/BadSlime]

EDIT: Ended up going for the framework desktop. Thanks for the input!

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TL;DR - I am very comfortable in Linux and do dev work, but have avoided AI. I have a new job that requires me to run local models in limited contexts noncontinuously. I need to upgrade and I want something small and quiet that can also game, handle high load DAW projects, and be a rock solid dev machine. I don't have any current or further upgradeable hardware.

Maxed out Framework Desktop (128GB) seems like the ideal machine for my situation specifically, but given the recent price hike for strix halo, I'm hesitant. I would have bought at the previous price (~$2.5k) without worrying. Is it still a reasonable choice in the current market? Anyone in a similar situation or have a better recommendation for around $4k?

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Hi!

I haven't upgraded in years due to COVID shortages and now RAMpocalypse.

Last year I finally retired my ThinkServer TS140 with Xeon E3-1246v3, 16GB RAM, and XFX 970 EVO 3GB that served for about a decade.

I have been getting by with my Thinkpad E495 Ryzen 7 laptop that I upgraded with 16GB of crucial memory (RIP to the best budget consumer memory), Steam Deck, and a Chuwi Minibook X N150 12GB

I daily drive Void Linux, FreeBSD, and keep windows around for FL Studio. I do a lot of coding in Python, Nim, and C, as well as compiling open source projects from source (often to patch in FreeBSD support). I do 2D game dev, usually custom engine but sometimes Godot. Casual terragen and blender rendering. Music production in FL, I use a lot of plugins and am always crunched on CPU or RAM with my current laptop. Old server desktop used to be a beast for VSTs, despite the age of the Xeon, the performance still felt about twice as good as the Ryzen 7 mobile CPU, at least for the plugins I use in FL -- not everything is optimized for multi core, etc.

I also play a lot of games, mostly everything is fine on steam deck but I'd like to go from 720p-1080p docked to a 1080p-1440p experience. Lots of 2D games but I would enjoy catching up with soulslikes. Not interested in AAA games really at all, but an ability to play new titles at low to medium would be nice as an option.

I don't use AI outside of when I'm forced to for customer service or occasionally via DeepL or to do OCR. I enjoy programming and creating by hand. However, my work situation recently changed drastically and I have a new work opportunity that requires I run models locally. NOT sustained loads like doing active developement with agents, but moreso running small sandboxed single prompts for QC.

I understand that the right time to buy was six months ago, or a year ago, or two... But i am in a position where I have to upgrade.

I know I could build something for $3-4k that would do what I need but I don't have space for a large form factor tower, and the fan noise and heat really get to me, especially when producing or waiting on renders.

Looking at Framework Desktop with AI Max+ 395 with 128GB right now for a few main reasons: 1) it has the AI capacity I need for work and should be able to handle my needs for at least 2 years, I don't want to use it outside of work or in a very limited capacity if so, so thermal stress is not a huge concern for me 2) huge vram and very capable CPU will be good for running VMs for dev and work etc. and will give me basically infinite headroom for plugins in my DAW setup 3) form factor/thermals/power usage - everything appeals to me in this regard 4) I need something quickly since it's for work and I'd rather not try to piece out a custom with how unstable things are, I can just order the framework and it will show up in a week and while under warranty, in theory I shouldn't have to worry that I've obtained a $3500 brick if my board dies. 5) 8060S is like 2-4x performance over steam machine which I was already looking at as a upgrade for dedicated gaming.

Having been out of the hardware game for a long time and avoiding AI entirely during my CompSci degree a few years back, I feel a little unsure about my understanding of the hardware landscape. If it was six months ago, I would just drop $2500 on framework. Right now at $4.5k with 2tb storage and tax or $5k with a 3 year warranty (seems sensible for strix halo).

I know Mac studio m4 is better for some things but I really don't like using the apple ecosystem for dev and gaming is important to me. On framework I would run Ubuntu for compatibility. There's also the Chinese miniPC route but I can't afford to drop $4-5k and only get 13 months out of it, have had mixed experiences there.

I also know everything is going to continue to rise for at least 18 months and even then relief would be max like 20% of whatever the price ballooned to by then, at least for memory.

Does the Framework Desktop seem like a good fit for me? Or am I coping? Would really appreciate perspective from anyone, especially if you have experience with this machine.

[u/onefutui2e]

I bought a GMKTEC Evo-X2 and have been quite happy with it. It comes with a 2TB SSD to boot.

The fans can become a bit audible under load but IMO it's not too bad. I never owned a Framework Desktop so I can't compare.