Framework is best known for selling modular, repairable, and upgradeable laptops. But the company also lets you buy the mainboards that power those laptops. That means not only can you buy a new board with a faster processor, but you can also buy just a board if you want to use it to build your own laptop, mini desktop, or other type of computer.

Case in point: Beth Le has shared instructions that let you build a modular, upgradeable handheld gaming PC from a Framework Mainboard. It's called the Beth Deck.

This isn't the first modular handheld gaming PC powered by a Framework Mainboard. About a year ago, YouTuber Pitstoptech showed off a model with a 7 inch display. But Beth Le went a bit further by releasing the design files, parts list, and documentation that lets anyone build their own.

In a nutshell, the Beth Deck combines a Framework Laptop 13 Mainboard and battery with a 3D printed case and a series of additional components that are easy to purchase including an 8 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel touchscreen display, a game controller, a small USB hub, a few cables, and several screws and other components. You can find the parts list and 3D design files at Printables.

Since the heart of the system is a Framework Laptop 13 Mainboard, you can either recycle an old mainboard or buy one of those currently offered by Framework.

At the moment, prices for a new Framework mainboard range from $199 to $999, and you can choose between models with 11th, 12th or 13th-gen Intel Core processors, an Intel Core Ultra Meteor Lake chip, or an AMD Ryzen 7040 series processor.

Framework has a pretty good track record at this point of offering new models on a regular basis, so hopefully we'll see next-gen boards with Intel Lunar Lake, AMD Strix Point, or similar processor options in the future.

via @TLAlexandar

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