{"id":87657,"date":"2025-08-16T17:05:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T17:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/87657\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T17:05:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T17:05:17","slug":"forget-consoles-i-spent-a-week-with-this-mini-pc-in-my-living-room-and-i-cant-believe-how-well-it-performs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/87657\/","title":{"rendered":"Forget consoles \u2014 I spent a week with this mini PC in my living room and I can’t believe how well it performs"},"content":{"rendered":"

From cheaper games to tweaking your settings to get them exactly how you want them, there\u2019s a lot of perks to being a PC gamer. However, being stuck at your desk when your console-wielding counterparts are sprawled out on the couch in front of their massive TVs isn\u2019t one of them.<\/p>\n

Sure, if you have one of the best gaming PCs<\/a> with a powerful GPU, you could bring your rig out to the living room for some couch gaming \u2014 that is if you live by yourself. I used to do just this back when I was on my own but now with a family and a little one at home, having a big bulky gaming desktop under my TV just isn\u2019t feasible.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not only would doing so put my gaming PC at risk of getting knocked over or damaged, but it would definitely throw off the aesthetics of the living room I\u2019ve spent the last two weekends remodeling. While you can probably convince your significant other that your game console definitely deserves a place in the living room, doing so with your gaming PC is a much harder sell.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve spent the past few years testing and reviewing the best mini PCs<\/a>, I\u2019ve also moved away from building and using larger, desktop gaming PCs, especially as graphics card and component prices have skyrocketed in recent years. Much to my surprise though, I\u2019ve been able to play quite a few of the best PC games<\/a> on some of the mini PCs I\u2019ve tested. However, it wasn\u2019t until I reviewed the Framework Desktop that I told myself this might be the perfect mini PC for a more discrete, yet still quite powerful living room PC.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what it\u2019s been like using and gaming on the Framework Desktop<\/a> on a 65-inch TV from the comfort of my couch for the past week and why a mini PC like this one could easily earn a permanent spot in my entertainment center.<\/p>\n

PC building, miniaturized <\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

Best known for its repairable and upgradeable laptops, Framework is a company I\u2019ve been following since the release of the first Framework Laptop<\/a> back in 2021. It wasn\u2019t until the start of this year when the company announced that it would be making a mini PC, though, that my interest was truly piqued.<\/p>\n

You see, unlike the rest of the mini PCs I\u2019ve checked out in the past, this one would be modular with upgradeable parts as well as highly customizable.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

With multiple side panel options available and a unique front panel with slots for 21 different tiles, you can really make the Framework Desktop your own. On the front of its case, there are two slots where you can add whatever ports you want from your standard USB-A and USB-C to SD and microSD card readers. thanks to the company\u2019s Expansion Cards<\/a> which also come in a number of different colors and finishes.<\/p>\n

\"Installing<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

With most mini PCs, I unbox them and then go right to incorporating them into one of my desk setups. With the Framework Desktop though, I had to build it first. Besides being a lot of fun and taking me back to my PC building days, this was also incredibly easy.<\/p>\n

Framework takes all of the guesswork out of building a PC by pre-installing the motherboard, CPU and RAM. All you need to do on your end is to install your storage and the CPU fan, close everything up and you\u2019re ready to go.<\/p>\n

You do need to install your own operating system with both Windows and Linux supported right out of the box. As I\u2019m not quite ready to delve back into the world of Linux distros, I went with Windows 11<\/a>, though for a living room gaming PC, I\u2019m sure something like Bazzite<\/a> would work like a charm on the Framework Desktop.<\/p>\n

\"Holding<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

The last thing besides its more compact form factor that makes the Framework Desktop perfect for moving between rooms or even taking it with you on the go is the optional carrying handle. This one is still in the works and will likely be finalized soon but Framework sent over a prototype with my review unit for me to test out.<\/p>\n

Back to the couch in style<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

With a completely empty room, it\u2019s very easy to see all the potential possibilities before you start bringing your furniture back in. I originally picked up this entertainment center due to the fact that there was enough space on either side to fit a PS5 or Xbox Series X.<\/p>\n

After dealing with overheating issues from my own Xbox Series X<\/a> not having enough room for good ventilation though, I started thinking about putting a mini PC there instead. As it turns out, there\u2019s more than enough space for the Framework Desktop there and airflow isn\u2019t an issue at all, since all of the hot air from my review unit\u2019s AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 CPU is expelled out of the side instead of from the top.<\/p>\n

Another thing that I really like about the Framework Desktop is that it uses a standard PC power cable. They\u2019re readily available and, best of all, very inexpensive so picking up an extra one won\u2019t be an issue at all. As I have a few on hand from various PCs I built over the years, I could leave one plugged in here and have another at my desk to easily move the Framework Desktop from my office out to the living room in a pinch.<\/p>\n

\"Using<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

With a living room PC setup, you\u2019re definitely going to need one of the best keyboards and a wireless mouse for downloading updates, opening games and browsing the web. While I always used to have a Logitech K400 and later a Logitech K400 Plus wireless keyboard with built-in trackpad at the ready for using my PC in the living room, this time around I wanted to do things differently.<\/p>\n

Given the more refined look we\u2019re going for with our remodeled living room, I decided to use the Keychron K2 HE<\/a> wireless mechanical keyboard with magnetic Hall Effect switches I recently picked up, as I love its rosewood side panels. Given that I wanted to play games on the Framework Desktop with one of the best PC game controllers, I\u2019m using a mini trackball mouse<\/a> from Elecom alongside it.<\/p>\n

After changing the Framework Desktop\u2019s resolution to match that of my TV, it was time to put it to the test with a few more demanding games that I\u2019ve struggled to run well on some of the other mini PCs. Fortunately though, thanks to AMD\u2019s Radeon Super Resolution feature and its game-boosting FSR<\/a> tech, things worked out even better than I had expected they would.<\/p>\n

Playing is believing<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

With AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 or an Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and from 32GB to 128GB of LPDDR5x memory, the Framework Desktop is a petite powerhouse capable of handling a variety of workloads from everyday web browsing and office tasks to photo\/video editing and even running AI models locally.<\/p>\n

While testing it for my review, I was quite impressed with its performance as I used it for work during the day. However, it wasn\u2019t until I dimmed the lights and fired up a few of my favorite games at night that I was blown away.<\/p>\n

Unlike some other gaming-focused mini PCs I\u2019ve tested in the past such as the Asus ROG NUC 970<\/a> or the AtomMan G7 Ti<\/a>, the Framework Desktop doesn\u2019t have a discrete GPU. Instead, everything from work to gaming is handled by its APU which combines a CPU and a GPU on a single chip. This helps cut down on costs while also freeing up room inside its case, all while using less power in the process.<\/p>\n

Normally with integrated graphics on a mini PC, you\u2019re quite limited as to what sorts of games you can run and what resolutions you can play them at. Typically while playing games on mini PCs, I\u2019ve opted for a lower resolution 1080p monitor over a 4K display like the one in my living room TV. However, after testing some games in my office on the MSI MPG 321URXW QD-OLED<\/a> 4K gaming monitor, I knew the Framework Desktop was up to the task of playing games on my TV.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

I know some PC gamers might scoff at the idea of using Nvidia\u2019s DLSS or in this case, AMD\u2019s FSR performance and framerate-boosting tech but in this case, it\u2019s the perfect solution. I never would have been able to run more demanding games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth<\/a> or Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart<\/a> on PC without it.<\/p>\n

In both of these titles, I saw smooth and steady frame rates of 60 fps with either it or AMD\u2019s Radeon Super Resolution enabled. And since I was sitting a lot farther back from the screen on my couch, I wasn\u2019t pixel peeping and going over every imperfection. Instead, I was able to kick back and play some PC games almost as effortlessly as I would have on a game console.<\/p>\n

The best of both<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

In terms of your initial investment, gaming on a console will always beat a PC. However, with a full-fledged computer, anything\u2019s possible. I\u2019ve worked on the Framework Desktop, edited photos, played games and almost as importantly, I had a really fun time building and customizing it.<\/p>\n

As this is a review unit after all, it\u2019s not going to remain a permanent fixture in my living room but even if this was my own PC, I still don\u2019t think it would. Instead, I like the flexibility of using it in my office for work or gaming and then when everyone\u2019s out of the house or asleep for the night, I can easily bring it out to the living room for some big screen gaming.<\/p>\n

Likewise, with a starting price of $1,099, the Framework Desktop isn\u2019t exactly a budget mini PC like the Geekom A5<\/a> I just reviewed. It\u2019s actually more of a crossover between a standard mini PC and a small form factor (SFF) desktop. While you could likely put together a comparable little gaming PC for around the same price or even less, I really like how Framework has simplified the process of PC building for those who might be hesitant to try doing so out for themselves.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not really that hard after all but with the Framework Desktop, you also get the customization the company is known for and once this mini PC finally becomes readily available (you can preorder one now), I guarantee there will be even more custom tiles, side panels and maybe even alternate carrying handles so that you can truly make it your own.<\/p>\n

When I first reached out to Framework about reviewing its first desktop computer, I thought I was just going to see what the company\u2019s modular devices were all about. However, I ended up seeing the full potential of AMD\u2019s latest integrated graphics and given how far they\u2019ve come so far, I really feel like the sky is the limit for what you can pull off without a dedicated GPU.<\/p>\n

Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.<\/p>\n

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