Hi!
GMKTec is now selling a mini PC with the MAX+ 395 and 128GB RAM. Their solution makes use of a beefier cooling system it looks like. I wonder if this is indeed the case and if the framework Desktop cooling system is enough.
Also saw this video favorably comparing the GMKTec computer to Mac Minis machines.
Cheers!
Doesn’t look beefier than what they showed in the fw desktop to me, beefier cooling than strix halo laptops definitely though.
I suppose this is correct. They do have 2 fans though. But the Noctua fan used on the framework is bigger.
The difference is a bit more complex. The Framework Desktop has a classic low profile desktop CPU fan design.
The GMKtec Mini-PC has a mobile style cooling design, even if it is considerably beefier than most mobile cooling systems due to the high TDP of the chip. The radiator is tighter, the fan is not an axial fan like fans you see in desktop systems usually but a radial fan. These can overcome considerably larger pressure but have also a lower air flow rate than axial fans. Because the heatsinkfins are so densely packed you need the strength of the radial fan but on the other side less air can be pushed through. Radial fans can get quite loud when pushed to their limit, much more so than axial fans. From what I have read, the Mini-PC also gets very loud when pushed to the limit.
The Framework heatsink design, needs considerably more space but the advantage of that is that less pressure is needed so they can work with a silent 120mm axial fan that can move a lot more air through the heat sink, as the airflow is less obstructed.
We have yet to see reviews of Framework Desktops, but I would hope that the Framework machine can ran at the APU limit without getting into troubles or getting excessively loud. The GMKtec Mini-PC appears to struggle with that in stress tests at 120W sustained.
Hey thanks for the thorough explanations. To be honest I am more confident in the form factor of the framework. I was just not sure about the unique fan design. There are no other fans in the case. But then everything is stuck together on the APU: CPU, GPU and RAM. And the fan is much bigger. There is also a heat spreader for the SSD.
I didn’t consider the noise issue. I don’t think the reviewer in the video I posted mentioned noise, or at least I don’t recall. The Noctua ought to be silent. I was always skeptical of mini PCs because of cooling solution and dust. When I saw the framework form factor I immediately considered buying one as I thought the form factor was perfect for my needs. I am just surprised I guess that the cooling solution is as simple as it is in the age of liquid cooling and other elaborate solutions.
One thing is certain, performance is really promising.
The power supply has its own fan. More info here Framework | Framework Desktop Deep Dive: Power Supply and IIRC they mention it in the announcement video.
Yeah I was not counting the power supply fan.