My understanding is that the Deep Computing RISC-V boards have Raspberry Pi levels of performance, and a GPU that's even worse than that. It would be marginally useful for desktop use, but the value proposition is way off; they cost too much for the performance you get. The software is also rough around the edges. it comes with Ubuntu and the desktop and the development applications work as you would expect, but how well anything else will work is an open question.
On the bright side, it IS a complete desktop or laptop computer with all the basic drivers in place. (The mainboard is compatible with the Framework laptop shell, and the case for it from Cooler Master that Framework sells.) If you buy the laptop, the screen and touchpad work correctly. (Not sure about the camera and fingerprint reader.) Most Framework expansion cards will work, including the ones for a second video output. It's not just an SBC like most RISC-V products are. Given the price and the questionable compatibility, it's hard to recommend the Deep Computing products unless you are developing RISC-V software or really have your heart set on playing with the platform. For everybody else, it will probably be at least two years before buying a RISC-V system other than a cheap SBC will make any sense. Embedded is the main use case for RISC-V right now, so if you really want to get your feet wet with the architecture, go buy a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 or something like that. On Thu, Jun 11, 2026 at 12:34 PM Dan Ritter <[email protected]> wrote: > Dale R. Worley wrote: > > I was looking at the video of the December meeting presentation. It > > seemed to be mostly about what single-board computers are available with > > RISC-V processors. What I'm interested in is RISC-V as a processor for > > conventional desktop/laptop computers -- a computer you can buy > > that allows attachment of the conventional peripherals, where you load > > Linux by plugging in distribution media from your favorite Linux > > distro. That is, a system where you don't have to hassle over low-level > > hardware features and you don't have to hunt down manufacturer-custom > > drivers. Is RISC-V to that point yet? > > > Sorta but not really? > > https://frame.work/products/deep-computing-risc-v-mainboard is > the closest thing to that, I think, and the caveats are > significant: > > This is very much a developer-focused board to help accelerate maturing > the software ecosystem around RISC-V, so we recommend waiting for future > RISC-V products if you’re looking for a consumer-ready experience. > > -dsr- > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.blu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss > _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] https://lists.blu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
