Framework Cyberdeck

The Framework Cyberdeck is a custom slab-style portable PC built from Framework Laptop 13 parts, created by Ben (Ben Makes Everything) and published in October 2023¹². Inspired by the Tandy TRS-80 Model 100 and cyberpunk aesthetics, it houses a Framework 11th Gen mainboard, battery, speakers, and expansion cards in a 3D-printed and CNC-milled aluminum chassis with a flip-up 8:3 widescreen display¹²³.

The project's build video has over 1.6 million views on YouTube, making it one of the most-watched Framework community projects².

Design

Ben designed the cyberdeck as a slab-style computer — a flat, rectangular device with the screen above the keyboard rather than behind it in a clamshell². Key design influences include the Tandy TRS-80 Model 100 and the Clockwork DevTerm². A friction hinge allows the screen to flip up to 45 degrees for comfortable desk use².

Enclosure

The chassis uses a sandwich construction²:

• Top and bottom plates — 1/8" (3.175 mm) aluminum sheet, CNC-milled with a homemade CNC router
• Internal frame — 3D-printed in four parts (to fit standard printer build volumes), glued together with JB Weld
• Assembly — Brass threaded inserts in 3D-printed parts; tapped threads in aluminum plates; M2, M3, and M4 metric hardware throughout

The aluminum plates also serve as a heat spreader, absorbing and distributing thermal output from the CPU².

Input Devices

• Keyboard — Apple Magic Keyboard 2 (wired via USB-C to Lightning cable with low-profile plugs)²
• Trackball — Vintage Logitech PS/2 mini optical trackball, interfaced through an Arduino Pro Micro that translates PS/2 data to USB mouse commands²
• Trackball buttons — Custom 3D-printed, mapped to left/right click (configurable in Arduino code)²

Screen

An 8:3 aspect ratio 2400×900 IPS display sourced from Amazon, powered and driven by a single USB-C cable¹². The display driver board supports multiple video inputs, enabling the cyberdeck to function as an external monitor for other computers or Raspberry Pis¹².

Unique Features

• Integrated Arduino — An Arduino Pro Micro with 10 accessible header pins on the front of the device (5V, GND, 2 analog, 6 digital), for quick electronics testing without needing a separate microcontroller¹²
• Video input — The display accepts external video sources, allowing the cyberdeck to be used as a temporary monitor for other devices¹²
• Two Framework expansion card slots — Accessible from the left side, swappable¹

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Compute	Framework Laptop 13 mainboard (11th Gen Intel i5)12
Display	8:3 IPS, 2400×900, USB-C powered12
Memory	16 GB DDR4 SODIMM2
Storage	500 GB WD Black NVMe SSD2
Battery	Framework Laptop 13 stock battery2
Wi-Fi	Framework Wi-Fi module2
Speakers	Framework stock speakers (downward-firing)2
Expansion Cards	2 slots (left side), swappable1
External I/O	3× USB-A 3.0, 2× USB-C (1 power-only), 1× HDMI (4K@30), 3.5 mm headphone jack2
Arduino	Pro Micro, 10 header pins accessible on front panel12
Trackball	Logitech PS/2 mini optical, via Arduino Pro Micro2
Keyboard	Apple Magic Keyboard 2 (wired)2
Hinge	Friction hinge, up to 45° screen tilt2
Chassis	CNC-milled 1/8" aluminum plates + 3D-printed frame2
Source	BenMakesEverything/cyberdeck (GitHub)3
License	Open source (files and code published on GitHub)3

Construction

The build process is documented in a 17-minute YouTube video²:

1. Source a secondhand Framework 11th Gen i5 mainboard, battery, speakers, and other parts
2. Test all components by booting Windows on the bare mainboard
3. Select the 8:3 display and design the enclosure around all components in Fusion 360
4. 3D-print the four-part internal frame (50% infill for strength)
5. CNC-mill the top and bottom aluminum plates from 1/8" sheet stock
6. Modify the trackball (desolder/relocate capacitor for clearance)
7. Solder extended wires for speakers and power button
8. Assemble using JB Weld (3D print to aluminum), threaded inserts, and bolts
9. Install all electronic components and close the sandwich

The 3D-printed parts and aluminum plates are designed to be producible without a CNC router — the plates can alternatively be laser-cut from acrylic, 3D-printed, or cut from wood²³.

Reception

The project was covered by Hackster.io⁴ and praised on the Framework Community forum for its professional appearance and build quality¹. Community members described it as looking "extremely professional" and "like a professional product"¹. The YouTube video received over 56,000 likes and 1.6 million views, making it one of the most popular Framework community build videos².

Related Projects

• FrameDeck — Another Framework mainboard-powered handheld, by Steven Bergeron Meza
• Framework AIO Desktop — An iMac-style all-in-one desktop from Framework parts, by whatthefilament
• Mu Cyberdeck — Ben's later tablet-style cyberdeck using a LattePanda Mu with a custom carrier PCB³

Footnotes

1. Cyberdeck build - made from framework parts — Framework Community (Ben_Makes, October 2023) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

2. Framework Cyberdeck - DIY Portable PC — Ben Makes Everything (YouTube, October 2023) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹

3. BenMakesEverything/cyberdeck — GitHub ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

4. Ben Makes Everything Turns His Hand to a Slick Framework Mainboard-Powered TRS-80-Style Cyberdeck — Hackster.io (October 2023) ↩