# Framework OCuLink kit **URL:** \ **Category:** Framework Laptop 16\ **Tags:** expansion-bay-shell, framework-laptop-16-amd-7040\ **Created:** [April 21, 2026, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965 "2026-04-21T20:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FWPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FWPL](https://community.frame.work/u/FWPL)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/1 "2026-04-21T20:55:04Z")
Framework has just come out of the gate roaring and delivered a LOT of essential things the community has been asking for for long. One of these is the new OCuLink kit which uses OCuLink 8i for a connection with high-speed to connect, for example, external Desktop GPUs. Now, I personally come from a community that has been asking for this for close to 3 years, and you can see the whole story [here](https://community.frame.work/t/oculink-expansion-bay-module/31898). Literally, for years, we have been organising, waiting, discussing, and have had setbacks. People tried and failed, people took money and disappeared, people met up over weeks to develop makeshift solutions (yes, involving bent cables and yes, even taping things together inside the laptop - and it worked!). So my point here is to say that the OCuLink kit that was announced now shows an absolutely incredible capacity of a company that is thrilling to see: they listened. It was the community that showed Framework what can be done, it was the community that kept pushing, and it was the community that arrived there first. This thread is to tell the story, so that it gets the appreciation it deserves. Yes, Framework in my opinion is still a fantastic company - but it was the community that got there first - and this will always be the case. I am also writing this for another reason. @Filip was mentioned in tech news because it was him who developed the OCuLink 8i board first. He deserves the credit. And if you could criticize Framework in any way - then it would be for not giving him the visibility that he deserves. I leave this for discussion. So the overall story is that it was the community that pushed, that a company listened and delivered, and ultimately that there are some mixed feelings. Still, it is so amazing to see that a company has the capacity to listen to this extent, and to deliver such a product. UPDATE: So, the most important aspect for me was the actual interaction with @Filip , and he just clarified in the other thread that framework mentioned to him long ago that they were working on an OCuLink kit. So this, in my personal opinion, makes it pretty flawless from their side. Story remains the same: Framework went from “This probably isn’t something we would build ourselves” to building it in 3 years - through interaction with the community. It is absolutely awesome that a company is able and willing to develop their view and interact like that. ---
**Author:** ![Aj\_France](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Aj\_France](https://community.frame.work/u/Aj_France)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/2 "2026-04-21T21:06:50Z")
100% happy to see it, but seeing how the community got to this point and then FW deciding to hop in now when previously this wasn’t even considered a project they were interested in. At this point, I just wished they had been transparent enough to let us know they’re working on it too. ---
**Author:** ![FWPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FWPL](https://community.frame.work/u/FWPL)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/3 "2026-04-21T21:23:48Z")
Mixed feelings indeed… All I can say as immediate reaction for now is that I want all this to be known. ---
**Author:** ![Dmitry\_Yushko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Dmitry\_Yushko](https://community.frame.work/u/Dmitry_Yushko)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/4 "2026-04-21T21:40:44Z")
having proper hardware kit is an amazing step towards the bright future! However this is just one side of the coin. How about enabling ReBAR support in BIOS? Are we getting it somewhere in the closest future? ---
**Author:** ![Aj\_France](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Aj\_France](https://community.frame.work/u/Aj_France)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 4:44am UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/5 "2026-04-22T04:44:36Z")
ReBAR is auto on in bios, works with oculink with the m.2 adapter and the GPU modules. Doesn’t work with Thunderbolt eGPUs. I got one of Kyle Tucks m.2 to oculink adapter with a Aoostar EG02 and 7900xt, ReBAR is currently enabled, and same if I switch back to my 5070 or 7700s and confirmed through GPU-Z If yours isn’t working you may want to touch base with support ---
**Author:** ![Dmitry\_Yushko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Dmitry\_Yushko](https://community.frame.work/u/Dmitry_Yushko)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/6 "2026-04-22T17:17:24Z")
hm, interesting. What board are you talking about? I thought I saw here on the forums other guys who have 7840hs complained about ReBAR absence as well.. ---
**Author:** ![Aj\_France](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Aj\_France](https://community.frame.work/u/Aj_France)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/7 "2026-04-22T19:29:24Z")
I have a 7840hs. I don’t currently have my oculink setup right now but if I get done with work sooner I can post a picture to show my 7900xt having rebar access. ---
**Author:** ![Aj\_France](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Aj\_France](https://community.frame.work/u/Aj_France)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/8 "2026-04-22T22:17:42Z")
![{9FEFFB41-F3FD-43DD-9056-F1FCB112B2B7}](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/framework3/original/3X/7/5/7568d22077d69e1ebef26bca44fce3909d407013.png)4x4.0 with rebar enabled. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Filip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/919ad9/32.png) [@Filip](https://community.frame.work/u/Filip)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/9 "2026-04-23T14:36:01Z")
Yeah, I have it showing up as enabled when connected to my RTX 4070 with my 8i board, so its odd that some people do not have it. ---
**Author:** ![Aj\_France](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Aj\_France](https://community.frame.work/u/Aj_France)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/10 "2026-04-23T16:00:17Z")
Would be nice to have a bios toggle but if it should auto do it, then I don’t think it matters. Why it doesn’t work is a question for support or likely at the fault of the hardware it’s connected too I would think. ---
**Author:** ![\_ss\_LIX\_TROK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/5f9b8f/32.png) [@\_ss\_LIX\_TROK](https://community.frame.work/u/_ss_LIX_TROK)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/11 "2026-04-27T21:20:07Z")
I’ve been following the OCuLink expansion bay threads—I love it, you’ve done an excellent job—but there’s still something I’m not fully convinced about: giving up my dedicated GPU. How difficult would it be to add the port while still keeping the GPU, even if it means exploring different alternatives? Personally, I’d like the possibility of having the GPU bay with an OCuLink port—so I can leave home and disconnect the GPU, use the system normally at work, and then reconnect my graphics card when I get back home. ---
**Author:** ![OVER\_CL0CK](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.frame.work/over_cl0ck/32/38829_2.png) [@OVER\_CL0CK](https://community.frame.work/u/OVER_CL0CK)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 2:01am UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/12 "2026-04-28T02:01:20Z")
You’d likely have to have the expansion bay set up for oculink with the 8i board and then swap to dgpu when youre on the go. It’s doable to easily switch them out. But takes a little work up front. You wouldn’t be able to fit both in one bay. Both are using all 8 pcie lanes so you wouldn’t be able to have both linked at once. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/framework3/original/1X/64c81a89f963ddb07633887baceb642a4b056046.png) [@system](https://community.frame.work/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2026, 2:01am UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/framework-oculink-kit/81965/13 "2026-10-25T02:01:31Z")
Closed on October 25, 2026, 2:01am UTC This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.