Hello all, normally I post my projects on reddit, so some of you have likely already seen this one, but I want to start sharing some of them here as well. This is my favorite project that I’ve done so far, combining an eGPU dock with a FW 13 mainboard to create a gaming console/AI workhorse all in one, and its very purple:
It’s using a minisforum deg1 dock with a 7900XTX GPU, and the mainboard is a Core Ultra 7 165H that I got from the last round of mysteryboxes. Initially I was using it to game in my living room, but I got bored with that and instead decided to make it an AI server using the LocalAI github project.
The original 3d file for the GPU enclosure was from Dopins on Printables.com. I modified it pretty heavily into a single piece print in place enclosure with a more open airflow concept and active cooling with built in 120mm fans that are running through a sata adapter with a noctua pwm control module. I then modified a single piece mainboard case from Jarhead on Printables.com to have a greater airflow and to accept an oculink adapter.
The mainboard case fits into a nested cutout on top of the eGPU enclosure, right on top of the 2 120mm fans. I am booting from a 2nd gen 1tb expansion card, and its plenty fast for both when I was using it to game and when I switched it over to an AI server. The oclulink adapter gives me pcie 4x4 and performs surprisingly well. Its the same adapter I had used in my first oculink project for my FW16. The print takes about 44 hours on my Kobra 3 Max. The main part is PETG, and then the mainboard case is ABS in order to handle the higher temps.
