Do Framework plan to work on a gaming laptop in the future?
While I’m unsure of your original question, what I think will work is an external graphics card via thunderbolt. Which frankly, is the best of both worlds for me. A fast portable laptop on the go, and a potential work horse when at the desk at home
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It’s a great question. We aren’t announcing any future products any time soon, since we are fully focused on making the Framework Laptop and ecosystem around it solid. That is absolutely an interesting product category to make upgradeable and repairable though.
Yes, eGPUs should work well as a way to balance portability and graphics performance. We do want to build up a list of “known working” eGPU setups over time. eGPU.io is a great reference in the meantime for enclosures: https://egpu.io/best-egpu-buyers-guide/
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I think that that is a great idea. I would personally like to see in perhaps a generation or so of this line of computers to come out with internal GPU support. I think many people who do not invest in monitors would also like to see 17" screens as well.
As someone who wants power, I don’t particularly value micro-computers that aren’t very fast. I think a hypothetical Framework Gaming computer, would have lots of heatsinks, possibly ddr5 RAM, NVIDIA or AMD GPUs, adequate cooling, and a high refresh screen.
I would love to see this too @Kuo_Liang_Multimedia, but I believe it is quite a bit off. For one, Framework hasn’t even seen the reception of their first computer; a small 13.5" ultra-portable computer. Maybe in 2 or 3 generations.
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Does this mean Thunderbolt 3/4 is confirmed for this laptop? I already have an eGPU setup and this is the one spec I’m waiting for. So far I have only seen confirmation that this will support regular USB-C.
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We can’t officially state support until we complete certifications.
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Was hoping this would be clarified before pre-orders started, but I guess I’ll wait. I assume Framework would need to release a thunderbolt expansion card b
They probably would not need to release separate Thunderbolt expansion cards since Thunderbolt 4 is just a certification of a higher minimum spec of USB 4.
Framework must prioritize the success of this product which has the biggest potential market, with a mass appeal to everyday laptop users. Once it’s a success, Framework can expand to cater to more specialized needs such as gaming. Intel’s chips have some strong graphics power, but what us gamers want is a fast response time and higher refresh rate display. Gamers like me, who care about the environment and right to repair, are rooting for Framework’s success.
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I guess the ideal solution would be a eGPU expansion card, but that seems like something that’ll remain a dream for a long time.
I like the gaming idea not because I’d be a target audience, but the possibility of using the same strategy Tesla used for growing which was producing a car to the deeper pocketed section of the market, then within it’s ability making other more affordable models.
That said, the eGPU idea seems to be the best solution. Perhaps cater to “desktop replacement” segment but that would be an overreach, in my view.
I think a egpu extension card is impossible, because of the heat build-up.
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an egpu expansion card would be limited to something like 1W given passive cooling, or maybe 5W if you somehow manage to fit a miniature fan…?
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If the Framework team does make a gaming laptop, and it has switchable graphics, I’d hope to see a good multiplexer. This makes it so the dedicated graphics aren’t limited by the integrated graphics, but it’s still possible to switch to a lower powered mode to save battery power.
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Like sort of “gaming” edition.
Why would an egpu extension card/port need cooling? I never heard of any egpu setup need cooling with like tb3 or m.2, etc, nor do I think those proprietary gaming laptops’ special connections need any.
yes, exactly. having an egpu already works fine over usb4/thunderbolt.
if you put the gpu in a card, then while it’ll still be over tb, it won’t be able to dissipate any power more than a couple watts over a long period of time
I think you made the right move getting into the thin and light category. The value proposition would be a bit trickier in the gaming space as laptops in that category are by no means hurting for ports, and are typically socketed. It’s true the major brands will give you grief if you need to repair something, but Clevo is a major player in the gaming laptop space and they do make parts available for purchase along with offering schematics/service manuals.
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This is a good idea, the boards would have to support thunderbolt in all expansion slots which opens up a lot more high speed utility. Downside is you’ll probably be stuck with an Intel CPU.