Just wondering if anyone is working on something like an m.2 or oculink type adapter that would allow using the GPU in other machines or with the Laptop 13?
So something akin to an eGPU but using the FW16 RX 7700S? I donāt think anyone has started designing something like that. Unfortunately the RX 7700S isnāt that powerful and youād be better off using a desktop eGPU.
Yea, essentially. Just curious for other project I have in mind where a desktop GPU isnāt appropriate. Itās also very compact, so could make for a very portable eGPU if thatās what you wanted - the OneXGPU is only a 7600M for example.
While I donāt think the RX 7700S is a good fit for an eGPU, especially since itās a laptop GPU, I do like this idea for being able to expand the FW13 or for using it in a more desktop like setup. I think something like the Cooler Master case but for the FW16 would need to be able to accommodate the FW GPU. This way if you upgrade your FW16 and chose to go a mini server or something you can reuse the GPU.
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I think there is a bigger market than you might think for laptop sized GPUs as an eGPU!
I think designing a case shouldnāt bee too hard, if you just kept the main board and GPU in the same place so could use the existing connector. Itās a more involved job designing your own PCB to connect up with it though!
Iāve been curious about this actually. Iāve been meaning to get an egpu with at least 8gb RAM for local inferencing. Would be nice to have a diy upgradeable one
Have you seen this thread:
It might be what you are after.
As far as Iām aware this is a mainboard>Oculink adapter? It doesnāt involve the existing GPU.
That something i would want to do, but i donāt have any egeneering background or electronic skills for now. But i do have spare desktop GPUs that i want to try to use on my Framework Laptop 16. For some reason i saw this hole in the expention bay that fit a pcie connector 
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Any question involving the term eGPU is going to get derailed into āget a desktop cardā, ādo oculinkā, blah blah blah. What some of us are still holding our breath for is a way to repurpose old/secondhand/etc or future FW16 GPUās. Myself, after lugging around the full setup for Crowdstrike fixing, Iām interested in that proof of concept enclosure that was at the announcement to reduce my everyday carry. Framework showed one off that is essentially a Thunderbolt to Interposer adapter within a protective enclosure, externally powered.
Other discussion-
A still of the concept is borrowed from this article: The Framework Laptop 16 promises the āholy grailā of upgradable graphics - The Verge
Although I donāt think the 7700S is all that powerful I do like the idea of being able to repurpose it when an upgrade for it comes out. I also think it could be a good dock. Hook up a few monitors, mouse, keyboard, maybe ethernet, and possibly an SSD (internal to the dock or external USB).
I can definitely see this being a cheaper alternative to upgrading graphics on lesser powered laptops like the FW13 or an older laptop with a decent enough USB-C port. Many of the eGPU docks Iāve seen have been like ~$500 USD and desktop GPU prices have been going up. If they can make an eGPU encloser for less than $250 I can see this being a good alternative to a regular eGPU.
Ok. Get this. An enclosure, like the one picture above, but it has on the side a number of blank USB Expansion ports that we can put Framework cards into. Storage, networking, USB, display, audio, you pick what the dock does. In the $300 range though Iād hope for Thunderbolt daisy-chaining, but thatās getting into ācrazy talkā territory.
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I definitely like the idea of being able to select the ports you need on the eGPU/dock. Iād also expect it to cost a little bit more due to the modularity. Iād certainly love Thunderbolt 5 support given it being intended for an eGPU.