The dock most people are getting from aliexpress is also available on Amazon, i tried it out with a 8i to dual 4i cable with 2 nvme - 4i adapters and only got 4i speeds since the 2 nvme slots can’t combine. Waiting on the official adapter since it seems I was late to the party on this one. Would be interesting to test with a 5090 and see if there is a workload where the 8i can shine over 4i.
Got any updates on this? I’d love to print, but I can almost bet my PSU will not allow the 24pin to fit.
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I recall they initially said they would not be making oculink and its up to the community. And we went out and did it.
I think waiting 3 years before doing it themselves is pretty reasonable, they likely expected someone would take up the mantle well before now.
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If they really wanted to be enterprising, maybe strap on a pcie switch with n-by i/o.
Not all pcie splitting is simply bifurication like the 2x m.2 expansion does, but actually use a real pcie switch. It’s mostly how vendors like supermicro are adding 10x gpu’s to systems now, or even 4x ssd controllers, but not always a 1:1 lane thing, and more like switch networks.
I looked some into cheaper pcie switch parts from broadcom/plx with retimers, and they do hit ebay at times. I know some mad scientists have bga reflow stations, so a stretch-goal option eventually to add to a laptop. Most have big heatsinks even, but can’t be worse than putting a gpu in the enclosure.
Might be neat to at some point put a pcie switch for multiple pcie i/o ports via occulink, mcio, or silicon photonics eventually and plug that into a framework 16 expansion module.
@FWPL So i finally had time to run some 3dmark tests for the 100cm and 50cm cable. Seems like no difference. Bottom half are 50cm, Top half are 100cm.
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Hey everyone, quick little update.
The shipments for everyone on the form seem to have arrived and the majority of the feedback I got was positive.
I do have a few boards left over, so if anyone would like one, please do send me a DM. I unfortunately have to exclude the US from the shipping locations for this. I do hope to get an easier way to ship to the US in the future for new revisions of the board though.
All out now.
As for the newer revisions, I am still unsure if there is even a need for a redriver as even 100cm cables do work fine for some people, but I will most likely do it anyways to just play around with it.
I am also thinking of switching to 2x 4i connectors instead of a single big 8i connector. Mostly because 4i cables are much easier to come by than Y-cables to split 8i to 2x 4i, and the dev kit should be the ideal 8i solution anyways.
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Mate, this is a game changer for me. I was very skeptical about the 100cm cable as I know this length difference can be detrimental to signal integrity, and the change in performance from 4i to 8i is relatively small already, but this seems really like there are occasions where it can work. So I will definitely purchase the cable and run benchmarks myself. A 100cm cable would change my entire setup, and make 8i so much better for me personally.
Hey everyone! I’ll be retrieving Filip’s board this weekend and am pretty excited!
However, it looks like my custom eGPU is not going to work out. I was experiencing sudden shutdowns with my Apevia 500W FlexATX PSU. I suspected the maximum +12V @ 396W was unable to handle the RX 9070 XT spikes, so I acquired a 600W unit that does 576W on +12V. Sadly, still experiencing the sudden shutdowns. I will have to try a whole new (larger) custom design with a proper ATX power supply.
I still plan on reusing the black metal pegboard sides though. On the bright side, the final design should easily accommodate a 3-slot (or more) card.
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Hey everyone, not that I have been doing some serious benching like I did previously (that takes a lot of time and work swapping between 4i and 8i 
) but I did want to mention that for the last month approximately, I have recently set up my secondary SSD using Linux so I can dual boot and my 8i setup is still working fine. I originally started using Bazzite but have since switched to CachyOS about a week or so ago and honestly I am loving Cachy. I am actually starting to use it as my daily driver now. So at least 2 Linux distros I can confirm without issues.
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SFX-based custom eGPU enclosure with the 8i board. It’s a lot chunkier than the FlexPSU version, but hopefully this power supply can keep up with the RX 9070 XT.
I might even be able to create a top for it that holds my mini PC.
Just has my PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 card in there with a small SSD for now. That’s what I usually test new gear with first to make sure new stuff doesn’t blow up my GPU.
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This is great, what are you using for it? I’ve just picked up a 9070 XT and a Corsair SFX 850W PSU. Going to try them in my Razer Core X Chroma when I get around to it this week to hold me over until the Framework eGPU Dev kit releases.
FSP Dagger 650W
I know that’s below the recommended wattage but it’s only powering the GPU and it has separate PCIe cables (no pigtails).
Oh that enclosure looks sweet. Definitely want something similar myself.
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You literally did not understand the assignment and blew past everything else discussed in this thread. You just posted a link to a manufacturer who stole @Kyle_Tuck 's work and is selling what he designed. Glad your post got flagged by someone else before I got here or I would have done it myself. Please be considerate and take the time to read before you post..
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Hey there, i can help you with that. You have to switch off the Speedshift Feature with “Smokeless UMAF”. I have a 7900 XTX and had the same issue. After a lot of Trial&Error i found the Problem. Due to Speedshift, the System is trying to negotiate the Powerlimits between CPU and (e)GPU, but all sonsors and i2c channels are missing. In the end that f**** everything up and Speedshift switches to “emergency mode” with just 5W for the CPU.
Just use Smokeless to disable the Speedshift Feature and it works just fine.
(Keep in mind to enable Speedshift again, for using Frameworks own dGPU.)
Update to other users with eGPU: Filips 8i Board works 100% flawless with 50 cm Cable and the aliexpress PCIE-Board, 7900XTX Attached. Even boot times are faster than the 4i Adapter + M2 Board. I love both solutions. Kyle Tucks 4i Adapter gives an option for a third SSD, Filips 8i Adapter gives “full power” for the eGPU . Difference in Gaming 4i/8i + 5-10%. Difference in 1% Low FPS + 10% = FrameTimes more stable. With both solutions the FrameWork 16 becomes a portable Gaming Machine - love it! Thanks to the good work of Kyle and Filip.
PS:
buy the Flydigi BS2/BS3 Pro notebook cooler! CPU Temps - 20 °C without the (really annoying) fan whistle sound. Just use the BS3 Pro, FW16 on top, close the lid and have fun. CPU Temps @ 72 C° with steady 47W CPU Package Power . It is amazing. I sold my Gaming-PC. FW16 + 8i Board + 7900 XTX eGPU + BS2 Pro Cooling is my mobile “Gaming PC” now.
Thanks a lot for this great community!
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