# What are some other possible uses for the Expansion Bay on the upcoming 16" laptop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Expansion Bay\ **Created:** [March 25, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378 "2023-03-25T17:58:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JRLarsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@JRLarsen](https://community.frame.work/u/JRLarsen)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/1 "2023-03-25T17:58:38Z")
Known features of the expansion bay: -PCIe x8 Lanes -Bidirectional Power Delivery between 7V and 20V and up to 10.5A Possible Use-Cases Provided by Framework -Dedicated GPU -Dual NVMe Storage -Card Readers -Video Capture Devices -AI Accellerators -SDR Radios -I/O Expansion Other Ideas: -E-Port Docking -Additional Battery -Mounting Bracket ---
**Author:** ![Hugo\_Gonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bcef8e/32.png) [@Hugo\_Gonzalez](https://community.frame.work/u/Hugo_Gonzalez)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/2 "2023-03-25T19:55:23Z")
Other Ideas: Internal LTE antenna and modem Giant drawer? 2.5 hard drives. 5tb seagates exist Tv Tuner Fast charging ports? Type C 50W Type A 15W ---
**Author:** ![Be\_Far](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.frame.work/be_far/32/43857_2.png) [@Be\_Far](https://community.frame.work/u/Be_Far)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/3 "2023-03-25T22:25:35Z")
First thing the community will make for it is a Snack Drawer XL. Can’t wait! I think it would be neat to see a folding carrying handle, just for aesthetics. Not very useful. On the useful side, I think an induction charging coil with matching charging pad could make it very futuristic. I don’t have the slightest idea whether wireless charging is at the point it can result in net charge for a gaming laptop running at full tilt though. Music producers and hobbyists can always use more configurable buttons. two folding ‘wings’ that slot into the Bay but rest on the left and right of the laptop at ergonomic angles to either have control surfaces (I’m dreaming of haptic touch LED matrices that look like turntables) or more space for Input Modules? ---
**Author:** ![Reed\_Bowman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.frame.work/reed_bowman/32/5836_2.png) [@Reed\_Bowman](https://community.frame.work/u/Reed_Bowman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/4 "2023-03-25T22:26:58Z")
What, no 3.5" floppy drive? 🙃 Storage for the screwdriver, with extra space for the stylus for when there’s a proper stylus-enabled touchscreen. Internal power supply with storage space for the power cord to make the thing really convenient to carry, unlike all other laptops on the market. BIG speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Nixingit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8491ac/32.png) [@Nixingit](https://community.frame.work/u/Nixingit)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2023, 10:31pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/5 "2023-03-25T22:31:22Z")
Let’s get the guy who designed the little snack drawer to design a big one for the back ---
**Author:** ![junaruga](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.frame.work/junaruga/32/5342_2.png) [@junaruga](https://community.frame.work/u/junaruga)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/6 "2023-03-28T20:36:45Z")
I just changed this thread’s category “Expansion Card” to the newly created “Expansion Bay”. I hope you like it! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Tim\_M](https://community.frame.work/u/Tim_M)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/7 "2023-03-29T16:31:29Z")
Does anyone know if Framework has or plans to have development kits for designing modules for the expansion bay? I have some ideas for industry-specific applications (Automotive/Electronics engineering)? I’d be interested in sponsoring some senior design projects at my local university (that I also attended) but without a good dev kit not sure how far potential developers or researchers could get with the limited data shared to date. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Tim\_M](https://community.frame.work/u/Tim_M)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 4:36pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/8 "2023-03-29T16:36:16Z")
Wow disregard: [Framework · GitHub](https://github.com/frameworkcomputer/) Sorry for my stupidity 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![putianyi888](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@putianyi888](https://community.frame.work/u/putianyi888)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/9 "2023-03-29T17:01:23Z")
Projector! or simpler, a laser would also be super cool. ---
**Author:** ![HsiangYu\_Cheng](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c57346/32.png) [@HsiangYu\_Cheng](https://community.frame.work/u/HsiangYu_Cheng)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 10:20pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/10 "2023-03-29T22:20:41Z")
A PCIe riser that connects to a full size GPU will be great ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_Wilson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.frame.work/andy_wilson/32/21841_2.png) [@Andy\_Wilson](https://community.frame.work/u/Andy_Wilson)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 1:10am UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/11 "2023-03-30T01:10:37Z")
I want to do an FPGA development platform like this: ![FGBay](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/framework3/original/2X/0/0edf1de27cf91b36b09515d88df625110012697e.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Josh\_Cook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@Josh\_Cook](https://community.frame.work/u/Josh_Cook)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 1:15am UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/12 "2023-03-30T01:15:17Z")
Certainly possible, but expensive. ---
**Author:** ![ParticleCannon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.frame.work/particlecannon/32/5090_2.png) [@ParticleCannon](https://community.frame.work/u/ParticleCannon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/13 "2023-03-30T16:35:50Z")
A docking cleat would be nice, but I think most people are accustomed to plugging in a Thunderbolt dock at this point. What would a modular, repairable Thunderbolt dock look like anyways…? Alternatively, a mechanically reinforced mounting point a la Police Laptop for rigidly attaching a 16 to a dashboard or a mobile cart I think the bay is sealed, airflow wise, but another fan might not be a bad idea anyways just to dissipate heat that is spreading through the chassis. If the AMD version supports ECC, a SAS controller might be fun, but an exposed PCIe x8 (16 mechanical) port that you can put a riser in might work better for this line of thinking Someone mentioned putting a tiny subwoofer in there. lol. With additional bandwidth and cooling available, a 10 gig (or higher?) ethernet port should be possible. A foot-long string of GPIO headers. Or embrace the gaming weirdo’s and do an RGB strip on the top, rear, and bottom sides. ---
**Author:** ![JRLarsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@JRLarsen](https://community.frame.work/u/JRLarsen)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/14 "2023-03-30T17:19:29Z")
To expand on the snack drawer idea, what about a low-powered toaster? Like you might be able to cook a pop-tart in it with some heating coils! ---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Thomas\_E](https://community.frame.work/u/Thomas_E)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 3:49pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/15 "2023-03-31T15:49:22Z")
A VGA and DisplayPort input for device administration would be awesome! You could connect the video output of a PC/Server to the Laptop, and it would show it on the internal display! You could even add a USB Connection to use the Keyboard and Trackpad to control the PC/Server. Maybe with a little hardware switch to toggle between local and external mode without disconnecting any cables. ---
**Author:** ![anon\_ymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@anon\_ymous](https://community.frame.work/u/anon_ymous)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 5:17am UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/16 "2023-04-02T05:17:10Z")
get a printer/scanner in the mix edit: like a brother pocketjet is already about that size anyway so its probably doable with a few compromises ---
**Author:** ![Andrew\_King](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.frame.work/andrew_king/32/2279_2.png) [@Andrew\_King](https://community.frame.work/u/Andrew_King)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/17 "2023-04-03T00:59:54Z")
> [@HsiangYu\_Cheng](#): > > A PCIe riser that connects to a full size GPU will be great Yes! This is what I am hoping for as well. Thunderbolt gpus lose so much performance. If there were some sort of expansion bay that could connect to a desktop GPU and get near desktop level connectivity I would ditch my desktop in favor of the framework 16 in a heartbeat! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Furlong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/779978/32.png) [@Gary\_Furlong](https://community.frame.work/u/Gary_Furlong)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 2:50pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/18 "2023-05-05T14:50:48Z")
For the musically minded it could be cool to integrate a few XLR and TRS inputs with some high quality pre-amps. I’m not sure how chunky that would be but it would be super handy to just plug mics and instruments straight into the computer! ---
**Author:** ![Be\_Far](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/community.frame.work/be_far/32/43857_2.png) [@Be\_Far](https://community.frame.work/u/Be_Far)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/19 "2023-05-05T17:40:26Z")
> [@Gary\_Furlong](#): > > it could be cool to integrate a few XLR and TRS inputs with some high quality pre-amps I’m already hoping for a slide-pot equalizer and some speakers, but a direct to PCIe audio interface would be latency heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Furlong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/779978/32.png) [@Gary\_Furlong](https://community.frame.work/u/Gary_Furlong)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 5:59pm UTC](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378/20 "2023-05-05T17:59:22Z")
That paired with a capture card would be a streaming/video calling game changer. Hooking up a nice mirrorless camera AND a proper mic would be awesome! Completely overkill and I am not even sure if it is possible (my technical knowledge is pretty poor) but we can dream. [Next page](https://community.frame.work/t/what-are-some-other-possible-uses-for-the-expansion-bay-on-the-upcoming-16-laptop/28378.md?page=2)