Os: Windows 10
Product: Framework Laptop 13 w/ Intel 12th gen
Egpu: Amd Radeon Rx 5700
When the eGpu powers up, the system locks and needs to be hard-reset.
I reinstalled the operating system recently initially running Ubuntu then switched to Windows 10. I experienced the same problem on both operating systems. The egpu was running games and workloads effectively previously (3 months ago).
The eGpu uses usb-c port. I have tested with multiple cables, new and old, of different lengths. I have also tried a fair number of registry tweaks from outdated forums.
I suspect the system is drawing inappropriate power from the egpu when it is loading data.
If I’m following your post properly, it sounds like you’re powering up your eGPU after your laptop is already on. Is that correct?
To my knowledge, the eGPU should be powered up and connected prior to turning on your laptop. Do you experience any lockups when following that order or operations?
Yes, I experience the same issue when following those order of operations. The eGpu is powered on and is plugged into the machine before booting.
My laptop is always plugged into the eGpu and is always displaying through the gpu to a second monitor. It is also receiving power through the eGpu dock at all times.
The egpu has it’s own power supply.
I am powering the FW from the eGpu. This happens automatically when connecting the egpu. The only cable connected to the FW is the thunderbolt cable from the eGpu to the FW via the top left port.
I have experimented with other ports. And I have also tried going directly into the FW’s usb-c without using an adapter.
Dang - I was hoping it was something simple like that! I’m also seeing in your last response that your eGPU is powering your FW13 - are you seeing that the laptop is actively charging via this connection? Also, not that it would necessarily mean anything, but have you checked out your setup by connecting a dedicated charger to the laptop, then turning on the eGPU and laptop?
Nothing I’m thinking about touches on what you explained in your original post of course… The fact that it was working properly 3 months ago with your current setup seems important. Am I correct in assuming that nothing hardware-wise has been changed between then and now?
Your OS has obviously changed (and the failure was present in Ubuntu + Windows 10). Has your BIOS been updated sometime in between 3 months ago and now?
a. Yes and can see that my laptop is actively charging while connected to the egpu.
b. We are thinking along the same lines. I have tried, and for thoroughness re-comfirmed now, using a dedicated charger in addition to the egpu powered connection and combinations of which order to provide power first/second.
c. Nothing hardware wise has change, but I did move apartments and it is possible that either the egpu dock or my laptop was physically damaged during the move.
d. I have run latest (jun26) release of driver, bios, and retimer updates from FW.
I think all the power to my laptop and egpu grounded in the sense it is plugged into a modern electrical system.
To explore this possibility, I have a sperate laptop powersupply through top left port and the egpu through bottom left/bottom right. The laptop powersupply is plugged into a wall outlet and the egpu is plugged into another wall outlet. I repeated this experiment using different walls in the apartment. The results were the same throughout, immediately when the gpu starts loading data to storage, the system crashes.
Through the Radeon Software I can run a “Gpu Stress test”. Strangely this does NOT cause the same crash as when the gpu is loading data during normal gaming/work.
So I may be mis-diagnosing this as a gpu problem when it is related to another system in the machine. Unfortunately toggling the Intel(r) options in bios and disabling e-cores in the registry did not change the result.
There are a number of possibilities that could be causing this and it is a matter of narrowing down what has changed.
This should not be an issue however it could. If the voltage levels are slightly lower at the new apartment instead of the old one. This is probably fairly unlikely but something that did come to mind thinking another the other suggestions and trials so far.
Another possibility is the BIOS update changed something. Does the OP remember what versions of BIOS they are on? Maybe reflashing the old version makes the difference.
Another slight possibility is the driver’s but this is only really apparent under Windows.
Do not remember if Windows 10 was officially supported with the 12th gen boards. Curious if Windows 11 has the same issues with the latest BIOS and driver set.
Another possibility is something has degraded in the eGPU electronically (capacitor, resistor, etc.) and now that is causing a fault under higher load conditions. Though it is odd that under the “stress test” it is not failing. Not too surprising though since stress tests do not always implement the same elements as a program calling for higher levels of demand.
Then there is the possibility that the video card itself has somehow been strained and is now acting abnormal. Is there a spare video card to swap out with to test? Is there a newer BIOS for the eGPU? These are just some of my thoughts as I read this post. Would be interesting to find out what the root cause of the change is though.
There is not a new bios update for the egpu (akitio).
Unfortunately I do not have another vcard or machine to experiment with. So for the moment, this might be the end of the line.