2 ms·
the 16" will have a slot for discrete cards (I don't think it will be a PCIe slot but could be wrong).
by vhodges 3y ago
the 16" will have a slot for discrete cards (I don't think it will be a PCIe slot but could be wrong).
- bityard 3y agoNo need to wonder or guess, according to The Horse's Mouth[0], the expansion bays in the 16 will have a PCIe x8 interface. (Not to be confused with the expansion cards from the Framework 13.) [0]: https://frame.work/blog/introducing-the-framework-laptop-16 https://frame.work/blog/introducing-the-framework-laptop-16
- vhodges 3y agoThanks, I remember seeing that, but wasn't sure of the form factor (eg I am not sure you'll be able to plugin any old gpu).
- starkparker 3y agoIt's not a desktop PCIe slot on the back of a laptop, but the interface is already documented. The electrical, shell-fit PCB, and general form-factor specs of the 16" laptop's expansion bay are already published under a CC-BY license by Framework: https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/ExpansionBay https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/ExpansionBay Direct link to the pinout PDF: https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/ExpansionBay/blob/main/Electrical/Dual-channel%2074P%20FXBeam%2C%20length%2027.75mm%20_Rev%202_(Public%20version).pdf https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/ExpansionBay/blob/main/... It's a 4th-gen x8 interface, so there are limits to what "any old GPU" might be capable of performance-wise, but creating a passthrough-port accessory seems possible.
- vhodges 3y agoThanks, I had forgotten they had published specs. Note with Thunderbolt and a eGPU chassis, you can get the adaptor interace today. I was considering this to repurpose an older machines GPU for my 12thgen 13", but decided instead to turn the older machine into a Steambox instead.