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It's also Framework's first laptop with an expansion bay that lets you add an optional discrete GPU. When the Framework Laptop 16 started shipping in early 2024 it was available with an optional AMD Radeon RX 7700S GPU, and this year Framework added an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU option. But now there's another way to use that expansion bay: you can use a DIY OCuLink x8 connector to connect a desktop graphics card with support for data transfer speeds up to 128 GB/s. [x8-703x500] Framework doesn't officially offer an OCuLink connector, but users in the Framework Community have been talking about building their own for the past two years. And now forum member Filip has finally designed and built a fully functional OCuLink x8 Expansion Bay Module . OCuLink is basically an external cabling standard for PCIe. Up until recently it was most often found in data centers rather than consumer PCs. But over the past few years we've seen a handful of laptops, mini PCs, and handheld game consoles add OCuLink ports as a way to enable high-speed connections to external graphics docks. But so far most of those systems have been limited to PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) speeds. Since the Framework Laptop 16's Expansion Bay exposes 8 PCIe lanes, Filip was able to design a module that can tap into all of those lanes. The result? Filip connected an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 desktop graphics card to the laptop and saw performance that was almost as fast as you'd expect if you installed that same GPU in an actual desktop PC. [x8_02-402x500] Right now Filip's OCuLink Expansion Module is a one-of-a-kind device. You can't buy one yet, but you might be able to make your own - Filip has shared some schematics and EEPROM details in a GitHub repository. Once the design is finalized, you should also be able to grab the files you need to 3D print or order your own module. It's possible that you might be able to purchase pre-assembled modules at some point in the future, but in a recent update Filip says "I cannot make any promises yet." via VideoCardz and Tom's Hardware Support Liliputing Liliputing's primary sources of revenue are advertising and affiliate links (if you click the "Shop" button at the top of the page and buy something on Amazon, for example, we'll get a small commission). But there are several ways you can support the site directly even if you're using an ad blocker* and hate online shopping. Contribute to our Patreon campaign or... Contribute via PayPal * If you are using an ad blocker like uBlock Origin and seeing a pop-up message at the bottom of the screen, we have a guide that may help you disable it. Subscribe to Liliputing via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address [ ] Subscribe Join 9,507 other subscribers Tagged: egpu, framework, framework laptop 16, graphics dock, oculink Join the Conversation 1 Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Comment *[ ] Name * [ ] Email * [ ] Website [ ] [ ] Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [ ] Notify me of follow-up comments by email. [ ] Notify me of new posts by email. [Post Comment] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] D[ ] This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. 1. [ab8153b] Brad says: 12/10/2025 at 1:12 PM No comments? 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