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These GPUs use an MXM connector, not M.2.

I've got an HP Z2 Mini unit which also uses MXM for its GPU, and is upgradable.

Due to the cooling requirements of a GPU, MXM modules are often pretty thick though, so would probably make the whole laptop thicker.

You also have to consider how the heatsink & heatpipes for a GPU would attach to the GPU.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_PCI_Express_Module

They did in the past made laptops with upgradable GPU, I have one Asus that still is working (from 2009).

However so few people ever bothered to upgrade them, hence why OEMs have moved on.

Even on desktops, every time I came around to upgrade components back in the day, it was about time to upgrade everything.

That's my experience too. Honestly I don't think people are going to upgrade their Framework laptops much. And while they're popular now, it's still likely they'll stop producing parts (assuming the standard for each component isn't completely free to copy). Then you're out of luck.

But the real huge win is replacing broken components easily. That alone is making the Framework extremely tempting for me.

It was dells area 51m recently. I own one, and it was marketed as upgradeable, though it turns out its only upgradable in the same class e.g. mine can only be swapped with a 2060 2070 or 2080.

Just use an external GPU?

Or make it upgradeable like an external GPU.

Using a mobile GPU chip and putting it into a small external GPU case could be easy.

The only reason why current external GPU cases are so big is that the form factor of GPUs is big and the big power consumption.

Using a mobile GPU could make this into a small cube of 15*15 or so.

Would you settle for an external eGPU over USBC?

This is what I have been looking into for a portable gaming setup.

My framework setup already has so much raw power in terms of RAM and CPU. A solid GPU is the next step :-) Would do a GPU pass through setup with virtio/QEMU and a Linux host… if only eGPU setups weren’t so damned expensive! And that’s not even factoring in the sheer lack of availability of 30x series cards.

I have a custom built small form factor PC in a Dan Case A4 [0]. The case is a lot smaller than a Razer Core. And it's a whole PC, not just a GPU. Fits in a cabin bag or backpack and I have traveled with it.

You can go even smaller at 3.9L in a Velka 3 [1], if you use a single fan graphics card.

- [0] https://www.dan-cases.com/dana4.php

- [1] https://www.velkase.com/products/velka-3

The Dan Case is absolutely gorgeous. What hardware are you running in yours?

I’d love to get a setup like this going with a 30x series card, but I’m not sure how difficult getting one at listing price is these days.

No chance buying a GPU at listing price today.

Buyer beware: for the Dan Case, it's only compatible with 2.25 slot (45mm) width cards at max. Most 3080s are 2.5 slot (50mm) wide. The EVGA 3080 XC3 Black is a notable exception, and is a very satisfying tight fit [0]. There's also a 3D printed GPU spacer to increase width of the case (sacrificing portability) [1].

Here's my hardware:

  CASE: Dan A4-SFX v4.1 7L
  PSU: Corsair SF750
  CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT 6C/12T 3.8GHz/4.5GHz
  FANS: Asetek 645LT 92mm AIO + Noctua NF-A9x14 x2
  MOTHERBOARD: Asus ROG STRIX B550-I GAMING mini-ITX
  LAN: Intel I225-V 2.5Gb Ethernet
  WLAN: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  AUDIO: Realtek S1220A
  RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB DDR4 @ 3600MHz
  GPU: Powercolor AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Red Dragon
  NVME0: Sabrent Rocket 1TB R/W 3400/3000
  NVME1: Crucial P1 1TB R/W 2000/1700
  SSD0: SanDisk Ultra II 1TB R/W 540/500

- [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/jhrnob/evga_xc3_3080...

- [1] https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2771844

Upgrading a GPU internally in a laptop chassis is tricky because you need the power/heat/space to work for the range of possible products. And I like a CPU where you might design for a 35W CPU and that gives you dozens of options from 15W to 35W, the GPU range needs to encompass 100W (!) if the purpose is meant to allow configuring as a gaming machine. This will obviously affect cooling/power supply/bulk for all who buy the laptop and don’t want the gaming config.

External GPUs have their own difficulties but I think it’s a less challenging design problem than “configurable GPUs [up to enthusiast/gaming/pro cards]”

> were some gaming laptops with upgradeable GPU

You are thinking about MXM [0]

Idea was neat but Regular Joe doesn't upgrade GPU in the laptop. And Non-regular Joes who does demand what it should be cheap and performant.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_PCI_Express_Module

I will buy a Framework laptop in a heartbeat if they came with RTX GPUs.

It would be doubly great if the GPU were upgradable as you say.

My HP ZBook from 2014 has upgradable CPU and GPU. I guess that after a few years the problem would be to find a new part that fits into the slots or somebody selling an old compatible one at a reasonable price.

The Schenker vision 14 comes with 3050ti and it is pretty repairable