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Anyone ever try messing around with OCuLink for eGPUs?


Omicron

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While everyone is all preoccupied with Thunderbolt, I came across a pure external PCI-E standard that directly lets you connect 4x or 8x PCI-E lanes via a cable (with none of that extra nonsense like USB-C or Displayport communication over the same port.) Like ExpressCard, it sounds hotswappable as well.

 

Only problem is, it seems like no one knows about this outside of niche server applications (Supermicro as one example.) How come everyone went for the Thunderbutt route over OCuLink for eGPUs?

 

For those who are a bit creative, I could see retrofitting a laptop with a 4x M2 slot with a card that lets you route the lanes to a OCuLink port you cut out and install on the side of a laptop, and connecting that to an OCuLink eGPU enclosure. (Something with a bit of CPU grunt like the Clevo N650DU.)

 

Anyone else been looking at this?

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The closest thing I see in the thread you linked is the GDC Beast M2 to "external cable" connector (not really a M2 to port.) The BPlus unit comes as a whole device which cannot really be "deattached" unless you remove the M2 end from the computer itself.

 

I wonder why no one is interested in OCuLink, I guess it's just too niche of an option. Would be nice to have a standardized no-latency, no Thunderbutt dedicated PCI-E port on laptops, but that's just too much to ask I guess...

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M8 that's the way it is , simple TB3 is fastest and easiest option why anyone would want to drill holes in laptop if u have TB3 connection , and with TB3 optical there is no limit to cable length . It's like asking why there is no more GPU's on AGP ;)

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