Framework Desktop Oculink, Noctua side panel remix

USB4 for eGPUs is great and all, but pales in comparison to performance with oculink. This modified version of the Noctua side panel provides a convenient oculink port via a specific m.2 to oculink adapter:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GFN45LW6?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

This is designed for this specific oculink adapter and is tool-less, requiring no additional parts. The part sockets and snaps down into place. As a result, I would recommend removing the m.2 adapter from the motherboard when removing the side panel. This also rotates the oculink port into the correct direction versus having it flipped upside down.

A brief comparison between USB4 and oculink for reference, testing the same dock with my 7900 XT via USB4 vs oculink went from being comparable performance to the iGPU to 2-3x. I’ve spent over 10 years now playing with Thunderbolt eGPUs but only now tried oculink, and its dramatically better (TB3/USB4 for eGPUs is not reliably hotpluggable).

Important disclaimer about oculink: you DO NOT want to have any power to the device(s) when setting it up, treat oculink like its a PCIe device and you shouldn’t run into issues.

Photo uses my custom front+top panel to match the color and texture of this side panel. This specific oculink model I printed in ABS and PLA Rosewood, but I don’t see any issues with PLA or PETG. The actual side panel temperature on my machine is never above 35C. I recommend printing face down with supports, I’ve used 50% infill for my panels.

My Framework Desktop does not POST when using the oculink eGPU display output initially, the solution to this is to POST using the iGPU as the display out. Mines runs SteamOS, and once its into SteamOS, it’ll go black screen on the iGPU, which is the indication to swap to the eGPU for display out. With that process in mind, it works flawlessly once POSTed and loads the kernel drives just fine, only requiring changing the sound output device in SteamOS (which is a common thing I have to do depending on whats plugged into it).

My use-case for oculink is when I hook up my Framework Desktop at my main desktop that runs an Asus PG32UCDM3, a 4K 240Hz OLED. This gives me the performance bump to run at +120 fps with higher quality FSR, where normally this Framework Desktop is in my living room running 4K 60fps locked. Its a quality enough experience regardless to replace my main rig for almost everything except things I need Windows for still. USB4 testing was done in Windows on this machine, since that still doesn’t work properly in SteamOS.