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Comment by mixmastamyk | Hacker News Reader

This thing is quite neat and I have a 13... but really was simply looking for a bigger workstation version of it with higher resolution screen and ECC memory.

Also I'd like some ports on the back. Why does every manufacturer expect you to like monitor cables running sideways across your desk? Structurally it looks like the 16 could, but they didn't think of it.

As it stands, its a bit impractical and there isn't anything about it that would cause me to buy it over a 16" Precision with a 5k screen or something.

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The Graphics Module on Framework Laptop 16 has a USB-C display output on the back of it. The Expansion Bay Shell doesn’t, but it would be possible to create a card with ports on it (and we have seen some community members start on it already).

That’s cool, thanks.

> Structurally it looks like the 16 could, but they didn't think of it.

I think they've probably made the right call. To be properly expandable for graphics cards, you need the flexibility that comes from allowing fairly significant size differences for different configurations, including allowing configurations that don't exist yet. The only reasonable place for a laptop form-factor to grow is out the back. I don't think it's possible therefore to have ports on the back be a standard thing, but perhaps a specific expansion module could have some in the future, since the expansion bay supports 8-lane PCIe 4.0.

Unfortunately don't need graphics expansion I need a workstation/desktop-replacement build. Believe that is a bigger market than enthusiast/PC-games, but could be wrong.

Also the resolution is too low for a graphics/video-editing workstation. Maybe crypto/ai? But heard nothing of a nvidia card so far.

I've been told that the current graphics expansion bay module does in fact have a usb-c port on it although I think this is mainly intended for video use rather than power.

I believe that Thunderbolt/USB-C probably played a role in laptops nearly all moving their ports to the sides. A single cable running from the side to a dock taking care of displays, USB, power, etc isn’t too annoying and easier to plug/unplug than multiple running from the back.

Side ports make sense on a 13/air type model, big desktop replacement not as much.

Also, FW doesn't sell a dock and the Dell dock I used to have was clunky and not that great. Now collecting dust, but been meaning to see if it is compatible with the fw13. However that will make my DP expansion port redundant. Not sure about graphics performance.

I’m still using lenovo t420s has all ports on the back

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