There are a few problems with both thunderbolt docks and eGPUs on the market today. It's hard to discern whether a particular combination of laptop and dock or eGPU will work seamlessly and flawlessly. Numerous issues can crop up, ranging from insufficient power delivery, to an inability to detect attached peripherals, all the way to crashing/freezing/hanging laptops.
Description of the feature
It would be really helpful if System76 provided a nice dock inspired by Thelio's design, with the higher expectation of compatibility that would come with it. Knowing that the same company designed, tested, and produced both the dock and the laptop would give users the best experience.
I'm thinking that the docking station could offer a few PCIe slots, maybe an SSD storage slot, and a nice, quiet power supply unit. When I get down to it, I think I just want a small Thelio, but with the motherboard/RAM/CPU swapped out for a thunderbolt & USB3 controller.
I can imagine high end pro-audio sound cards, video capture cards, and GPUs (both workstation and gaming) all making the docking station interesting to different types of users.
Why/User Benefit/User Problem
There are a few problems with both thunderbolt docks and eGPUs on the market today. It's hard to discern whether a particular combination of laptop and dock or eGPU will work seamlessly and flawlessly. Numerous issues can crop up, ranging from insufficient power delivery, to an inability to detect attached peripherals, all the way to crashing/freezing/hanging laptops.
Description of the feature
It would be really helpful if System76 provided a nice dock inspired by Thelio's design, with the higher expectation of compatibility that would come with it. Knowing that the same company designed, tested, and produced both the dock and the laptop would give users the best experience.
I'm thinking that the docking station could offer a few PCIe slots, maybe an SSD storage slot, and a nice, quiet power supply unit. When I get down to it, I think I just want a small Thelio, but with the motherboard/RAM/CPU swapped out for a thunderbolt & USB3 controller.
I can imagine high end pro-audio sound cards, video capture cards, and GPUs (both workstation and gaming) all making the docking station interesting to different types of users.