Hi all; also posted in r/sffpc , but wanted to share here as well:
Some pretty unconventional hardware went into this one, so here is the breakdown:
GPU: Intel Arc Pro B50.
Cooler: Custom single slot from n3rdware - I had used this in an earlier build that only supported space for single slot PCIe components.
OCulink hardware/electronics: OCuP4GaNv2 from AliExpress.
Enclosure: Originally from a Thunderbolt 3/4 PCIe dock, branded as a “MaskedFish MK-M1”. The OCuP4Gan fit quite nicely into it, but I did have to gut out the original thunderbolt board and and retrofit the enclosure a fair amount; specifically, to mount the new electronics and ensure that the I/O of the dock itself and the GPU were somewhat accessible; I did have to use a sheet metal nibbler and some drilling to make this work.
A bit more about the original dock (and its state before I tore it apart), since this was a pretty interesting piece; I cannot find any meaningful source of information about this thing online – certainly a niche product, as it only supported single slot low profile cards via PCIe 3.0, and was rated at max wattage of 60w through the slot (though, I was able to plug in a higher wattage adapter at the rated 12v, and was able to run a 70w card without issue; YMMV).
I believe that the MaskedFish branding was limited to a seller on Amazon, from which I purchased it. However, I was able to deduce that the original manufacturer appears to be “Wikingoo”, a seller that is still active on AliExpress, but I can no longer find their enclosure that is analogous to the one I used here. In any case, from what I can tell, these are the only eGPU enclosures that were mass produced for consumer hardware that are this small, metal, and exclusively support single slot low profile cards.
So, why swap thunderbolt for Oculink, or even bother with such a weird setup when compact all-in-one eGPUs exist?
When I bought the original enclosure a while back, I enjoyed using it as a sturdy, as-small-as-possible travel-ready eGPU. I also liked the idea of being able to upgrade the card as time goes by... though with the state of GPU prices these days, I may never do that. That said, the compatibility of Thunderbolt with Intel GPUs is… rough. I was able to run the B50 over thunderbolt for a while, but faced so many issues with random disconnects, and poor performance due to the lack of ReBAR support. So, when I saw a deal on the OCuP4GaNv2, I jumped on it and took the risk on being able to fit it in this enclosure.
I also know that other small enclosures exist, but most of them are custom orders and/or slightly larger than what I am going for in the pursuit of the smallest possible option. I've seen some printable enclosures as well, but I really wanted something metal so I could have confidence in throwing it into a backpack without worry of damage. Plus, I already had the hardware to make this work available to me, so why not?
As final note that may be of interest to some: a thunderbolt 5 version of the OCuP4Gan does exist - the TH5P4GaN - and maybe somewhere down the line I will consider this if I ever get a handheld device or mini PC that would benefit from the thunderbolt connectivity (provided that compatibility with Intel GPUs improves over time as well). The TH5P4GaN appears to have a similar, if not identical physical footprint. But for now, OCulink suits my needs quite well.