My ultimate gamming laptop project thread

[Acebopata]

Ok, so I've been wanting to build my own custom laptop, with the best custom hardware I can find. But I have little to no knowledge about how to create such a laptop, but I'm going to give it a try.

 

Basically, I'm going to give it as much graphics and computing power as I can, at the same time, keeping it as cool as I can.

 

Now I have two paths to go on.

 

1. Get a lightweight mini-desktop case and rig a screen to it. This makes the computer a lot heaver, and bulkier, but will allow me to place more computing power and perhaps an extra battery or two, which is useful when the power is out.

 

2. Use a regular laptop case, either purchased as a case, or taking from a used laptop. (Not using any that I have currently, BTW).

 

I'm hoping to get anywhere between 6 and 16 GB Ram, 2.9-5.4 GHz, and 500GB-3TB storage capacity. (And yes, I know getting the higher ends is currently out of reach, but I'm taking my time on this project, so the technology may or may not be available at that time.)

 

I'm hoping to have everything planned out in about a year, and to have the new computer build in two years. I'm thinking that I'll have anywhere from $1,000-$2,300 as a budget if the economics hold well.

[Killerbuddy]

Good luck! =) If it is heat your are worried about( which is a big issue with gaming laptops ), I would suggest going for s Solid State Drive( SSD ). Much more expensive, but it will deffinitely help with heat issues and bottlenecking data when playing games. Also, you will be taking a hit with sorage capacity if you go with a SSD.

[Rennn]

I'd go for a mini desktop case if I was in your position. I've heard that laptop components such as mobile cards are made to withstand higher temperatures. If you use a laptop case and put in regular pc parts, overheating could be a big problem. It might be safer to go for a small desktop case adapted for mobile use, and you'd certainly be able to get it a little more powerful without worrying about temperatures quite as much. Ofc it'd look strange, but it's probably more viable. If you work with a laptop case you're subjected the the same space limitations as laptops, and it'd probably cost more to build.

 

If you managed to put in 16GB of RAM you could theoretically use an 8GB RAM disk for your most stressful game, which I imagine would keep HDD temps down as well. I'm just thinking out loud at this point, but you'd want to keep the cpu near the 'top' of the case if possible, because you don't want that resting on cloth. That can really accumulate heat. So whichever side the mobo and cpu fit into, I'd make that side the 'top'.

 

If you're really dedicated, I've seen some people scavenge the screen from a laptop and adapt it into a very thin general gaming display, which would help keep the size down. The screen would probably need some kind of custom enclosure if you did that though, unless you don't mind it looking like something exploded, lol.

Edited June 25, 2012 by Rennn

[pwnedbyscope]

5.4 is just shy of impossible, desktop rigs that are used to get that kind of clock have large and elaborate cooling systems, the most you could get would probably be 3.5, but you want to make sure you have plenty of room for airflow. but i agree with ren, get something like an atom pc case and build a rig into that, the only problem with these is that they are very small and components are not designed for such a small place. i have a question though, if you want that kind of power why not build a desktop? its much cheaper and easier.

[Acebopata]

5.4 is just shy of impossible, desktop rigs that are used to get that kind of clock have large and elaborate cooling systems, the most you could get would probably be 3.5, but you want to make sure you have plenty of room for airflow. but i agree with ren, get something like an atom pc case and build a rig into that, the only problem with these is that they are very small and components are not designed for such a small place. i have a question though, if you want that kind of power why not build a desktop? its much cheaper and easier.

 

Part of the reason I prefer a laptop to a desktop is because I like playing my laptop on the couch, and I like the ability to easily change my location without having to take 20 minuets or so hooking up a monitor and keyboard. I'm more comfortable with laptops, also.

[pwnedbyscope]

Ah, in that case i would suggest a desktop with a wireless keyboard/mouse and wireless either hdmi or VGA for video.

[Acebopata]

Hmmm....

 

Building a custom desktop would be easy...but converting it into a kind of laptop...a bit of a different story. For starters, getting the screen would probably be only a moderate difficulty, provided enough study and materials exist. But the battery? That's a tad bit different, if I utilize a desktop motherboard. Alternatively, a laptop motherboard would be more, easier, to utilize a battery with, but it still has difficulties. Additionally, a rig would have to made for the keyboard and mouse, or alternatively, as pwnedbyscope said, a wireless keyboard/mouse, perhaps with a kind of holder rig when setting in a car?.

 

And then, there's other difficulties, such as custom features. One could add a kind of memory card slot to save things like pictures, documents, and such, and a second one for data transfer, but one could add a smaller hard drive at the same time. Then, a DVD rom, would be critical, however, adding a Blue-Ray disk player might be a good option, providing the computer can utilize one and has enough room. At least one USB cord would be necessary. And Wi-Fi would be good too. One might add a floppy drive just for kicks if more room to add hardware persist.