I want to rebuild my M11X r2 into a desktop...

In September NZXT is releasing what I think is one of the most gorgeous PC cases ever made, the NZXT Phantom 530. I really really want one, but I don't have the means to build an actual desktop right now.
NZXT Phantom 530 Chassis Review - eTeknix
Well my M11X R2 sits around allday and does absolutely nothing. It's never used and it just kinda does nothing.

So I had an idea.
What if I tore apart the laptop, and build a desktop out of It? I get that NZXT Case, and rebuild my m11X into a unique desktop in that case

This is technically possible mind you,.
My m11X sports 1.45ghz non turbo dual core i7 620UM 2 cores 4threads, with 8GB of 1033mhz RAM, it also has a mini PCI-E slot for its wifi card.
There also exists...
This: miniPCIE to PCIE hdmi adaptor slot: PE4H ( PCIe passive adapter ver2.4 )
It makes the mini card slot in your laptop able to handle x16 cards.

Meaning id have all the parts necessary to adapt the laptop to use a desktop graphics card. I'd just need to get the case, gpu, a PSU, a keyboard, and an adaptor to use HDMI in so I can use my m17X as a screen.

It'd be a very very unique build, but before I commit...
there is one small glaring question...Can the M11X R2 use that adaptor?

I don't have much income anymore but what I do im ok with spending on computer stuff and im ok with building a pc that wouldn't perform crazy good for the affect of doing something unique. I just need to know if that adaptor works.
It would be a 100$+ purchase. for the adaptor alone which for me is a lot now that I don't have an expendable income.

What I want to do is to find an older series msi graphics card that has the Twin Frozr II heatsink on it because of how beautiful that card was.
Beautiful case beautiful graphics card, and a unique rebuild of an old laptop brought back to life.

Does anyone know if the miniPCIE to PCIEx16 adaptor work with the m11X?

 

Even if it works, the i7 620UM would be a big bottleneck for any current desktop class GPU. I would say sell Your M11x R2, they go up to around $650 on eBay. Then use that money for building in that nice case. But if you have your heart set on trying this, I think you'd be the first. No telling if it will work or not till you try.

 

No thanks. I don't sell my systems.

And yes I know the 620UM would be a bottleneck. but that's not a problem. i'd be getting a lower end mid range card anyways. the point Is to rebuild the system into a new working system, not just something that collects dust.

I don't want to sell it.

 

Are you certain that the m11x main board is compatible with another graphics card? This sounds like rather a difficult and problematic endeavour.

 

I dont sell my systems either. I have tons of them now laying around.

But, I have a few suggestions.
The cpu and gpu on the m11x are soldered to the board, so not easy to swap out.

But, if you want to make a really cool setup with your m11x, gut it, then put all the internals into a optx LCD monitor. Make your self a nice alienware all in one computer. Then all you have is a monitor/keyboard/mouse. Would make for a very clean looking system.

The optx has 4 usb ports and headphone jacks on the bottom. So you could tap into those for your IO ports.
Then depending on if you get the 21.5 or 23 inch you have 2 hdmi and 1 dvi (21.5) or 1 hdmi 1 dvi (23).
So just wire your video signal into those (hdmi will output sound to the headphone jack on the lcd)

The m11x can boot with out a screen, at least I know the r1 can, not sure if the r2/r3 can though.

 

no offfence but do people not in read?
I wanted to rebuild it into a tower, inside of the new nzxt phantom 530. I love that case and I want to rebuild my laptop as a desktop inside of it.

I just need to know if that pcie extender piece works in the m11X R2

 

let me get this right....
You want to take a laptop, hook up a desktop gpu to it, put it into a desktop case, then use your m17x as the monitor?

Why not just use your m17x as all of it?

 

We are at present in a slight perplexity owing to an event which certainly did not enter into my calculation, - given that the 'monitor' is more powerful than the desktop itself, why would you even want to try this?

 

for fun....

 

I'm all for it if its just for fun.
I forget what its called, but there is a full write up for what you want to do on here. When in not on my phone I will find it.

you already have a killer 17, might as well have some fun with the 11.

 

Seems legit

 

Here you go, I found this write up, it my help: http://forum.notebookreview.com/e-gpu-external-graphics-discussion/418851-diy-egpu-experiences.html

 

That's the one

 

Great minds think alike

 

You can't run the M11X from the ATX PSU, so there's no point tearing the laptop apart - just drop the entire thing into the case as-is.

There shouldn't be any problem running the mini PCIe to PCIe adaptor, as long as the mini PCIe port in your M11X R2 is a real PCIe port, and not just a USB or SATA port in the mini PCIe form factor.

Also bear in mind that there is a performance-hit running a 16X card in a 1X slot - if it's PCIe v1.0 then the performance hit is pretty big.

Well, you'll just end up with a laptop in a massive box. Or to look at it another way, an underpowered desktop in a nice case !

You'll need to cut a hole in the base of your M11X to feed the PCIe cable out, and you'll also need to splice the case's power button onto the M11X's connector to switch it on and off. And because your ATX PSU isn't going to be connected to a Motherboard, you'll have to splice the green cable to ground via the case's power button too.

Here's a better option - just sell your M11X, and use the funds to purchase a Motherboard, CPU, RAM and SSD. Pop them into the Phantom 530 case, connect them to the ATX PSU and Video Card that you were buying anyway, and voila - you have a complete system. And it'll be much more powerful than the 1.4GHz DualCore M11X.

Use something like a Pentium G2120 CPU (3.1GHz Ivy Bridge, $75), ASRock Z75 Motherboard ($85), 2 x 4GB DDR3 Sticks (Kingston KHX1600C9D3B1K2/8GX, $59), Samsung 840 120GB SSD ($100) - for a total of just over $300. Then as funds allow, you can add a 2GB HD in the future to hold your data, maybe a DVD drive if you still use optical media, etc. etc.
You'll make a profit, and end up with a more powerful machine !

 

-sigh-
people just don't get it...
Its a REBUILD project. Vanity project, just something to do FOR FUN, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE DOING IT.
Not because its pratical or anything like that.

Its because I feel like doing it for the hell of it.
Im not doing it to be practical, or functional. im doing it BECAUSE I CAN.

jesus Christ....

Thank you for this.

I'll consider this after I set up my eyefinity for my super m17X

 

Would love to see you do this! Please post pics... I love the idea.

 

Will do

I want to see if I can track down a Twin Frozr II series card because that gpu had an AMAZINGLY good looking heatsink, and id love to own one of those cards for the project if I can manage to pick up a gtx 460 or better of the twin frozr II heatsink design.