My dream PC setup: Is it possible?

Hi guys,

I am looking to build a PC setup which is based around ONE PC which does all: basic computing, gaming, tablet mode, accurate note taking with a pen, etc.

I want a light and fast laptop/tablet hybrid machine with a detachable tablet. I want this tablet to have a pen capability so I can take notes on OneNote. Then, when I am home, I want to be able to 'dock' this laptop, have at least three external monitors, 7.1 surround sound system, and enough firepower to play the current PC games.

Am I asking for too much? I understand that a tablet PC simply will not have the video card to play these games. But is it possible that once docked, the laptop can be connected via USB to a high-powered videocard/soundcard, etc. ?

The thing that drives me away from having a dedicated gaming machine is that I want all my things/files/work/etc. to be in one place and one system.

Any thoughts?

 

Cpu and ram will be the biggest bottleneck and usb can't sustain the throughout needed for 3d gaming. AW13 is the closest you'll get with an external dock and it's still underpowered.

 

You will only have enough power to play at 720p at lowest settings, because all you have is Intel graphics on ULV chips in tablets, you are just better off having somethings like a Galaxy Note tablet and a proper desktop build. External Video cards don't work with USB.

 

Alienware and some MSI laptop models will offer custom docking systems, where you can use a desktop GPU for your laptop.
Many gaming computer companies will also have laptops with desktop CPUs inside, making your laptop in the end, pretty much a high powered desktop.
However, most of the computers that support this, will not be a detachable tablet computer, due to technical difficulties. For now, a gaming computer with a detachable tablet (presumably a detachable screen with touch input) is not possible. It isn't technologically feasible.
Furthermore, USB port based data transfer is currently not adequate enough to support information transfer between a GPU and a computer. There is too much data being moved around, at too fast a rate, for a USB to be supported, as far as I am concerned.

I'm sorry. But hey, maybe in a few years? Or decades, if Moore's law is gonna stop now...

Edit: Link4 and HTWingNut got to it before me. Sorry if redundant.

 

What you can do, is have one, high powered laptop, docked (not via USB) to a high powered GPU. There are few laptop models that do this, but they exist and they work well. Now, it will support 1 high powered desktop GPU. Whether it will support SLI systems, or GPUs like the Titan X, is a different story.
You can connect this to the three external monitors, speakers, etc, with no problem.
Considering how much you are docking to, you might want to get a WiGig system in your laptop, so you can wirelessly dock. If you tried docking via tradition methods, you would have 1 monitor port (for 3 monitors), 1 GPU port, 1 speaker port, and 1 power port. I wouldn't want to have to pull out and plug in 4 wires every time I moved my computer...

The tablet computer thing, is a hopeless cause.
Now, what you can do, is get an ordinary tablet, separate from your computer setup, and link it to your computer, so input to the tablet effectively goes straight to your computer.
This is not a "remote desktop control" thing, since there would be a huge delay between input and computer response. Setup will also not be too easy, since there isn't a consumer product already offering such a solution. But hey, at least it's something that theoretically can exist!

 

Thank you guys!

This has clarified to me that I probably will need a separate machine to have the ultimate gaming experience.

I just really wanted to have just ONE device to do ALL.

I will just have to think of a way to integrate the two devices (laptop and gaming PC) so that they are seamless. Maybe have SAN storage or just use dropbox.

 

Many people wouldn't mind the ONE device either. One day...one day. Not today. Keep dreaming though. However, if you ask Apple they'll have you believe the Apple Watch can do all DAT, lol.

 

What you want is what I call puddle computing... which doesn't exist but don't see why it can't. But essentially you would be building a gaming server in your home (desktop components) and you would use your tablet/laptop hybrid to handle streaming to your docking station that hosts all of your peripherals (monitors, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc) and the only bottle neck would be the software/network connection.

 

If you had enough money to buy their most expensive watch, you would also theoretically have enough money to hire a team of engineers and programmers to custom develop a personal computing system capable of all that was requested (the technology exists, just not the market for anybody to develop it).

Or, of course, you could purchase a shiny metal paperweight that will obsolete within 1 year. But it has a couple of engravings depicting an apple on it! Must be worth it.

 

Don't see the problem since OneNote is integrated with Microsoft's OneDrive. Using a tablet for notes etc and then having it available on your PC would be seamless...

 

Ain't happening with one computer, especially with your size/weight/screen requirements. The power itself and all other functionality except touch-screen is do-able, with a thicker laptop.

 

I'm looking for similar devices except less gaming-focused. The only one option I was able to find is Fujitsu T734 - and that is with the following limitations:
* It's not a detachable but convertible tablet, pretty thick;
* You will have to upgrade it to quad-core manually;
* 12GB RAM max;
* While it should handle 3 monitors simultaneously with docking station, you will need eGPU via Expresscard for non-casual gaming, with according bandwith limitations;
* You will have to use external usb sound card for 7.1.
I believe that's the closest to perfect all-in-one PC you can get as of now.

 

Get a Surface Pro 3 and wait for GRID!

 

This machine is very unlikely to handle the quadcore (either by cooling or by sustained power delivery for hungry workloads), so do this only if aware of the consequences.

 

It's 4lbs and 1.5" thick for crying out loud. In that case, buy a thin and light laptop. I don't see what you gain by this other than it being a very heavy tablet. And I doubt it will manage to cool a quad core, even the 37W dual cores it may struggle with a bit.

 

D2 Ultima, HTWingNut, a bunch of those was sold with quad-core by some university, also being relatively thick and heavy (for its' size) highly improves cooling possibilities. T734 the only modern dual-digitizer machine running full-voltage CPU, unlike most thin&light ulv crap.

 

Just get a Desktop and use a Tablet when you need one...

 

HP sells laptops with i7-4710HQ CPUs....
Which hit 100c when forced to turbo with throttlestop simply by using adobe premiere pro.
In three minutes.

Just because it was sold with a quadcore does not mean it can handle a quadcore. Be very wary of the consequences if putting a quadcore in that.

 

Exactly. A good comparison example is the Clevo W230ST/SS/SD is a 13" notebook with a good cooling system, and you can configure up to an i7-4910MQ but there's no real point, because it just gets too hot. An i7-4710MQ with +200MHz OC using Intel XTU is the best you can do, and cheapest route too.

On the other hand if what you use it for needs a quad core CPU, because it's multi-threaded and runs better with more cores, then I would cap the CPU speed to keeps temps under control. I guess it's a niche notebook that fits the bill for some people. Good luck, hope it works out for you.

 

Eh I think with some SERIOUS end-user modding a 4910MQ could be handled... but not even close to its full potential. Even the P15xSM-A machines would be hard pressed to do it. The P17xSM-A and P37xSM-A (with EM heatsinks) could probably handle it, but at that point CLU is almost a must. The alienwares had them beat there by a mile.

Either way... the point is that the laptop market's focus on thin and light has resulted in the FALSE idea that 1" thick notebooks can handle chips like an i7-4770 or stronger, because they barely manage in light workloads like 60fps gaming. And intel, with no quadcore, no-hyperthreading chips can't simply sell i5s which generate a decent bit less heat to bail them out. And these locked down machines couldn't even turn off HT if they wanted. It's a lose-lose situation.