Possible stupid newbie question: Laptop from scratch?

Ok, so I am getting into computer repair, and I have discovered how easy it is to build a kick desktop from scratch for relatively little money (currently taking a $200 desktop and turning it into a $750 desktop), and this leads me to wonder if such is possible with laptop computers.


In particular (and at the risk of sounding stupid) I have been mostly sold on an ASUS G71X, which will be around $2300 the way I want it. If I can assemble something similar for $500 less, I'd love to do that, but so far all signs are pointing to either "no" or "only with trouble that will make me beg to pay the extra $500 instead."

Can anyone offer advice?

 

you cant, because most of the components are custom made and integrating them into a system is a lot harder. the closest you can come to is a customised order like dell or barebones like sager/compal

 

The best you can do is get a barebones laptop; which are few and far between. Barebones means you buy the chassis, and usually install the major components yourself, such as CPU, Ram, Wlan, HDD, and sometimes the GPU.

Most laptops are made using proprietary components, so upgrading certain things ( like the GPU in the G71 ) can not be done.

As far as the price, Im not too sure about it, but it believe it would be better for you to buy a full laptop over trying to build one, unless you could find a really good deal on the parts. Mobile parts tend to be quite expensive, and the GPUs seem to easily hit astronomical prices ( it is not uncommon for them to go for $500 or more ).

 

You probably can build a Precision M6400 or M4400 that would cost about $500 less than you would get buying from Dell. You can get the parts from eBay.

 

Building your own laptop is a possibility, it does take a long time, a lot of skills, and it can become quite expensive

I have built my own laptop, it is based around a 24" screen, dual processor workstation motherboard, etc.

Building a laptop is harder than you may think, if you still want to, send me a personal message

K-TRON

 

Any chance you have some photos and specs?

Did you make a thread about it?
I would really like to hear more about this thing.

 

You can hold something built with a 24" screen and a desktop mobo on your lap? I think that isn't even a DTR, that's a battery powered portable desktop.

 

I do not want to highjack the thread, so I posted a link. I just made the thread

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5316158#post5316158

K-TRON

 

Yeah, to the OP, building a laptop is nothing like "building" a desktop. Building a laptop from scratch means fabricating a frame and doing the engineering work to make everything function correctly.

 

yes,
if i could quantify, probably close to 600hrs over the course of the year.
You will end up building many prototypes, cause its really hard to get everything perfect. Especially when working with metal.
I actually modeled mine entirely in Rhinocerous (3D NURBS Modeler)
But it didnt help much, since everything is subject to change until finalized

if you cant solder, have little imagination, or do not know how to use tools than do not bother.

So far I have used:
An Arbor press
Vise
Metal brake Shear
Tin Snips
Metal Shears
Drill,
Drill bits
Grinder (15 AMP 9" BOSCH), (8.5AMP 4.5" Milwaukee), and (6.5AMP 4.5" BOSCH)
Laser cutter
5 - axis mill
Drill Press
Soldering iron,
Acetylene torch
Rivet gun
Lapping stones (Starett 8 Micrometer acurate granit blocks)
Dremel
Like 50 cutting wheels for the Dremel
Safety glasses
Deburring tools such as metal files
Hot glue,
Screwdrivers
Estwing Hammer
Ball Peen Hammer for peening and flattening

I hope I was able to help

K-TRON

 

In short, you have to be rich to build your own laptop from "true" scratch.

 

That can be true
My neighbor is a retired machinist, so I had access to probably close to half a million dollars worth of tools. He literally has twice the shop of what Rensselaer has. He has a great imagination and a serious knowledge of all things metal. He has been a great help.
As of parts, I havent paid more than $1000 on the OCTI-TRON, actually exactly $971.37 Plus 600 hours of time, and lots of cuts I got.
If you do build your own, please wear pants when using the grinder.
I was wearing shorts, and the metal dust from the 9" 6000rpm BOSCH grinder I have, is extremely hot, which made a ton of burn marks on my legs. Its been about 2 months, and they are almost gone. The warm metal sparks do feel good, before the skin burns

K-TRON

 

I wish I had such a knowledgeable and resourceful neighbor. You made me frown, K-TRON.

 

well it is not worth the time and effort to build ur own laptop unless u have a lot of time on hand... the best thing that the OP can do is to buy a barebones laptops and buy the parts seperately and add them

 

You should look up "RJTech" for a barebones laptop (Clevo). I mean, if you are wanting to build a laptop in the same manner as desktop (buy case, add components yourself), then that is the way to go.

 

well there are all these exceptions like the "octi-tron" but the the bottom line is, unless you're willing to take extreme measures, you cant build a laptop from scratch the same way you can easily build a desktop. closest you can come to is the barebones like clevo/sager/compal etc