TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

Hey, guys. I'm a total noob at building computers (I've seen people do it, but I've never done it before).



Tons o' people build their own desktop PCs to suit their needs (for me, gaming). But for that you can do more or less whatever you want, because you have all that room in the tower.

A laptop seems too small for that, though. They rarely seem to exceed 5cm (2") in width, certainly not enough for all the gadgets it would take for me to build a gaming laptop that could run, say, CS:S efficiently.


Are there specialized pieces of hardware that would be necessary?
Can you even buy an empty laptop case?
How much stuff can you fit in one?
What research/reading should I do first?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

You can get laptop "barebone kits," but they aren't as customizable as I'd like. You basically have to add a cpu, hard drive, ram, and optical drive. I'd like to be able to configure graphics and motherboard options too, but I can't find anything like that. I guess since laptops use a lot of proprietary parts, it's harder to custom build.

It can be done, but it is hardly worth it. It's also quite difficult.

HERE is a video of how to do it.

PS
btw You dont need the bmw to build the laptop.

... As Tedster said

I got a Asus S96j barebone kit online and got the CPU from intel to make it work in the verified by intel program. I had a gig stick laying around from a swap meet so I made out pretty good.

But if you are looking for a cheap laptop, an OEM is the way to go.

I've never built a laptop as such - but I always do immediate upgrades to them, that being the hard drive and RAM.

I've also bought replacement batteries that had more cells so that the battery lasted longer.

I'm also on the hunt for accessories often. In fact, I've got quite a collection of bits and bobs.