# DIY Laptop



## icebelowzero (Jun 22, 2009)

My current project to test my technical and resourceful skills (always fun to have a challenge) is building a laptop from scratch.

My brother left his old dell desktop from ages ago, a p4 ddr piece of crap for a desktop these days, so Instead of buying a whole new unit to tear apart I'm going to be using that. 
Using the dell slider and another top of a different micro atx slim case as the case for the laptop. Probably around 2 inch depth.

I had to tear apart a small atx power supply to fit it inside the case.
I'm going to need a laptop hard drive (I already have the adapter to)
and I'm going to need an optical drive adapter, I have a spare laptop optical drive from a dead laptop. A regular drive just barely doesn't fit. The unit will be bulky but for all intensive purposes will be a laptop, even if it looks like it's from the 80's. 
I think I'll just JB weld some hinges and add a scrapped down 15 inch lcd monitor plugged into the vga port. And I think I'll add clip on keyboard style for the top. I'll also try to see if I can use one power plug for both the monitor and motherboard. I think I'll do that by forcing a small power outlet extension (two outlets female and one male) and elongate the male as the power source. Even if I have to make it myself it's pretty much the only way I can power both devices from one cord without having to get too technical figuring out pcb voltages requirements (bypassing internal dc voltage adapters).


My questions are, do I need a driver between laptop optical drives to a desktop drive, and can you offer any tips? Besides electrocuting myself haha. I had to re solder a connection on the power supply that I accidentally ripped. It's my first real large project.


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## icebelowzero (Jun 22, 2009)

Here's an update.
I jb welded some nails to keep the motherboard from moving around. Don't worry, I made sure not to have it touch any soldering contacts or traces. And jb welded the heatsink to be facing 90' differently. It originally was supposed to be faced so that the heatsink "walls" was facing the ram and ports. Making it impossible to make efficient cooling. 

I need some help for ideas about creating a btx style cooling duct. I'm not sure what material I should use to mend a duct. 

Does anyone know a place I can get an adapter between a laptop optical drive and a desktop ide connection? A standard 3.5 optical drive is too big. I have a spare laptop optical drive I want to use. Again, I'm trying to be resourceful. So far I only spent roughly $25 on this project. 
Here's some pics for proof of concept. The bottom pic isn't finished but shows approximately it's size. There will be a fan duct on the left hand side instead of a sheet of metal. As you can see from the top pic I need to create a duct between the cpu/gpu heatsink going towards the exit fan duct.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Slimline drive should be SATA...not thinking you can adapt SATA to IDE (I could be wrong...seems like I am most of the time)

Not sure what you want for a duct, but most online computer bits retailers carry a variety of ducts for modders.

You certainly have an interesting idea going here, and creative (nails? Hell, if it works...why not? lol) Will tell you that a few drilled holes and some 6/32 nuts and you coulda just used stand-offs. :grin:


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## WereBo (Apr 5, 2008)

SATA-IDE adaptors are available, they look something like *this* - They're also available for 2.5" IDE-drives :smile:


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## icebelowzero (Jun 22, 2009)

thanks, I'll look into it and order what I need. 
Yeah I should have used stand offs. Maybe once I get this one done I'll work on making a slimmer one and use stand offs. This one is huge for laptop standards. I should be getting the lcd screen today or tomorrow. I have no idea how I'm going to hinge it on like a laptop. I might need laptop hinges so it stays in place, or find a way to make one.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

I have a set of Toshiba hinges that are sitting at home collecting dust.


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## nbjeter3 (Aug 19, 2010)

Ok, so I am trying to wrap my head around this. Is it just going to end up being a very small, very portable desktop with built in, hinged monitor? or are you planning to try and make it into a full fledged, usable laptop? If the latter, what are you going to do for battery power? How are you going to connect the LCD to it, as every laptop I've ever disassembled and worked on, has proprietary connectors/cables.

Excellent concept, and I think in its current form, would make an excellent lan-party box, but would like to get an idea of ho you will plan to overcome the hurdles you face.


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