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Laptops

R

Robert17

Junior Member
Having built quite afew desk top computers from parts as I am sure everyone else here has done I began to wonder why Laptops have not followed the same developmental progress as the desktop.

The development of after market parts for the desk top permitted users to completely circumvent the limits that the OEM builders decide is best for their bottom lines, which is to say they want you to buy a new computer not to upgrade the one that you have. With laptops that has not changed to my knowledge. My personal experience has been with HP laptops and the fact that they do not permit Bios upgrades so that you can run larger hard drives for example.

Does anyone out there build their own Laptops from parts and how do they do it and where can you get the parts.

Sincerely,

Robert Lehrer
 
This has been discussed before. Laptops use proprietary parts so that the manufacturers can squeeze the most computer into the least volume. Socketing everything and allowing for upgradability would either make laptops so large that they wouldn't be portable, or else they'd be prohibitively expensive.
Ever seen the guts of a laptop? There is almost no wasted space anywhere. There are components or structural supports everywhere.
 
Jeff: I understand that the configuration is tight, but there must be a way to use the same case and upgrade the motherboard, video cards and the like.

Robert Lehrer
 
Videocard, perhaps. But again, probably not. I don't know what the modern video chips in laptops use in terms of power, but a tiny passive heatsink might not cut it. Second thing is that video chips change their pinouts immensely over small generational leaps. Keeping things compatible would add to the R&D costs, which are already high - laptop parts must deliver decent performance without consuming a lot of power or generating a lot of heat. That's part of why laptops lag behind in speed and price point - sure, they probably could make a laptop that'll perform directly on par with the top of the line desktop. It might weigh 15-20 pounds, have a battery life of about 15 minutes, cost $15,000, or overheat in a minute or two, but it probably could be done.

Upgrading the motherboard - you ever seen a laptop motherboard? Check eBay for some. They come in all different shapes and sizes. Same with video chips - standardizing them would cost a lot of money, or else performance. Plus, a way would be needed to make it easily upgradable - taking a laptop apart isn't something that everyone can do. I've done it already, but I usually have to take it apart two or three more times, because it always happens: "There we go, all back together......oh wait, there are 3 screws leftover." Got to take it apart then, and figure out where the screws go, and there are a lot of them. And that was just when I needed to replace a CD-RW drive in an Inspiron 2650.
Replacing a motherboard would entail taking EVERYTHING out.
Sure, a quick, easy way of replacing a motherboard could be devised - but that'd go right back to either expense, or large case size.
 
Yea I knew a web site where you could buy laptop chasis but i forgot. At quakedon 05 intel had presentation on how to build a laptop same rules are for laptop that they are for laptop. You buy chasis and then buy the part and the chasis included a screen. As far as both being in the same level you might want to check out dell xps laptops, alienwares laptops, and abs laptop, and dunno if falcon do laptops
 
Originally posted by: Robert17
Having built quite afew desk top computers from parts as I am sure everyone else here has done I began to wonder why Laptops have not followed the same developmental progress as the desktop.

The development of after market parts for the desk top permitted users to completely circumvent the limits that the OEM builders decide is best for their bottom lines, which is to say they want you to buy a new computer not to upgrade the one that you have. With laptops that has not changed to my knowledge. My personal experience has been with HP laptops and the fact that they do not permit Bios upgrades so that you can run larger hard drives for example.

Does anyone out there build their own Laptops from parts and how do they do it and where can you get the parts.

Sincerely,

Robert Lehrer
Click to expand...

Hopefully in another few years they'll figure away to make hardware parts with similar performanve that of a desktop part but compressed to fit into a laptop...
 
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Videocard, perhaps. But again, probably not. I don't know what the modern video chips in laptops use in terms of power, but a tiny passive heatsink might not cut it. Second thing is that video chips change their pinouts immensely over small generational leaps. Keeping things compatible would add to the R&D costs, which are already high - laptop parts must deliver decent performance without consuming a lot of power or generating a lot of heat. That's part of why laptops lag behind in speed and price point - sure, they probably could make a laptop that'll perform directly on par with the top of the line desktop. It might weigh 15-20 pounds, have a battery life of about 15 minutes, cost $15,000, or overheat in a minute or two, but it probably could be done.

Upgrading the motherboard - you ever seen a laptop motherboard? Check eBay for some. They come in all different shapes and sizes. Same with video chips - standardizing them would cost a lot of money, or else performance. Plus, a way would be needed to make it easily upgradable - taking a laptop apart isn't something that everyone can do. I've done it already, but I usually have to take it apart two or three more times, because it always happens: "There we go, all back together......oh wait, there are 3 screws leftover." Got to take it apart then, and figure out where the screws go, and there are a lot of them. And that was just when I needed to replace a CD-RW drive in an Inspiron 2650.
Replacing a motherboard would entail taking EVERYTHING out.
Sure, a quick, easy way of replacing a motherboard could be devised - but that'd go right back to either expense, or large case size.
Click to expand...


All good points. Here's a few more.....

You probably never find a major name brand offering such an option as then they have to support it....Not only that, think about the way a laptop is used/carried around, and you can begin to see the short-comings of having too many socketed components in a mobile system. Shake your desktop around and drop it a few times to see how well it holds up.. 🙂

Maybe in several years... not anytime soon.... SEVERAL we'll have the advances in technology and manufacturing -at a consumer level cost that will allow for more upgrading in laptops...... by then maybe we'll be asking why we can't upgrade the processor and video of our handheld computers... what we call PDA's and smartphones today... 🙂

 
In addition to all the other excellent reasons, there is also a marketing reason. Until very recently, laptops were not affordable to many us in the "geek" crowd. They were business tools, and business people have more mundane requirements - jobs to do. So the payoff for the manufacturer has been to the business world and meeting their requirements. They have also been able to charge more as well. This started to change after 2002, and probably you will see more user upgradable laptops/notebooks if the market demands it.
 
squeezing power into small space not easily done. so its proprietary. not easily user servicable. and replacement parts generally not sold, why would they? when it breaks its probably worthless already. specs keep evolving as no current size is optimal, only necessary thanks to limitation of technology. imagine if they could make a .5" thick tablet pc...they would..they just can't.😛 parts would approach cost of better new laptop. there are generic laptop chassis out there for user made laptops. but even that already includes mainboard/lcd/pad/kb/speakers/battery all built together. all you really add is ram/cpu of rather limited choice and harddrive. and its a normal sized beastly laptop, its not going to be some super slim sleek sony like thing. a standard form factor for such rapidly evolving device isn't doable.
 
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