portable desktop build or laptop?

[silk186]

I'm not too sure if this is the right section to post my question but here it is.

I will be going overseas to work in different countries for 6-12 month periods. I would really prefer a desktop over a laptop for performance, upgrade options, ect. but I'm concerned about transporting it. I want to build a decent system, quad core (some overclocking), mid/high-end video card or SLI/crossfire, 4gb ram, 22-24" LCD and some kind of near silent cooling arrangement. I can see how cooling would be an issue in transportation so I would either need use liquid cooling and drain during transport or passive cooling and remove the heavy heatsink(s) during transportation, and of course some quiet case fans.

I'm thinking that I won't be able to use a very small tower with this kind of build do to space requirements and air circulation, though smaller would be easier and cheaper to move. What size case, or specific cases would people recommend for this kind of a build?

The second question is about the cost and safety of transporting. Anyone have experience with this? Did you transport in the original packaging? dismantle the system and package the parts separately and box together?, stick the case and screen in your suitcase wrapped in clothes or stick it in a special box marked fragile? If you have tried any of the above options or another what were the associated costs?

Is it possible to take the tower on the plane as a carry on in some kind of lan-party case/bag?

Am I just asking for trouble? Should I just give in and buy a laptop overseas (Taiwan/HK/Beijing?) and use an external mouse, keyboard, external HD and possible a cheap LCD? I'm not really sure what the cost/performance ratio is between a laptops and a desktop build or what laptop panel quality is like.

I know people move their rigs around for land parties but an airplane is a little different.

I'll be using the system for internet, word processing and watching movies (hopefully Blu-ray depending on what I can find in the region). I might also use it to watch TV through a tuner if I can, and play games. Some shooters (not crysis) and mostly action RPG games like Witcher, Oblivion, Startcraft II and Fallout 3 when they come out.

I've been looking forward to upgrading after I finish my degree from a P4 2.6, 1GB ram and nvidia 6200 with a 19" CRT Samsung SyncMaster 995DF. Even a decent laptop will be a big performance jump but I was really looking forward to building a new rig.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks in advance.

Moved from General Hardware
General Hardware Moderator -- MarcVenice

 

[summit]

i would def. use it as a carry on. however, i think its best that you buy a laptop because the ease of carrying it around. you could always build rig and ship it via ups or something.

 

[MarcVenice]

I think your best bet would be something like a Shuttle, or a minitower, with a mATX mobo. Sli/Crossfire I think aren't real options. There are some decent aftermarket coolers that don't weigh tons btw, but still allow for some decent overclocking. Thinking Thermalright Ultra-90 for example. As for the mobo, I noticed this thread on a mATX mobo, which overclocked pretty well: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2163908&enterthread=y

I think it's possible to ship the system as a whole btw, you just have to stuff the inside with something like newspapers, so nothing can move around. Not sure what the policy is concerning PC's on airplanes though. Lugging around a 22/24" screen might prove troublesome though... I'm sure you'll get some nice suggestions here though, better ones then I can provide. High-end and small can mix, but it sure is a lot harder to achieve, and isn't really my thing.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

Get a SFF case like a Shuttle and weld the LCD screen on.

Not responsible for any damage this may cause.

Seriously, how much can you spend? $1600 gets you a Penryn processor, 8800GTS 512MB, and 3GB of RAM in a laptop. (Gateway FX)

 

[razor2025]

Since you're going to be moving around overseas, I think you better stick with notebook/laptop. SFF are portable, but you have to carry a LCD with you, which means it becomes a huge hassle when you're moving from country to country.

 

[Rottie]

You dont need to overclock if you buy highend notebook and you want blu-ray/HD-DVD I think you can find some Toshiba notebook but be sure to find high end cpu like Penyrn or something like that.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Sager 9262 will solve all of your problems. But really get a laptop. I guarantee after one move with a small desktop and an LCD monitor that you will regret your choice completely and wish you had a laptop.

But if you really want all that power on the go Sager 9262 will do you just fine. Quad core, dual 8800m GTX, and all the other bells and whistles you can think of.

 

[PowerRanger]

Get a laptop, since you say you're going to be visiting various countries. Also, if you get a current top-end, or near top-end laptop now, I doubt it will be THAT obsolete in 6-12 months time IMO.