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Portable Desktop Feasibility
Fozwazerus
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hello PA,
After over 2 years of PC gaming inactivity, I'm feeling the need to catch up on all of the amazing games that I've missed. So I'm looking to build a high end PC able to play games like Age of Conan, Warhammer Online when it comes out, Hellgate: London and the like.
The problem to overcome: Portability. Laptops just don't do it for me with their increased cost and lack of upgradeability. I work as an independent contractor, and thus must travel frequently for work. I either fly or drive 6+ hours once or twice a week, depending on my current job. For example, I've been driving 430 miles home and 430 miles again back to work each week for the last month, and will continue to do so until the end of May. After that, I'll be flying across country maybe twice a month, and I don't want to be without my gaming. As it is now, I am SO BORED when I'm traveling, and my work issued laptop cannot play games beyond roguelikes (which are cool, but I've burnt out on them now.)
So here are the components that I wish to stuff into whatever portable case that will suit my needs. Keep in mind that I'm pretty out of the loop on building computers, so these are just what I think are good for 1500 USD.
MB: eVga 780i. Won't utilize all of it's capabilities, but will make for good upgrading in the future.
CPU: E8400, Q6600, Q6700, or similar. Whichever is most economical when I begin buying.
GC: geforce 8800GT, 9800GTX, or similar. Possibly 2 for SLI, possible just 1 for now and another later.
Other components aren't really important to note here.
So what I need is some kind of desktop case that can handle high end components while addressing:
1. Portablility. Not the biggest concern, since any computer is portable. Light weight isn't important, but is a nice bonus. Nifty little storage spaces for cables and such built in would be another bonus.
2. Durability. I want my computer to be protected absolutely from vibrations, reasonable impacts, any other possibly damaging motion.
3. Heat Dissipation. Built in fans, space for more fans, well designed air-flow are all important for any high end system. If I end up with a Quad core, I'll have even more cooling issues to deal with.
The final problem is of course viewing devices. I don't really want to lug around a monitor. What is the optimal way of actually using my computer while traveling? Connecting to shitty hotel TVs would be optimal, but I'm not certain if you can even do that. I'm pretty behind on this kind of technology. If that isn't possible, could I connect my desktop to my work issued Lenovo laptop and use its screen? Pretty ridiculous, I know, but I don't have a solution and would be open to any suggestions.
So PA, can you assist me in my endeavor to create a nice portable desktop? Has anyone else attempted this before, and if so, can you give me any tips or warnings?
tldr: How to create a feasible portable high end desktop?
Edit: Wow I just found this:
http://www.casesbypelican.com/computers/apple-imac-24.htm
This case is specifically for iMacs, but something like that for a generic desktop would be amazing.
After over 2 years of PC gaming inactivity, I'm feeling the need to catch up on all of the amazing games that I've missed. So I'm looking to build a high end PC able to play games like Age of Conan, Warhammer Online when it comes out, Hellgate: London and the like.
The problem to overcome: Portability. Laptops just don't do it for me with their increased cost and lack of upgradeability. I work as an independent contractor, and thus must travel frequently for work. I either fly or drive 6+ hours once or twice a week, depending on my current job. For example, I've been driving 430 miles home and 430 miles again back to work each week for the last month, and will continue to do so until the end of May. After that, I'll be flying across country maybe twice a month, and I don't want to be without my gaming. As it is now, I am SO BORED when I'm traveling, and my work issued laptop cannot play games beyond roguelikes (which are cool, but I've burnt out on them now.)
So here are the components that I wish to stuff into whatever portable case that will suit my needs. Keep in mind that I'm pretty out of the loop on building computers, so these are just what I think are good for 1500 USD.
MB: eVga 780i. Won't utilize all of it's capabilities, but will make for good upgrading in the future.
CPU: E8400, Q6600, Q6700, or similar. Whichever is most economical when I begin buying.
GC: geforce 8800GT, 9800GTX, or similar. Possibly 2 for SLI, possible just 1 for now and another later.
Other components aren't really important to note here.
So what I need is some kind of desktop case that can handle high end components while addressing:
1. Portablility. Not the biggest concern, since any computer is portable. Light weight isn't important, but is a nice bonus. Nifty little storage spaces for cables and such built in would be another bonus.
2. Durability. I want my computer to be protected absolutely from vibrations, reasonable impacts, any other possibly damaging motion.
3. Heat Dissipation. Built in fans, space for more fans, well designed air-flow are all important for any high end system. If I end up with a Quad core, I'll have even more cooling issues to deal with.
The final problem is of course viewing devices. I don't really want to lug around a monitor. What is the optimal way of actually using my computer while traveling? Connecting to shitty hotel TVs would be optimal, but I'm not certain if you can even do that. I'm pretty behind on this kind of technology. If that isn't possible, could I connect my desktop to my work issued Lenovo laptop and use its screen? Pretty ridiculous, I know, but I don't have a solution and would be open to any suggestions.
So PA, can you assist me in my endeavor to create a nice portable desktop? Has anyone else attempted this before, and if so, can you give me any tips or warnings?
tldr: How to create a feasible portable high end desktop?
Edit: Wow I just found this:
http://www.casesbypelican.com/computers/apple-imac-24.htm
This case is specifically for iMacs, but something like that for a generic desktop would be amazing.
Fozwazerus on
0
Posts
The monitor's going to be a problem, though. You could probably connect to a TV if you video card has S-video out with a S-vid to composite ($6 at monoprice), but you'd still end up with a really poor picture, likely 640x480 max.
It's pretty rare for laptops to be able to accept video, usually they only have outputs for it.
What I'd do is look for a portable projector. Instead of using a hotel's TV, use the wall. You'll likely get a bigger "screen," better resolutions, and a better picture with a VGA/DVI/HDMI connection vs the composite/S-video of the TV.
For your needs, it really sounds like you need a laptop. Your upgradeability concerns really don't matter, because with the parts you're looking at, the only reason to upgrade would be to upgrade the entire damn thing anyways most likely.
The problem is microATX boards are all, every one of them, integrated graphics chipsets. Now, you can turn off the integrated graphics and plug in your own graphics card if it has the appropriate slot, that's no problem. But the best chipset you can really get in that size is the G35 (or was it the G33? Whatever Intel's best G-series is). Forget anything from nVidia; their low-end intel boards are shit. For that matter, their high-end Intel boards aren't too great outside of SLI; the nForce series did so well with AMD because nVidia didn't need to make their own memory controller for AMD's chips, and the same does not hold true for Intel.
Of course, the flipside of that is that the boards are usually pretty cheap. So find a good microSD board and you can get a nice tiny case for it. Cooling might be tricky, and you'll never have more than one graphics card in there (4 expansion slots total, and it's likely only one will be PCIe16), but SLI/Crossfire is for suckers anyway.
What's it like being illiterate? The guy wants to spend $1500, maximum. An Alienware is overpriced shite at the best of times.
This.
Dell, however, can make a pretty decent laptop that has some gaming capability for about $800-1200. Mine has an 8400 which plays pretty much everything, and was $1000 with a two year warranty and two year accidental damage coverage. Plus it looks neat. Dell Vostros are the way to go.
Not that that matters since the guy wants a desktop and not a laptop, but yeah.
Now that I have first hand anectotal evidence that a portable PC is doable, that is the route I am going to take.
I will be building a micro ATX machine and using a projector as my screen. I'm not the most savvy do-it-yourself-er, so I'm going to use a mini tower instead of a micro tower (see lanbox.) The computer itself will be about 1200 USD. The projector I will try to get for 300 on craigslist or ebay, but I may have to shell out just a bit more for something of quality.
The specs will be:
Silverstone SG03 Mini Tower
Corsair 520W SLI Certified Modular ATX Power Supply - CMPSU-520HX
eVga Intel Dual Core E8400 (3.0 Ghz)
ZALMAN CNPS8700 2 Ball CPU Cooler
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Scythe SY1225SL12SH 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan
Asus P5E-VM HDMI LGA 775 Intel G35 Micro ATX
Corsair 4gb (2x 2gb) DDR2 800mhz PC2 6400
Asus EN8800GTS 512MB G92 PCI Express 2.0 x16
160 gb Western Digital Raptor 10000rpm 3gb/s
Samsung Black 20xDVDR 8xDVDRW
Vista Home Premium 64 bit OEM
Some of the parts are a little excessive (raptor drive is not needed) but it will all cost 1200 including shipping, so I'm happy.
The tower is a little large at 14"x8"x12" but will work fine. Maybe for my next computer in a few years I'll go micro, but for now this is great.
Any comments or suggestions before I buy? Should I actually get the raptor drive? Some people say they get excessively hot, so maybe it isn't the best idea for a small machine.
I'm going to buy all the parts tomorrow and hopefully be able to build next weekend when I get home. It'll be so fun to come home to a big pile of sexy computer component boxes!
The 8800GTS 512 is faster than the GT, (having 128 stream processors and higher clocks as standard). And importantly for this build, they run cooler, due to the dual slot cooling solution. If he is willing to spend the extra there is no reason to choose the GT.
I think you are thinking of the GTS 640/320MB versions, which are the older and are worse than the GT (That whole business confused me for a while when i was shopping).
As an aside, my 8800GT will be arriving today, woo!
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I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
cost, upgradability.
Yeah, but the only other options aren't exactly portable.
Frankly he has three options of which he can only pick two:
1. Cheap
2. Portable
3. Upgradable
I'd type something more detailed out, but I'm using my iPod atm.
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I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
He can have all 3. Portable in this case doesnt mean he wants to be able to use it on the move, just it being relatively easy to move from place to place and set it up for a few days. So any small shuttle type box is portable by that definition.
Also, shuttle boxes aren't exactly reknowned (sp?) for their expandability.
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I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
Even Shuttle boxes have two expansion slots, and he's going with microATX instead, which has four. He's going for something kinda like a LANbox.
Anyway, to the OP, I've heard good things about this case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144162