RandyTucker Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 Having pondered over a eGPU build I instead decided to put my GPU inside my 15.6 laptop by extending the laptop base. I have a Dell optiplex 390 where my GTX 750ti LP once lived but as I now spend more time with my laptop on the sofa the Dell optiplex is now a donor for my gaming laptop build. I'm using the Dell motherboard for this build. It has a i5-2400 CPU - 8GB DDR3 RAM - MSI GTX 750ti LP GPU. The Dell PSU is too big for this build so I will be using a Seasonic SS-250SU 250W PSU. The laptop used for this build is a Fujitsu LifeBook AH530 that has a 1366x768 LED screen, this screen will be replaced with a higher resolution 1600x900 screen. The extended base of the laptop is now 6.5 cm. Parts needed to complete the build: Seasonic SS-250SU 250W PSU PCI Express 16x Flexible Extension cable LP156WD1 (TL)(B1) 15.6" LED 1600x900 screen LCD Controller Board Ultra slim keyboard with touchpad Work so far in pictures: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djemergenc Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Wow, that is very ambitious, looks good so far. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyTucker Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 (edited) On 8/12/2017 at 9:11 AM, djemergenc said: Wow, that is very ambitious, looks good so far. good luck Thanks! Build update: Everything is going great so far. I have the new SFF PSU mounted and I also made a bracket to mount the Hard Drive. I've got the pci-e extender cable connected to the GPU. I booted the system up with an external monitor and played 'The Crew' with medium to high settings getting around 50 fps. The laptop screen has been replaced with a 1600x900 (Matte) screen but I'm waiting for the LCD controller board to arrive from China before I can connect it. In the meantime I'm making the plastic paneling to go around front and sides. Edited August 17, 2017 by RandyTucker text correction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyTucker Posted September 7, 2017 Author Share Posted September 7, 2017 (edited) Received the LCD controller board from China and installed it in the laptop. Good quality board, no setup needed simple plug and play. Image quality looks fantastic, also no lag. Using a short HDMI cable to connect it to the GPU. I'm using a 12v 2amp power adapter to power the board but I plan to power it from the PSU in the laptop. The LCD board has a 4-pin speaker output so I ordered some 5w loud speakers to fit on the front panel. I still have the side panels to fit. Anyway, I've been gaming on it, surfing the net, streaming videos, etc. All good! Edited September 7, 2017 by RandyTucker text correction 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3RYL Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 (edited) Nice work That's thick. Looks like one of these old portable servers from Eurocom heheh Edited September 8, 2017 by 3RYL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyTucker Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 3 hours ago, 3RYL said: Nice work That's thick. Looks like one of these old portable servers from Eurocom heheh The base is 6.5cm and total laptop thickness with lid is 7.5cm - Weight is 3.6kg compared to my old Dell D630 laptop that is 2.3kg. Those old Eurocom portable servers would be great to mod into a gaming laptop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyTucker Posted September 10, 2017 Author Share Posted September 10, 2017 Update: Received the speakers that connect to the LCD board, bigger than what I thought. They sound great installed, lots of volume! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Founder Brian Posted September 11, 2017 Founder Share Posted September 11, 2017 That is an insane mod, well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyTucker Posted September 12, 2017 Author Share Posted September 12, 2017 (edited) 14 hours ago, Brian said: That is an insane mod, well done! Thanks! It's definitely a one-off mod to my knowledge. I've seen a few people use aluminium flight cases to make something similar to this but I've never seen anyone mod a laptop in this way. It serves my needs thus why I went down this route. Still have more bells and whistles to add, such as USB 3.0 ports on the side panel and a unique feature I will be adding soon. Edited September 12, 2017 by RandyTucker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Founder Brian Posted September 12, 2017 Founder Share Posted September 12, 2017 8 hours ago, RandyTucker said: Thanks! It's definitely a one-off mod to my knowledge. I've seen a few people use aluminium flight cases to make something similar to this but I've never seen anyone mod a laptop in this way. It serves my needs thus why I went down this route. Still have more bells and whistles to add, such as USB 3.0 ports on the side panel and a unique feature I will be adding soon. Do you plan on integrating a more powerful GPU? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyTucker Posted September 12, 2017 Author Share Posted September 12, 2017 2 hours ago, Brian said: Do you plan on integrating a more powerful GPU? I would replace the Dell motherboard first before upgrading the GPU but I don't plan to do that anytime soon. The GTX 750ti LP is fine gaming at my native resolution 1600x900 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mael Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 whow this is the best mod I've ever seen in my life, nice!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bethiboothi Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Impressive, and good insight on providing a similiar mod to a node 202 with 3d printing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XAscendancy Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 Wow!! that is insane attention to detail and everything looks really good. Good work so far my dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyTucker Posted November 28, 2018 Author Share Posted November 28, 2018 I changed the Dell Optiplex 390 Motherboard for a ASUS H81M-PLUS Motherboard with a i5-4460S. Also replaced the disk drive with a Crucial MX500. Added a power button on the redundant trackpad. Added a USB port to the laptop lid so I can attach a USB lamp. That pretty much completes the build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkyfloo Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Just to clear to my mind (PLEASE!!!) you're running the laptop screen powered by the desktop i5? or did you connect the GPU into the Laptop PCI-E interface? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyTucker Posted January 10, 2019 Author Share Posted January 10, 2019 6 hours ago, pinkyfloo said: Just to clear to my mind (PLEASE!!!) you're running the laptop screen powered by the desktop i5? or did you connect the GPU into the Laptop PCI-E interface? The laptop screen is connected to the LCD Controller Board that is powered by a 12V DC adapter. The LCD Controller Board provides power to the laptop screen. The HDMI cable connects the GPU to the LCD Controller Board. The GPU is connected to the motherboard's PCI-E socket using a PCI-E extension cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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