putting together custom PC LAPTOP for audio?

controlvoltage · Post by **controlvoltage** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:34 am

Hello all,

I am used to buiding custom high-performance tower PCs from parts for the best performance/cost possible...
But when it comes to laptops, it seems like most people just buy an off-the-shelf package that has the features they need.

Is it possible to get compatable components and build a laptop from parts, a la tower PCs? Or is this just not done?

I want to build a screaming-fast audio laptop PC for use with Live, but I'd rather not pay the premium charged by most companies for their top-of-the-range laptops. Does anyone have info on this?

Thanks!

-Amos

controlvoltage · Post by **controlvoltage** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:33 am

I take it nobody builds bespoke PC laptops.... just buys them off the rack, eh?

drush · Post by **drush** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:21 am

you need a fast processor and HD, lots of RAM, and dedicated video. thankfully there's nothing custom about any of that.

andrewlogan · Post by **andrewlogan** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:31 am

despite the stupid name, just buy the MacBook Pro. it'll be the shiznite for live, just get the 100 GB 7200 RPM hard drive and as much ram as possible (not from apple if you like money) and you'll be good to go.

FaX-01 · Post by **FaX-01** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:33 am

andrewlogan wrote:despite the stupid name, just buy the MacBook Pro. it'll be the shiznite for live, just get the 100 GB 7200 RPM hard drive and as much ram as possible (not from apple if you like money) and you'll be good to go.

Yeah and wait for all your hosts / audio editors and vst/audiounits to be coded over too Universal Binary (with cost to you no doubt).
I wouldn't touch a MacbookPro for a good six months if that's what you're after.
It is STILL an INTELL at the end of the day and PC notebooks will have Yonah chipsets shortly also so I doubt we'll be seeing much performance difference on either platform.
The Topline ACER Ferrari AMD64 with a Gig of ram would do the trick and be damn powerful I might add.
Topline Toshiba's , IBM's , Asus notebooks are very good also.
Dedicated graphics
TI chipset on card bus and FW is ideal
Good amount of fast ram .
Anything in a 1.8ghz and up Dothan/Centrino chipset or same clock AMD64 Turion chip base will do.
No shared video.
I prefer external FW AudioDrive for audio work myself.
Keeps alot of internal heat away from your notebook I might add.
That said a MacbookPro will not be the answer to all your prayers.
Stick too the platform that you are most comfortable with OS wise and get the best system you can buy within your budget range.
That is the best advice I can give.
Goodluck

dCross · Post by **dCross** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:09 am

custom build laptops from scratch are pretty much impossible to make, as the laptop case/mobo market is closed off to normal schmos like you and me.

martron · Post by **martron** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:24 am

A damn shame that is... Who wants to get into the custom rackmount market with me? You know, a set of wheels would make it just as portable as any laptop...

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:33 am

check out this pic for a pretty cool custom "laptop"
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris1.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris2.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris3.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris4.jpg

a

clipperer · Post by **clipperer** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:05 pm

Machinate wrote:check out this pic for a pretty cool custom "laptop"
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris1.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris2.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris3.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris4.jpg

a

wht external keyb n' mouse ? woooooo
d'like to see that theng workin' ...

dCross · Post by **dCross** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:55 pm

Machinate wrote:check out this pic for a pretty cool custom "laptop"
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris1.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris2.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris3.jpg
http://www.midibox.org/midibox_gallery/kris4.jpg

a

wow - very cool!

Big tho...

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:01 pm

the mousepad is built right in, it has a full-spec midi controller built-in, and I even think it's a shuttle-pc motherboard that's in there, so I reckon it supports the larger hard drives, agp graphics and whatnot. dunno.

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:10 pm

I looked into building my own before I got the one I am typing this on. When I totalled all the parts it came to almost exactly the same price as buying from a dedicated store.
I was looking at building on an Asus base, Asus being one of the few that barebones. I checked out a pro-audio dealer who sold asus laptops via a 'configurator' and realised that It wasn't worth the time and money.
With a desktop you can choose the most excellent motherboard/ram/hardrives/ combination that suits you, but with a laptop - once you realise you can only deal with one of 3 barebones manufacturers .. what are you going to do - put in 3 hard drives? swap out the graphics card for a competitors? it's not applicable, if you choose a system off a configurator with separate gfx, the fastest hardrive a fast cpu and a gig of ram .. that's pretty much it.

here's an article anyway
http://www.laptoplogic.com/resources/detail.php?id=22

Dubreak · Post by **Dubreak** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:17 pm

Avoiding shared video is a myth, most probably a requirement for the gaming world that seeped over into the audio world. Unless you are planning to utilise multiple asyncronous audio I/O's without a single pop over the space of an hour or so, shared graphics is not a problem with my curent requirements anyway: Ableton live as a tool for live Audio and Midi sequencing. I'm not going to be surround sound recording any 15 piece live bands in 32/192 anytime soon.

spiderprod · Post by **spiderprod** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:11 pm

the best thing you can do is making a clone usi ng parts from other laptops cos laptop components are impossible to find .