ATZ OK

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Current hardware choices:

• Board: LV-673 $364.99
• PSU: SPD 120-12A $72.99
• Processor: Pentium M 760 Dothan 533MHz FSB 2MB L2 Cache $308.75
• RAM: CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered 533 (PC2 4200) Dual Channel $66
• Optical: NEC Black DVD+-RW 2M Cache IDE Slim DVD Burner $69.99
• Storage: Hitachi Travelstar 100GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache Notebook Hard Drive $151
• Input: ThinkPlus USB Travel Keyboard with UltraNav $99
• Case: Probably Platt Light Duty 1416 16.0″ x 12.0″ x 5.0″, $54.27
• Display: LM170E01 Acquired for $199 with cables and inverter!

Total: around $1400, for a top of the line laptop that can handle moderate gaming, such as CivIV, The Sims 2, UT2k4, and probably even BF2 or Doom3 with the settings turned down (the GPU will handle it just barely, but the excessive CPU and RAM will pick up some slack).

Optional or later:

• ASUS Extreme N6600GT Silencer

LCDs

• Philips LM170E01 17″, 14″x11.5″ full specs.

Update 11/22:

To accomodate the above LCD, which is currently my only reasonable option, I’ll need to reconsider my case choices. The current options are:

• Platt Light Duty 1416 16.0″ x 12.0″ x 5.0″
• SKB 9P1712-01BE 17.4″ x 12.4″ x 4.5″
• PLA 610 16.875 x 11.688 x 3.875
• PLA 612 16.875 x 11.688 x 6.125
• PLA 705 17.875 x 12.688 x 4.375
• PLA 706 17.875 x 12.75 x 5.75

The chosen case will need to accomodate the dimensions of the lcd panel from its design specs of 14.114 x 11.673 x 0.669, which all of those do in theory. The 16.875 x 11.688 x 3.875 seems ideal, although it’s almost too close for comfort. I guess I could always dremel out a couple mm if I had to.

Also, an amazingly useful thread on alt.sys.laptops here

But bloody hell, look what I found! It’s a mini-pci pentium m board with an onboard Intel GMA 900! That means it’s actually usable for light gaming over the LVDS! Other boards have the Extreme Grapics 2, which is awful, so I’d have to get an add-on video card, which wouldn’t work with the LVDS.

This means that I can get any old LCD, so I can get the perfect size and specs for a reasonable price (full LCD kits that have the specs I really want are >$1000).

I found this from a thread on comp.robotics.misc. Dorothy Bradbury is apparently some kind of DIY hardware superhero. She has another useful post here.

Update 11/23:

Brilliantly informative thread about the lv-673, here, going into much detail about psu issues.

Notes:

A gateway doc on how to replace the LM170E01
A page about replacing LCD backlighting