Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,comp.laptops,comp.sys.laptops (
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ToolPackinMama wrote:
> Root wrote:
>
>
>>There have been some informative posts and some ignorant posts here. But it
>>truely depends on what you are starting with.
>>
>>Some laptops you can buy a whitebox system and buy your own componets and
>>put them to together. As someone else sugest the asus m6ne you can do this.
>>I am looking into getting a compal CL56 and doing this also. But everything
>>is smaller and more breakable so YMMV.
>
>
> I don't suppose it's actually going to save any money, is it?
Kind of depends on what you compare it against.
The thing about laptops/notebooks, and why the 'whole thing' isn't
standardized with 'interchangeable' parts, is that the basic goal is to
cram as much stuff as possible into the smallest form factor, and that
means being 'creative' with the packaging. Even so, some things are
interchangeable: hard drive, CDs, memory. But having 'plug in' cards with
spare slots just eats up space so the 'motherboard' is going to be a custom
fit, all in one, proposition. And, since that's where the main
'flexibility' to a desktop resides, you just lost 90% of the 'custom
configuration' advantage right there: 80% due to the fixed board
configuration (which is going to include the LCD drivers) and 10% because
there aren't any 'spare holes' to mount things in.
Next worst problem is a socketed processor with a conventional heatsink:
BIG. So you (typically) have soldered in processors, often in a smaller
form factor package, with more exotic heatpipe cooling mechanisms so they
fit in the smallest space possible. You CAN, actually, find 'bare bones'
laptops that allow you to 'plug-in' the processor of choice but you can see
you've traded off at least some of the space advantage of the true mobiles
for the luxury of doing it.
And then building in 'spare' watts in the PSU for 'add-ons', or a gaggle of
different mobo guts versions, or 'which ever processor' you pick, doesn't
optimize size either.
The point is, besides explaining why it's done the way it's done, is to
again ask, compared to what? A larger, 'bare bones', self configured laptop
to a smaller, lighter, more compact one? If you don't care about size then
you might consider it 'cheaper' but if size is the purpose then it isn't,
really.
Frankly, I doubt it would be cheaper simply from being 'self built' anyway
because there just aren't enough places where you have a choice with which
to save money. If it were cheaper I'd say it's more due to the same kinds
of reasons why brand Y is cheaper than brand A to begin with, or because
you don't really end up with the same thing, but not because 'you built it'.