[SOLVED] Reuse laptop case for new motherboard etc

[stephenboston]

I have a few old laptops about and wondering what it would take to replace the innards. Connecting MB ports to case ports would be an issue but perhaps that's patchable.

Is the idea completely crazy? Some of the old laptops have beautiful sturdy cases and keyboards. Replacing display would be a nightmare but that's only a nice to have, certainly not a show stopper.

But there are other things, right. Real show stoppers?

 

[Newtonius]

You might come across a few problems, most of them caused by the layout of the donor motherboard to the case. For example the I/O ports wouldn't align on the casing as it would on the board, or the fans exhaust direction would be blocked by the case if it's not compatible. And more critically the battery housing. Many laptops have various battery designs and you can't just use one battery from one laptop in another willy nilly.

So unless you have the tools to mess around with the casing you're gonna come across a lot of compatibility issues. I'd recommend possibly 3D printing a custom case if you really want a hardcore DIY with a sturdy custom case.

 

[stephenboston]

You might come across a few problems, most of them caused by the layout of the donor motherboard to the case. For example the I/O ports wouldn't align on the casing as it would on the board, or the fans exhaust direction would be blocked by the case if it's not compatible. And more critically the battery housing. Many laptops have various battery designs and you can't just use one battery from one laptop in another willy nilly.

So unless you have the tools to mess around with the casing you're gonna come across a lot of compatibility issues. I'd recommend possibly 3D printing a custom case if you really want a hardcore DIY with a sturdy custom case.

Thanks. I was afraid of that. What about a mini itx? Then cabling the board ports to the case.

The battery issue worries me. Though I could perhaps live with an external battery. Portability is not a big issue here.

 

[Barkfunklerbunk]

I think you'd be better off selling or donating them, unless you're really determined.

 

[Newtonius]

Thanks. I was afraid of that. What about a mini itx? Then cabling the board ports to the case.

The battery issue worries me. Though I could perhaps live with an external battery. Portability is not a big issue here.

An ITX option is not bad but will still be difficult to pull off. You can try a raspberry pi but you will have pretty lousy performance for a laptop based usage.