Building own gadgets is the most thrilling experience for electronic enthusiast and computers are not an exemption. It would not be difficult for anyone with the general idea about electronic circuits and of course, computer parts to assemble a PC of their dream. An enormous number of options are available to customize your PC’s configuration, but if you are looking to build your own laptop, the situation will be different, and the options available are limited. In this post, we provide general ideas and tips on how to build your own laptop in simple steps.
Building your own laptop is not as daunting as it may sound if you have the enthusiasm and mindset. You can assemble a high-performance mobile machine with the customized configuration at a cost much less than a branded machine of similar specs in few simple steps. Nowadays, you can find many companies such as MSI, ASI, Compal, ECS, Asus, and Super Talent offering barebones laptops through local outlets and online stores, which you can use to build your own machine.
The following steps will help you to build your own laptop from scratch.
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Earlier we have published a guide how to select a best laptop, if you are interested in building your own laptop this guide would be helpful.
Simple Steps on How to Build Your Own Laptop
Gather the barebones notebook and components:
The first and foremost thing is to choose the barebones for your project, how to build your own laptop. The barebones laptops usually include a cabinet with the motherboard, LCD, webcam, optical drive, keyboard, and battery pre-installed, and it will not be feasible for you to swap any of these. Therefore, you should consider the processor technology, screen size and graphic card you are about to use, before selecting the barebones. The barebones offer you lots of customization with other components such as CPU, RAM, HDD, and network cards so you can choose them according to your discretion.
Prepare before you begin:
Though the assembling of the laptop is pretty simple and straightforward, you should take some precautions before you begin. The components used in the computer are very delicate and highly sensitive to static electricity. Therefore, it is mandatory that you always choose a static free environment for your process, and wear properly earthed anti-static wrist strap before handling any parts. In addition, you may need Philips head screwdrivers, nose pliers, and adhesive tape or cable ties for the easy completion of the assembly.
Assembling the parts:
Before you begin with the assembly process, it is advised to refer the manual, if any, supplied by the manufacturer. Open the cover of the barebones by placing it upside down, and this will enable you to access various slots and sockets in the motherboard. You can start with assembling the CPU.
Install the CPU: Installation of the microprocessor is the most complex task in the process and, you should take extreme caution to install it properly in the socket. You can do it by lifting the liver in the socket and raising the socket cover. Now, align the CPU corresponding to the notches in the socket and place it correctly without inserting any force. When the CPU is in place, you can assemble the socket cover and snap back the locking arm. Once the processor has been installed successfully, you can apply the thermal paste and attach the CPU cooler.
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Install other components: Carefully install the memory modules into the memory slots of the motherboard. You can insert the memory sticks by holding it at 30° angle and when inserted properly, you can secure it by snapping it down to the slot. Locate the mini PCI slot in the motherboard and connect the wireless network adapter card properly. Wire the adapter as per the instructions in the manual and secure it with the supplied screws. Affixing the hard-disc drive is straightforward, remove the plate that secures hard disc, from the laptop cabinet. Place the hard disc in position, and align the SATA connectors and push the hard drive in with slight pressure. Put the metal plate and fasten the screws to secure the HDD in position. You can install other optional cards such as, graphics card, Ethernet card etc… in the PCI slots provided to enhance the performance and functionality of your laptop. Now, you can replace the cover and the hardware part of building your own laptop is complete.
Finishing
Turn on the laptop and in the bios setup check the system configurations to ensure the proper functioning of all components. Your laptop is not complete without an operating system and applications. The final task of building your own laptop is the installation of the OS. You can select the OS you prefer and install it using the standard installation procedure.
We are sure these general tips on how to build your own laptop would have given some ideas on this topic.
