Build Your Own Laptop

Why buy a retail notebook when you can build a faster, cheaper portable system from scratch?
Building a desktop PC is like dining at one of those huge buffet restaurants: You have dozens of choices for every dish, the variety ranging from hot dogs to filet mignon and everything else in between. Building a laptop reminds us more of a prix fixe menu: You can make a few decisions here and there, but you don't have much opportunity to customize your meal.

Indeed, building your own laptop is chock-full of challenges. Parts are harder to find, choices are fewer, and you need a steady hand to deal with small screws and the tight confines of a portable case. What's more, there's not nearly as much information available in books and on the Web about assembling portable systems from the case up.

Look past these limitations, however, and your DIY laptop dream can become a reality. With a thirst for challenge and a $1,400 budget, you can assemble a speedy, well-equipped mobile machine that performs better and costs less than many comparable pre-built systems. As for the difficulty in putting it all together, that's where we come in: We'll walk you through all the steps it takes to build a high-performance laptop from as close to scratch as you can get.