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    Is it possible to build an HTPC off notebook parts?

    Discussion in 'Notebook Cosmetic Modifications and Custom Builds' started by pqueiro, Jul 6, 2015.

  1. pqueiro

    pqueiro Notebook Geek

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    I've been entertaining this idea for a while and I thought I'd run it by people who know more than me -- e.g., most of you lot :)

    The motivation is simple. I currently have a Raspberry Pi hooked to my TV running Raspbmc and streaming off a 3 year old Clevo machine. The Clevo is fine, but the Pi is underpowered (can't run couchpotato + sickbeard + torrent + Kodi well) and there are no credible battery / UPS options (I have infrequent, but always annoying, power failures, and I've fried a couple of hard drives because of them).

    So I thought; could I build a more powerful HTPC and run it off some kind of battery that could keep a 2.5" external drive alive?

    My two hypothesis at the moment are:
    1. build a mini-ITX rig and somehow fit a battery to it
    2. strip down a notebook so it'll stay hidden behind the TV
    I don't have any targets set in stone, but my ideal machine would run something low-power (enough to run couchpotato + sickbeard + torrent + Kodi concurrently, perhaps some emulators; more power is always welcome, but not essential) and have just enough battery life to not go crazy when there's a power failure. For reference, when they do occur, they're usually solved in under 30s, perhaps 1m if I'm in the shower or something.

    Can it be done? Does it make sense? Should I just stop moaning and get a Mac Mini + UPS or something?

    Thanks! :)
     
    pqueiro, Jul 6, 2015
    #1
  2. cinnamonrollz

    cinnamonrollz Notebook Enthusiast

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    a lenovo t420 with broken screen is about $100 on ebay. buy battery install what you need. If thats not enough just use any machine and connect a car battery to a ups that can handle it.
     
    cinnamonrollz, Jul 6, 2015
    #2
  3. WarlordOne

    WarlordOne Notebook Evangelist

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    An old Asus 1015pn with the Nvidia Ion would be be able to do it. I had one running PLEX, couchpotato, sickbeard, and utorrent no problem before I bought a Diskstation 1513+ and a chromecast. It was also able to handle running Diablo 3 and COD 4 on low settings, LOL. Of course I overclocked, upgraded the ram, and installed a hybrid drive in it.
     
    WarlordOne, Jul 7, 2015
    #3
  4. pqueiro

    pqueiro Notebook Geek

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    A t420 is much too large, but the 1015pn seems interesting... hmmmm...

    Thanks for the suggestions :) seems that yes, a laptop is a viable option.
     
    pqueiro, Jul 13, 2015
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  5. Bytes-N-Stuff

    Bytes-N-Stuff Notebook Enthusiast

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    Out of curiosity, why can't you just use a regular UPS?
     
    Bytes-N-Stuff, Sep 3, 2015
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  6. pqueiro

    pqueiro Notebook Geek

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    I can, I'd just prefer a cheaper, smaller solution -- hence the laptop battery.

    At any rate, my current thinking leans towards the mini-ITX side using something like

    http://www.mini-box.com/OpenUPS2?sc=8&category=1264

    that for power management. Still haven't built it yet though - I'll update once I have :)
     
    pqueiro, Sep 3, 2015
    #6
  7. Bytes-N-Stuff

    Bytes-N-Stuff Notebook Enthusiast

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    Ahhh yes, makes sense now :D

    Can't you use a laptop, and set the power settings to not power off when the screen is closed? So it could be closed, and placed under your TV somewhere and be hidden away that way?
     
    Bytes-N-Stuff, Sep 5, 2015
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  8. pqueiro

    pqueiro Notebook Geek

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    Again yes, but I can build a nicer itx system for a given budget than a laptop :) also more expandable for hard drives and so on.
     
    pqueiro, Sep 5, 2015
    #8