A year ago I ventured into the USA to see some friends and family and I found myself quite annoyed that I had a $2000 desktop computer I could not take with me. It has all the power in the world to help me make YouTube videos, design things, and make cool stuff. I have a laptop but it does not have the raw power I need to do all the cool things my desktop does.
You might say, why not get a gaming laptop or Macbook and spend $2000-3000? Well I can and I have considered many times, but I hate the idea of modern day laptops not being fully upgradable or repairable. I do not trust the longevity of modern laptops either, but one day I am inclined to try.
At the time though, I had an idea to build the perfect balance between a laptop and desktop. One that is upgradeable, repairable and can fit in your bag. I wondered what do movie makers and editors do? What do gamers need? Is this for me or is there people like me who felt the same? It irked me and I had to try building something.
I found this amazing video by Scott Yuan who made a portable mac mini.
After watching this video I researched for months understanding what I needed to build a prototype. It took me a few months to put the pieces together. I found some really unique communities like r/sffpc (small form factor PC) and forums where people were making the smallest power pc they could. It inspired me quite quickly.
It was then when I found the perfectly sized Intel NUC 9. Shaped like a rounded box with the ability to put a powerful and removable GPU into it. The only problem was the hardware was a year or two old, but I had to have the shape and test this. I devised a parts plan for the PC:
- Intel NUC 9 i9 which is the size of two house bricks and can fit in a backpack
- NVIDIA 3060Ti ITX
- 64GB of DDR4 RAM
- A touch screen HDR 1080p display
- A bluetooth mechanical keyboard from Keychron
- and Logitech gaming mouse.
A total of around $3000 AUD. It was not cheap but thankfully I had the help of mWave in Australia to get the remaining parts and build this concept PC.
The combination of these items allowed me to make this video:
Some issues I came across:
- Making the bracket was super difficult and required hours of iterations and 3d printing.
- Creating a way to mount the keyboard and mouse to the case was difficult with limited space.
It just came together so well. When it came time to go back to USA, this PC came with me. It weighs around 6-7kg, but it's worth it! Slips into my backpack or baggage without a hitch! There was times the security would ask me to pull out the PC, but other times it was kept in there and I am ready to go. It was super fun to make and 8 months later it is still going strong with a new handle and carry case. I hope to make an update video soon, but for now this is it!
Enjoy!