Need help putting together a portable..desktop

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I’m been doing a bit of embedded system development work. I have an old gaming rig I’m using as the main development system, something that is out of date now but has ample RAM and connects to multiple monitors with ease.

Works pretty well, but whenever I show up at a client’s site to demo what I’ve got (and integrate telemetry systems, etc), I’ve just got this janky old laptop that is slow and it has a tiny display, integrated keyboard, etc.

So I had a bright idea. How about I build a desktop designed exclusively for systems dev that is portable, and haul that to the field? (Just develop on the same system I take to the field)

It needs a modern, fast processor, but only about 2 cores, as code composer and MPlab and other compilers for embedded chips are all single threaded applications. It needs lots of RAM, so I can have lots of stuff open at once (including 50+ chrome tabs for data sheets!). It needs an SSD so I can open up software and reboot quickly (some of the jankier JTAG emulators have crummy drivers, also I have done some light driver development which crashes me a lot).

It doesn’t need 4 cores, it doesn’t need a lot of disk space, it doesn’t need a dedicated GPU, it doesn’t need a big power supply, and it doesn’t need to be overclocked.

So ok, I can grab a dual core chip - if I build it tomorrow, the Pentium G3258. If I wait 2 weeks for Skylake’s lower end chips to be released, I was thinking the Pentium G4500. Pop in about 16 gigs of memory in 2 modules, leaving the other 2 sockets open so I can upgrade to 32 gigs, and grab a 250 gig ssd. Only other part is an appropriate power supply, something low wattage, with a gold or higher rating, and at least a 5 year warranty.

There’s just one problem. I need a sleek looking, lightweight box to hold the main board and PSU in. I don’t need room in that box for a video card, and it would be nice to be able to carry it with one hand. Just velcro the keyboard to the side of it, carry the monitor with the other hand, and I have a luggable “laptop”, about as portable as one of these. Unlike a laptop, I can repair it piecewise, and if I can find a reasonably priced box to stick everything in, it will be about $400.

2

The majority of “portable desktop” builds that I’ve seen focus on building a portable gaming rig, since most folks with your hardware needs would just use a laptop.

That said, there are plenty of mini cases out there, like so.

3

Yeah. Problem is that laptops with reasonable CPU power tend to be hot and heavy, you can’t easily fix em when they break as everything is held together with hundreds of tiny screws, and a quality laptop without any corners cut is north of a grand. Also, no expansion room (I may want to mount some of the prototype interface boards inside the case), you only get 2 memory sockets, and most of em only have 1 monitor output.

4

Why use a monitor when a ["]projector](http://www.pcmag.com/products/1889?Price=[0%20TO%20500) could be embedded (or velcroed) into the mini-case and make the keyboard bluetooth so it can be used wirelessly.

5

I would look long and hard at lamp lifetimes and prices before deciding to go with a projector. Those things can be expensive.

In case you don’t see anything you like in the tiger listing take a look over at newegg and amazon. Seems like micro/mini atx of every shape and size are all the rage these days. Just make sure your motherboard will fit in it!

6

How about one of the Intel NUC boxes? The one I’ve linked to maxes out at 16GB of RAM, and can be easily carried in your hand. There’s a number of variations they do, and Gigabyte has the Brix with a similar form factor.
We’ve got a few at work; they look pretty neat.

7

That is worth considering.

At this point, I think the correct setup is an i5, a case that has a slot for a dedicated graphics card (because I use 3 monitors and one of them is a 4k using display port), 16-32 gb of ram, a 500 gb ssd, and a gold or higher rated power supply. Basically I’ve crept up in my requirements, I want something I can use a development platform for the most inefficient bloated FPGA design tools and other stuff, let me spread my workspace across 3-4 separate monitors, has at least 4 physical cpus so I never get slowed down even with multiple things running at once, and has enough memory that the aforementioned bloated apps never slow me down.

You can’t get this in a laptop or an NUC box. I’m thinking a case like this one.

Small enough to be luggable, large enough to fit a normal desktop power supply and GPU. (I don’t think relying on those tiny integrated power supplies is a good idea if I want a reliable and efficient system)

Then I’ll just have 2 bags to carry it into client’s workplaces : this oneand this one. CPU in one hand, my 24 inch monitor (smallest I have lol) in the other with the keyboard, mouse, and cables. I’ll bring an extension cord for my “battery” solution and I have an inverter in my car.

8

H’m. I’ve built a couple of “home” systems in the BitFenix Prodigy - nice case to work in, and I like that it places the (ITX) motherboard horizontally. It’s a bit bigger - 16x10x14 vs 14x7x16- but it has good airflow.
Don’t know as I’d want to be lugging it about, I have to admit.

9

It’s been a while since I’ve used one, but in the past I’ve had good experience with Shuttle boxes like these. They support relatively high end graphics cards and CPUs, and have enough expansion for your needs.

10

ITX motherboards are another $100. Shuttle boxes add $300 to the cost. It’s not that I can’t afford it, it’s that it wrecks the bang:buck ratio. Since I’m going to be hauling in a 24" monitor in one hand, I can haul a heavier CPU unit.

11

The Shuttle boxes I linked to include the motherboard and power supply. They’re still more expensive but not quite as much as you say. And there’s something to be said about them looking nice, given that you’ll be hauling yours to a client.

12

Looking at Newegg…current generation (socket 1151), Gigabyte brand boards, the price difference is $50 between the cheapest ATX board and the only ITX. The gap is wider between the micro ATX and the ITX, at $80.*

Up to you if that price difference is worth the extra bulk and weight when you’re lugging it about.

Speaking of lugging it about, picking up a case with a vertically oriented motherboard is going to put more stress on the connections, expecially the heat sink, than in a case with the afore-mentioned horizontally oriented configuration.

You’ve got a tough set of requirements, here, and I don’t think you’ll get away cheap.

*I think this link will take me straight to the search parameters I used. I selected Gigabyte because I know they make good boards at a reasonable price. I selected the newest generation (socket 1151) because boards based on the last generation are getting harder to find.

13

If you elect to go the microATX route have a look at Rosewill’s cases. I have been very impressed with building them up and they are not outrageously expensive.