Laptop Clamshell with Desktop Hardware

Chivas2973 · September 11, 2020

I have been thinking about this for a long time with limited knowledge. I am looking for guidance and a way to get a laptop type monitor and keyboard attached via one long cable or multiple cables tied together to a desktop. Essentially, I am looking for Desktop performance and Desktop cooling hidden away behind the couch or even in the other room while a spectacular laptop with no cooling issues is sitting on my lap. Ideally I would be able to use an old laptop, gut it if I have to and use the monitor and keyboard with the desktop. A mouse dongle could be put directly into the desktop. I know the monitor and keyboard are not setup to work that way. I know I would need a separate board for both the monitor and keyboard to function that way. Is there a simpler less expensive way to do this? I would think this would be a desirable item but maybe it is just me. No need for some dedicated setup occupying space in an area. Just plug in the multipurpose cable to the desktop and clamshell monitor/keyboard and game or do whatever. if I could easily and cheaply convert the keyboard ribbon to USB and the monitor ribbon to HDMI this would be very simple but I have yet to find these items other than complicated control boards. I would even be willing to buy a monitor and keyboard that could easily be modified to fit into a laptop shell so it already has the cables set up but again, I see no solutions for this.

Any ideas?

Thanks for any and all input

WhitetailAni · November 23, 2020

So a display and keyboard in a laptop form?
Gut the laptop. Figure out what the display type is (MUST be exact) and then buy a <your panel name> LCD controller off of AliExpress/eBay. Then, put your display back, connect the two, and mount the controller board in your shell.

Then repeat the same steps for your keyboard. Finally, take the ports on the side of your laptop and make then female HDMI/DisplayPort/VGA, connect them to your display controller board, and repeat this except with USB for your keyboard (unless it fits against the slot in the side).

Note that you will need a decently thick laptop.