The Lenovo G500 Transformation - Build Log

[Senzelian]

Edit: The whole motherboard died in the process. Don't ask how it happend. It's dead and so is the project ._.''

 

I recently bought a new ultrabook.
That means I don't have any need for my older notebook anymore. It is a Lenovo G500.

But simply selling it would be pretty boring, so instead I'm going to build a HTPC out of it. This is going to be the build log for it. Enjoy

 

Specs

 

Intel Core i3-3110M

8GB 1600MHz DDR3L Corsair ValueSelect RAM

120GB SanDisk SSDPlus SSD

2x USB 3.0

1x USB 2.0

HDMI out

SD card reader

3.5mm headphone jack

Realtek Gigabit LAN

 

Process

 

The first challenge I had to encounter was to take apart this old machine.
It felt like removing at least 100 screws and I had to literally rip out the keyboard to get to the last screw. But at the end I was left with a tiny motherboard and some aditional cables for power, on/off, reset and USB.

 

The next step will be to design and build a case. I will use plywood panels for that.

 

07.June - Update:

 

Got my hands on some plywood (HDF actually...).

If you've ever wondered how it looks like, because it is obviously really hard to get, then here is a picture.  This is what I'll mainly use for constructing the case:

 

 

19.June - Update:

 

I'm sorry that it took so long, but I had to wait for the motherboard standoffs to come in and I didn't really have a lot of time recently to work on it.

So today I was able to drill the holes for the standoffs and mount the motherboard to the base plate.
I had to enlarge some of the motherboard mounting holes, because I'm using standoffs that are meant for ATX boards, which use a M3 sized screwheads.

 

 

Next step will be to get the side plates done for the case, including the I/O shield and some of the aditional ports.

[Enderman]

nice

 

i see a lot of people building SFF micro PCs but i havent seen many build something small using laptop hardware

 

i would like to see more people doing that

[Guest]

OOOOH nice. The ultimate in SFF rigs. I'm expecting something that will vesa mount to the back of a vesa compatible monitor.

[Senzelian]

40 minutes ago, Enderman said:

nice

 

i see a lot of people building SFF micro PCs but i havent seen many build something small using laptop hardware

 

i would like to see more people doing that

It's quite challenging since I have to build my own case for it. So I can understand why no one wants to use laptop hardware for it.

 

33 minutes ago, bear-in-the-air said:

OOOOH nice. The ultimate in SFF rigs. I'm expecting something that will vesa mount to the back of a vesa compatible monitor.

I guess the PC will be so light at the end, that all I need is some double sided tape to stick it anywhere I want.
If I'm going to do a VESA mountable HTPC then I have to look more into how I'm actually going to mount it. I'll probably have to do some kind of bracket, cause simply putting some screws through the whole case won't work

[Senzelian]

07.June Update

Super tiny update... x.x

Sorry... D:

[Guest]

That's not ply. That's MDF

 

ply

 

MDF

[Senzelian]

10 minutes ago, bear-in-the-air said:

That's not ply. That's MDF

It's actually HDF. It says it on the picture.
But I call all this stuff just plywood, cause there are probably a lot of people that don't care if it's HDF, MDF or actual plywood and that don't know what HDF or MDF is. I also hate using acronyms.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Senzelian said:

It's actually HDF. It says it on the picture.
But I call all this stuff just plywood, cause there are probably a lot of people that don't care if it's HDF, MDF or actualy plywood and that don't know what HDF or MDF is. I also hate using acronyms.

I couldn't tell if it was MDF or HDF so I went for the more common one. 

 

That's fair, but I still prefer people using the correct names for things.

[Senzelian]

Another small update... 

(19.June)

Edit: The whole motherboard died in the process. Don't ask how it happend. It's dead and so is the project ._.''