Custom: High-end laptops are incredibly powerful for their size, but most lag behind their desktop counterparts in at least two key performance categories. Fed up of this situation, one YouTuber set out on a 14-month journey to right this wrong by building his own laptop from real desktop hardware.

The core components of the build include an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU mounted on a Gigabyte A520I AC Mini-ITX motherboard paired with a Radeon RX 6600 GPU from XFX and some low-profile DDR4 memory.

After the laptop’s bottom shell was designed and 3D printed, it was time to figure out how all the hardware would fit inside. Anything that wasn’t needed, like some of the rear I/O ports on the motherboard and the GPU’s large heatsink, were removed and the layout was decided upon.

Next, Socket Science developed a custom cooling solution using copper disks, aluminum heatsinks, and copper heatpipes. This is the most “idiotic” part of the setup (his words, not mine), but combined with some modified fans, it did the trick.

The keyboard and touchpad were next, and once the custom tray was printed, sanded, and painted, everything went smoothly. A portable 16-inch QHD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate was chosen for the project, but it had to be scaled down to fit. Luckily, the control board cables were long enough to mount in the bottom of the laptop. A custom 3D printed lid with bezels and a set of hinges tied everything together.

A custom battery was also originally planned, but this was ultimately scrapped to allow more space in the system for better air circulation.

The majority of the case was painted with matte black paint, complemented by copper highlights and blue accents. The logo of his YouTube channel served as the central element on the outside of the lid – a nice touch.

Socket Science said the end result was far from perfect, adding that it turned out “okay.”

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Technology enthusiast builds custom gaming laptop entirely from desktop components