Modder Turns Framework Laptop PCB into a Handheld Gaming PC | Hacker News Reader

Modder Turns Framework Laptop PCB into a Handheld Gaming PC

tomshardware.com

98 pointsWithinReason18 comments

It's in the article, but here's a direct link to the video from the person who made it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zd6WtTUf-30

This is one of my favorite Mainboard re-use projects. Swapping in a Ryzen 7840U Mainboard, it should actually be able to play most game titles at better than Steam Deck performance.

Would be interesting to see if it actually gets better performance. On paper, it should, but famously when you control the entire stack it's easier to optimize so software and hardware works well together, and that's exactly what Valve has with the Steam Deck.

You'd think so, but as a counterpoint, may I present the Microsoft Surface

Please do not, absolutely worst laptop I've ever owned, even if Linux worked perfectly fine and ran better than Windows on it...

indeed. and it's why in certain areas the steam deck can do better than counterparts like the ROG Ally

I really liked the video series of: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/aWV3xr6xSXk (more full length videos on his channel)

He used an old Intel NUC to make a handheld gaming device, but the quality of his work is quite good.

It's all open source too.

Really makes you wonder how far we've come. Tinkerers making and sharing technology that used to take companies so much time and resources to design.

I think that's why @Pitstoptech feels so manufactured to me. There are so many communities for things like this, and it's like they're either not aware or that they're intentionally not engaging with any part of it.

They popped into existence last month with a single video and no links to prior projects or community involvement, they haven't shared any open process or build resources, and now, in a 24 hour period, every tech blog is writing about them... despite cncdan's project having come first by a few months, having more than two videos, more views, engagement, and development, and he's not even the only one!

It just smells too much like shadow marketing campaign.

> It just smells too much like shadow marketing campaign.

That's an interesting observation. I thought it was just the "tech journalists" recognizing the Framework name and publishing this everywhere but who knows ...

How does the 7040U hold up in games? The earlier Framework boards didn't have that much gaming prowess, so it's interesting to use this particular motherboard for a gaming handheld.

The 7640U (the cheaper Framework option) was used in a gaming handheld (GPD Win Max 2 2023... R5). There's a review with a few benchmarks here (also included is the R7 version with the 7840U). https://droix.net/blogs/gpd-win-max-2-2023-7640u-review/#rb-...

It can run Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p at lowest graphics setting at just above 60 fps (pumping at full 28W). Cyberpunk at 1200p (why???) lowest setting at just below 60 fps.

I'm sure there are better reviews out there (probably out on youtube), but this was all I could find quickly.

Cyberpunk at 1200p can probably be upscaled through FSR to 1440p quite comfortably, if the game doesn't offer FSR support by itself.

That looks pretty good, though the GPD Win being available for a similar price point does turn it into a weird concept. With specs like these, I'd expect to get a new mainboard at five or six years down the line at least, but by then there will be plenty of better handheld competitors.

> We have already seen some interesting projects, like a wedge-style computer designed with a mechanical keyboard containing a Framework motherboard, and a retro-style gaming console based on this same essential but swappable component.

Both of those projects were full commissions by Framework. Was Pitstoptech also sponsored here?

I ask, because no one is really using these boards. They're both too much and too little; they're expensive, high wattage, WIP firmware dependent, and lack critical GPIO for embedded projects. You'd have to customize an OS to operate it, and there aren't any Framework-supported projects like that.

The Steam Deck clone is probably the best application for it, though, because it's just a laptop in a handheld, but as far as I know, that board still suffers from high power usage at idle and issues with resuming from sleep/hibernate: https://knowledgebase.frame.work/framework-laptop-bios-relea...

This is super cool, but what happened with Tom's Hardware? There are so many ads in mobile that is way too hard to read the content.

It’s been on a downward slope since I don’t know, 2010? Surprised the site is still limping along. edit: That’s actually probably unfair of me, 2013 or 2014 is a better date.

Why are you not using an adblocker?

Android: Firefox and use the uBlock extension

iOS: Adguard Pro (one time $9.99) and use the uBlock filters

if you are using android and not using firefox because "let the creators earn something" then you are stupid.

ublock origin is like basically necessary as you said.

Was acquired by future in 2018. They do it far worse on other publications they own. e.g. on PC Gamer, 90% of screen estate is taken by ads.

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