How to convert an old laptop into a stunning HTPC

Patreon: / yatc
This time I'm making an HTPC case using acrylic and veneer. Electronics come from an old HP laptop, but this can be easily adapted to pretty much any hardware.
Dremel: amzn.to/2Dwm91m
Music by Joakim Karud / joakimkarud

[@kit-katthesneakyrat4690]

Turn your old laptop into a commodore 64 by removing the display.

[@rodrigotsss]

So.you just made a box

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

I state at the very beginning of the video, that I'm making a case...

[@uranium_donut]

He made a box, but the box looks hella good

[@yourfullofsheite]

clickbait bs

[@josevera1535]

So, you didn't really show "How to convert an old laptop into a stunning HTPC"... woot, clickbait!

[@JoshGerhards]

The thumbnail obviously shows the case he built, not any software. Clickbait is intentional, but YetAnotherTechChannel did not intent for people to be mislead. He assumed people would know he was talking about a stunning case, and he put the case in the thumbnail. Not clickbait.

[@Driskoll97]

It was beautiful. I'd definitely pay you for making one of my old Dell laptop

[@iou87y6tfyvghfctdryu]

Do it Yourself, nothing like take it in your Hands enjoying the process😚

[@Driskoll97]

@@iou87y6tfyvghfctdryu I will definitely try it someday ❤️ thanks 4 ur support

[@raymondominguez3670]

@@iou87y6tfyvghfctdryu Where do I learn how to do stuff like this. Do I have to study computer engineering in college?

[@iou87y6tfyvghfctdryu]

@@raymondominguez3670 wht, they're not building a pc, just using a laptop as a mobo for a custom case. Anybody can do that.

[@اكتشف-غ2د]

the same idea I saw in diy pearks both are awsome keep doing that you make me happy

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

I know that DIY perks did something similar - but I honestly didn't watch his attempt as I didn't want anyone to accuse me of copying his project.

[@اكتشف-غ2د]

this video is far from copying his project you did sumthing special on your way and your touch

[@magnuswf]

Don't worry, you both had very different ideas, I think :)

[@danielarsivana5991]

@@YetAnotherTechChannel this is not copying his works. By the way You both make great HTPC, i like it. I make this one before but i can't access bios with external display, so i can't install HTPC designed OS.

[@espacoipiranga]

"would easily get wifes approval" lol hahahaha

[@kjamison5951]

As a prototype, it is very stylish. Clearly it needs more work but it is a very good start.

[@akscricket8]

Wait so how much does it all cost together

[@disquise2411]

I have the problem that i find an old laptop quite noisy. It looks like the heat is trapped inside there as well

[@DarylIp]

2 Things. First off, It looks good, but an idea for next time, instead of the open hole that you have there you can cut apart the side of the laptop shell with the port holes & the power button then fabricate a pannel using bondo or something similar that will fit into the existing hole. it'd save you the time from trying to figure out then cut out something from scratch. Second, for all the people bashing the video, i honestly don't know what you people were expecting. yes, you literally can just take your laptop and plug an hdmi into it straight to your tv, he made a case for the laptop to make it more aesthetically pleasing than a broken laptop sitting next to your tv. Now hear me out. if you wanted something super duper amazing either buy it or build it.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

1. That's a good idea... but as I've got a 3D printer since then, I'd definitely designed and printed an IO bracket. 2. I'm really glad that someone gets it! :D

[@andreitacang1889]

So how do you turn it on ?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

The original power button is fully functional - I just didn't integrate it with the case...

[@xatoor]

with the external power button that he showed

[@gufran619]

You dont

[@simomkd]

very clever indeed... mpf

[@feboober]

Why not

[@jonathangarza3078]

It would be nice to see a diy pc case using home materials or reusing some old furniture, not as the ones you've made with those crazy designs, something minimalistic, but normal if you know what I mean.

[@baileyhellmuth5526]

You can get all these supplies from a home improvement store. They're all inexpensive. If you were to go to a cabinetry store & asked them for scrap pieces of veneer, I'm sure they'd give it to you for free.

[@esprithk]

Just integrate it with the desk(underneath it)

[@deaxes]

Clicked on this because of the name, and found it utterly lacking. Not an instructional, no info on integrating the computer into the case beyond just plopping the motherboard down in there, refusing integrating the power button into the case, nothing about maximizing cooling. It's just about the aesthetics of the case, nothing else.

[@muhdpotagas8076]

He almost had a point by making this video

[@chargedsupercap2270]

Maybe insert an SSD instead and replace the original fan with the Noctua fan. My media PC has just 60GB of NAND and shares the storage with my bedroom PC

[@rdwn_ridwan]

Thank you for the instructions, yes i think it will cost us around 20 dollars, but the thing is how much should we expect to have those equipments like you've got there

[@maevesmythe]

That's what makerspaces are for

[@NicolasEsatto]

how to make a veneer replica of a mac mini.. but old laptop guts. Sick

[@geometrikselfelsefesi]

Thanks for your video, i have the same model but different casing (Quanta TW8) rebranded laptop and the hinge is broken so i will make a new computer for desktop usage

[@WellBeSerious12]

White and brown look ugly together. Try white and black instead. Or even add a few LEDs at key points; properly spaced out, with the proper cutouts done to show the light(s) instead of LEDs directly.

[@GirishNohwar]

For the remaining of the process, go to DIY Perks: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2TJn6Z9fcprm6c

[@sussyminecraftbaka3486]

Yet another tech video

[@phantomistic9455]

I have a old dell Inspiron and it has a broken screen bad cooling fan and no backup and it's falling apart I did actually teared it down multiple times but know I wanna make it into a proper pc and install new operating system

[@JustinsGarage]

That moment when you realize you have the exact same laptop 😂 where is my how to video? 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

You're like 4th person to report to have the same laptop ;) I'll make the video once the number hits triple digits ;)

[@DanielSantos-xi4qc]

@@YetAnotherTechChannel Also have the same laptop haha

[@seanseanseanseansean]

I had the same laptop too. I simply traded it for a fully functional streaming box. Duhh.

[@SundayTubes]

Or buy an Intel Nuc (even celeron model) which will be 10 times better than the shity pavilion from another century

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

Something I'd love to try some time. Question. Is that a HP pavilion dv 6000 or 9000? My oldman had the 9000 model. It was a solid machine, lasted a good 10 years of heavy use.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

DV6000, and it actually belonged to my wife ;)

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

@@YetAnotherTechChannel ah cool. Ty for the reply btw. I miss the dv09000 we had A great laptop for typical laptop/computer stuff or media player things

[@RupinChheda]

I watched this whole video thinking I will see the HTPC in action. Seems it was only transplanted from one body to another.

[@r-baticle]

Thank you, you've just saved my old laptop

[@sipinthatbub]

Man, I love your work. You make it look so easy. I cannot even drill a hole properly.

[@supercheekykiwi]

Hmm this is all about the case and nothing about how to convert the laptop. Disappointing

[@AIn0n0]

This Pc should look nice with white arcade power button :)

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Yeah, but the problem is that laptops don't have a regular 2-pin power button connectors like you find on desktop PCs. In this particular case the original power button is connected with a 5 pin ribbon cable and I don't have the skill to solder such small contact points :/

[@MrNerdSmasher]

Rofl cool you .. just made a square haha EDIT: You didn't even finish it! Lool

[@paulfrahm3842]

You added noise to your presentation - why? I find it very distracting.

[@concorde837]

To add some MOAR POWER! Buy an external adapter for GPU.

[@dennisharold5030]

My husband used these plans from Woodglut and he is very pleased.

[@nuts529]

How does it goes to bios set up, do anybody know how to connect hdmi to display port

[@ChuyGl89]

I think you mean create something out of something else. Not from nothing.

[@007Tembu]

I know that its been an year since this video was made but I kindly request you to add the laptop specifications.Please. -Subscriber

[@lightningdev1]

Why would you need the specs? I mean its just some cheap old laptop offa ebay or something -replyer

[@ajmag4891]

3:43 Drill Holes .. Hahahahaha

[@moparchargergang2050]

It was cool what he did , but it would have been better to see the lap top turned to a PC

[@zaloks7124]

What size motherboard standoff screws did you use?

[@sinpeti1]

Hi! Does it stream Netflix and HBO Go at least Full HD?

[@Tocsin-Bang]

Tensol 2 is better for acrylic, I used to use it for making museum specimen jars and cases.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Cool, thanks for the tip!

[@francoseitan]

hmm...you distroy a Laptop and build a plastic box,for same components.?? why this box is better then original laptop box if the inside components ar not new??? loking nice..but why?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

For aesthetic reasons. And a correction - I didn't destroy the laptop - I disassembled it for purpose of making this video and I put it back together afterward.

[@robertbest6584]

"As you unlikely have the same laptop" *me* has same laptop

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

High five! :)

[@salparadise1220]

Respect to your fabrication skills. But if you put a motherboard in it you have to see it through till it's booted, preferably using Linux but Windows will do, and shown to be working. Until then it's a partial hack only.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

You're totally right - I should have covered the software part as well and show it's operational. I'm currently working on an audio project and will make sure to include the software side of things.

[@evanhartanto3937]

Great job!!! But what can we do with the monitor? Or can we upgrade the cooling, kind of interesting to know the result.

[@tusharmaurya1668]

Evan Hartanto yeah upgrading the cooler would be a good idea!

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

It's not very easy to make use of the display as it doesn't have a regular HDMI/DVI/VGA interface. You would have to get a controller board or something - I haven't looked into it. As for the cooling upgrade - it's most definitely doable... but like I mention in the video - I made this as a proof of concept to share with you guys so I don't think I'll be using it on daily basis ;)

[@kyril98741]

Evan Hartanto there are video online that show how you can turn the laptop monitor into portable monitor.

[@Vextroboomin]

The top of it should have be the laptop screen. Think... It can have like.... the... time or something. Be used when doing some movie watching in bed

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Pretty cool idea!

[@mvfs]

I'm surprised you didnt make a custom enclosure for around the ports. An open backend like that will allow dust that will most certainly bridge connections.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

That would take hours to make back then, when I didn't have a 3D printer.

[@Jorgelhus]

"It's unlikely you have the same laptop" I have the EXACTLY same laptop. Dell Inspiron 1525.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Lol, I guess I didn't think that this video will hit over 450k views ;)

[@youtube4fun_894]

You should made custom panel for vga , usb and other outputs...

[@kendrickdiego6654]

But can you boot up the pc without the original screen?

[@narekmnatsakanyan9207]

I've got the exact same laptop laying around...

[@fusionvision]

copying DIYPerks

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Who is DIYPerks? ;)

[@fusionvision]

@@YetAnotherTechChannel no disrespect love your channel :)

[@saltierthanyou69]

DIY Pc Case, but not really a HTPC DIY

[@RicardoHernandez-ii9lx]

for me turning old laptops and desktops into new good looking ones is so satisfying

[@jc_hz4196]

How to waist your time watching something crated completely irrelevant to the purpose intended.

[@GawieThirion-uu1mq]

Waste*

[@propelproject]

I would vent the top, or it will become a heat trap.

[@kopial]

Btw, best way to stick acrylic is using chloroform. It melts them like welding.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Thx for the tip!

[@trapsinc3017]

I just got a old laptop for free I might try this

[@g43s]

4:34 glossy transparent would've looke pretty awesome,you couldve added some lighting, but i get the design you were going for and i love it still.

[@JoshGerhards]

Lighting on HTPC's would be annoying.

[@giuseppeoue784]

Brilliant

[@sirhoward6853]

ihad the same idea in mind to recycle some old laptops. you did a good job but i have 1 question: how do you turn that thing on?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

The original button, which is currently dangling at the back, is fully functional :)

[@jamesmartin5988]

Stop copying

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Have you written the same comment under the DIY Perks' most recent 'desk PC' video? ;)

[@yigitbilgisayar]

Hemde dv serisi anakartla dönüşüm he, zaman geçirmek amacını aşmaz bence boşuna.

[@Deadasszilaa]

Screwing up an old laptop , to make a box that fits its motherboard in? You know, if youre gonna make a video of you making stuff, you should mention they are useless. Nice design tho.. someone who can figure out how to make it work should use it.

[@TheBoglodite]

Does it still work off of just the laptop being plugged into the charger and still utilizing an internal battery? Or did you wire an AC adapter to just plug and play with it?

[@Explode.]

You should’ve added led lights for the top

[@baburamkumaraswaran179]

Beautiful diy project

[@sreenu1993]

For the people who are complaining about how he just made a case and not an HTPC, here is a quick tip. Connect your laptop to tv with hdmi cable and you are done. If you don't like the look of your laptop in your living room then follow this video.

[@elonchan4883]

Not to be that guy, but if you don't use any of them why don't you give them all away?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Well, I still need the electronics for future projects, and I'm not sure if a case made for a very specific hardware will be of any use to anyone. I often use not so popular form factor parts such as the HDPlex PSU, which is quite expensive ($200+ for the PSU and the power brick) and I don't think that someone would be interested in investing such money just to build a computer in a case that while being one of a kind, is far from perfect.

[@NotSoSuave]

Good looking “wood” box...nothing else

[@Basil13ful]

No power buton ? No accessible USB ports ? No hole for cpu cooling ?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

I know, there's plenty room for improvement...

[@michaelw7540]

NOOO! WHY on earth did you just ruin that acrylic??? Instead of covering it up you could have just lightly sanded the inside and used colorful LED's! The acrylic would have given a very elegant modern glow. Acrylic isn't made to just cover up as it has purpose for lighting and/or open viewing. I thought you were going to at least keep an outline on all edges or even stencil cut your channels name for the acrylic to show then add some LED Lighting behind it.

[@pdoubleyou7801]

Nothing to do with computers, just basic DIY. Would love to see how you mounted hardware and ran the thing tho'

[@zk9506]

And how to (NOT) because it is not reliable to me. Time consuming and lot of money invested into that wooden case with old component inside.

[@damianvan4285]

You made a box out of plastic and reinforced it with thin wood. An old lap top gets hot enough with the cheap plastic box, why would you surround it in a hotter box?

[@DarrynJones]

Great video - full of great ideas. I'll try to adapt to a 3D printed enclosure but that veneer idea is a winner!

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Thanks very much :) I do get a lot of complaints about this project so I'm really glad that there are people who find it inspiring, which is the sole purpose of those vids :)

[@elpoint00]

You should change the title to how to build a box

[@gregor_b1]

I'm about to make this to my lenovo y510p but with an addition of larger pc grade cooler instead of laptop's one

[@Bs60182]

It looks really cool but I don’t have the patience to build a case like that.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Yeah, it was a lot of work...

[@angladephil]

Basically, you built a box and screwed a laptop/motherboard in it ...no "tech" in this !

[@samriddhatuladhar3913]

video is very over exposed.

[@wonkeyes2169]

I really love these small builds, not very many people reuse parts and get a better looking computer out of it.

[@DoomWalker42]

Really good idea! But are you sure it is safe to mount a motherboard to a metal surface? Would that short out the PC? I know that most PC cases are made from aluminium or steel but still it seems risky. The build looks beautiful though and I would suggest getting a latching vandal switch from Amazon which has small screws. Then all you need to do is splice the power cables for the power on button from the laptop motherboard and connect the wires (positive and negative) under the screws and screw them down - no soldering required! I would love to see a sequel to this video where you upgrade the ram, cooler, and maybe add an SSD. Also you could consider adding an eGPU like from Bangood.com or ebay and hook up an external graphics card. You could also make a recycled monitor from a laptop screen for the ultra portable PC system that can fit in a backpack. I am tempted to try this out if I had the time and money. Maybe in the summer. Great build for an HTPC though. I might seriously try it out sometime!

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

The PCB is placed on spacers so it doesn't make contact with the steel base - it's pretty much the same thing as a regular desktop PC motherboard in your regular computer case :) The power button is tricky, because it's not your regular 2-pin connector but a ribbon cable and I didn't feel comfortable with slicing it or soldering :/ I actually upgraded both the CPU and RAM in this laptop... next thing would be the mechanical hard drive - but this build is a proof of concept - a prototype and I don't think I'll be actually using it on daily basis - I watch movies and TV shows either on XBOX One ;)

[@DoomWalker42]

Fair enough! That makes sense. I thought you installed the motherboard directly but I am sure you know what you are doing. Really cool case by the way. You could 3D print a button and then somehow attach it directly in front of the other power buttons? That way it will click on the original buttons?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

That's exactly what I would do :) Maybe except for 3D printing since I don't have a printer, but I'd figure something out ;)

[@powder-phun949]

YetAnotherTechChannel the easiest way would be to solder some thin wires directly to the tact switch on the smaller PCB, but if you're not comfortable with electronics you may find it tricky. Nice english BTW, if not for the comments, I wouldn't have guessed you're polish.

[@Mersh_mellow]

I'm actually doing something very similar for my wife as your mentioning here. She wants a light duty gaming pc for games like the Sims and fallout so I'll be doing something very similar.

[@MisterRorschach90]

just so you know, epoxy does not work that well with plastics like that. you can go buy glue specifically made for acrylic at almost any store that sells acrylic plastics, its about the same price as cheap epoxy, it will last much longer because it takes considerably less adhesive to join the plastic, and it also dries completely clear and is designed for use with clear acrylic that needs to be joined without destroying the clarity of the plastic. if you ever do this again, or something else that involves using acrylic i would highly recommend using something like that instead. i don't know how many times i tried to epoxy acrylic or polycarbonate, and even after sanding it still eventually lost the bond.

[@limitless3662]

can you make a video on putting liquid cooling on laptop and making it desktop. As my laptop is very high config.(corei7, 8gb ram,2gb gfx) but 3yrs old and getting shutdown by overheating.

[@denny8919]

Can u give tutorial to custom switch power button in laptop series asus x550, my switch power is broken.thanks bro

[@FiendGuy]

Be careful with the metal mesh because it could make contact with points on the computer and short it, maybe because it is a laptop it is safer. Just be aware people

[@diegoclavijo914]

Awesome and powerfull video. How is it called the red tool you use to make holes? Thanks in advanced

[@alvinpatrick]

So it doesn't actually run?

[@LostiLama]

0:30 OHHHH i have the same Laptop XD

[@fairygirl738]

How many times have you injured yourself creating this beast of a project?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

This one? Just once ;)

[@MushaProject]

Hi there. I do appreciate what you have done. I guess you spent much time with some of your manual-operated tools but you made it perfectly smooth and tidy. Hope to see the results! God bless you and your creative brain and hands.

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Thanks very much for watching and even more for taking your time to write that comment - that really means a lot to me :)

[@greenleafycabbage8715]

My house has a proper materials and tools for making this but Im just too noob to make 1

[@TracksWithDax]

What's the name of the small orange hand saw you're using?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

I have absolutely no idea :/

[@AAFREAK]

Would the cat come with the box? Would it be delivered alive or dead?

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

Cat sold separately.

[@Fenlandia]

Lame clickbait title. Reported for clickbait. Should rename this video, Making a pretty box for a laptop.

[@joeyvigil]

Wow, the amount of views this guy received for making something completely nonfunctional.

[@timmax4817]

2 part glue is called EPOXY because it is not glue

[@YetAnotherTechChannel]

I'm obviously not a native English, so thanks for clearing that out!

[@greenstorm5568]

What if i want to get rid of a dying battery and go for wall adapter power? How would i make the switch? A PSU?

[@archismarathe1589]

Dude I was showering and this is exactly what I had in mind 🙌 I'll make it for my parents