Concept Hybrid Transformer One - Portable modular All-in-One system

[theGryphon]

I'm gonna suggest that you flip everything and let the components/fans take air in from the bottom. This way you can get rid of the fans in the front... way too many fans taking precious space in the current layout. You need a mid-plate to install everything on, which is a good thing for structural integrity, keyboard flex, etc.

Edit: On a second thought, why don't you put the case behind the panel? Keyboard+touchpad that tall will not be attractive to many. It's not ergonomic at all...

 

[Philairflow]

So I can show a third version of the case concept tomorrow.

Small spoiler: longer GPU support, 240 mm AIO and 6 mm thinner

So with the access height of the palm rest on the front being 35 mm now it gets close to the first big gaming notebooks.

I am even thinking about a small battery now. Nothing big because space is rare but it would give some temporary mobility.

 

[Philairflow]

So since spoilers without pictures are not satisfying (directly from cad so vents, buttons I/O etc. is still missing):

- New internal layout
- 18.4 inch display
- 240 mm AIO (25mm + slim fans)
- 220 mm GPU
- Thinner
- Small battery (big battery optional instead of AIO)

I will show more pictures and internal layout tomorrow.

 

[DelUser6216]

Hello.

What exactly is "small battery"? Is it supposed to be an emergency UPS or will it really power the system for like a few hours? I'm just curious about this mhmmmsnikt battery stuff.

I saw your internal design. Is the slant design integral to the internal layout (like a macbook) or can you make it flat? How thin is the tapered side?

Now I come back to the first page and it says battery. Show me your ways friend.

 

[Philairflow]

Hello.

What exactly is "small battery"? Is it supposed to be an emergency UPS or will it really power the system for like a few hours? I'm just curious about this mhmmmsnikt battery stuff.

I saw your internal design. Is the slant design integral to the internal layout (like a macbook) or can you make it flat? How thin is the tapered side?

Now I come back to the first page and it says battery. Show me your ways friend.

I think I can integrate something like 6 cells with 65 WH in max config. For a powerful machine (lets say i7 8700K + GTX 1080) this will not last long. Maybe something like 1 hour surfing and 30 min full load. This is just an estimate. Of course you could bring in a gigantic battery if I leave out the 240 mm AIO and just put a Noctua NH L9 on the CPU. Maybe this is an option. Thanks for your inspiration.

Internal design is completly different now. I will show it tomorrow if I have enough time to finish it.

Tapered side is 35 mm now. The case can not be flat. It is totally optimized for the height of AIO pumps/ Radiators + bending radius/ GPU dimensions.

 

[cadiguno]

I think a 18.4" display will be problematic as it's not a common monitor size. CMIIW the core concept for this project is not to 'fit the most powerful components possible' but to enable users to customize their Convertible-PC with off-the-shelf components.

What seperates this from notebooks is the fact that it can be build up completely with standard desktop components. It also has superior cooling

An uncommon monitor size IMO is a step backwards. But the ability to add a battery is definitely a plus.

 

[Tjo2012]

just some initial thoughts. Do what you think is right, its your build this is just where i come from as a consumer who games/does some smaller rendering workloads

this isnt good for a backpack because extended wear on the screen joint will cause it to eventually malfunction.
this is a problem on alot of screens attached similarly so the durability has to be on par with others particularly on this area, especially for a case which is supposed to have longevity/reusabilty. (sorry i dont have a good reference point for other designs but they do exist). Consider some having something to aide portability available or just making damn well sure this is how you want the screen attached.

A track pad adds some cost and if your gonna do something the stock features have to be up to par with others for it to be a satisfying experience/purchase. the onboard keyboard has some similar issues but not as severe as the trackpad, for me its tolerable. including some other mouse navigations options might be more optimal for both consumer and your overall time investment to start manufacturing. im not sure what other control options are available but the touchscreen takes care of a large portion of that issue so i see no problem removing the touchpad in its entirety. in all honestly shipping a wireless mouse with every case is probably better than a trackpad which drastically vary in quality and control scheme so you might be able to cut some case size down. The quality of the screen as a result takes precedent to the track pad with regard to user experience IMO.

It doesnt have to be a DIY laptop that supports medium size GPU's and better cooling options because thats what it seems like atm. pick a market you want to appeal to and make it right because its a premium case and has alot of potential to be awesome. Your customer base is obsessed with quality and distinctiveness, thats part of the reason why your vertical build picked up alot of steam

 

[Philairflow]

So here is the version 3 concept (again thanks to Konstantin for brainstorming). I completly changed the layout compared to version 2. The base unit is now wider and deeper. Thus the case can be thinner (trigonometry). This also allowed me to integrate a 270 mm GPU and a 240 x 30 mm AIO. Also the airflow should be better with 4 x 90 mm fans.

I am pretty happy with this layout now. Bigger fans, a 240 x 30 mm aio and 270 mm gpu should allow silent builds with decent performance. Even overclocking should be possible but most psu's will be a bottleneck here.

I am also planning with a battery now because there is enough space and I think it can be really useful. If a aircooler like NH L9 is used there is space for some extreme battery capacity.

So I think I will push things further with this layout.

Specifications concept version 3:

Dimension base unit: (H x W x D) 440 X 330 X 37,5 / 75 mm

Volume base unit: 8 liter

Material: Aluminium / ?

Display: 18,4 inch IPS display with 4k resolution (Built in ready notebook solution)

Mainboard: ITX

Graphics card: 2 slots and 270 mm length

Power supply: HDPLEX Hifi 400W DC-ATX and an external notebook psu

Hard drives: 2 x 2.5 inch

Front ports: 4 x USB 3.0, Audio I/O

Cooling:

- 240 x 30 mm AIO

- 4 x 90 mm fans

Battery (3 possible configurations, capacity is not specified now):

- small battery with 240 mm AIO

- medium battery with 120 mm AIO

- gigantic battery with aircooling

 

[Wantabiggercpu]

So here is the version 3 concept (again thanks to Konstantin for brainstorming). I completly changed the layout compared to version 2. The base unit is now wider and deeper. Thus the case can be thinner (trigonometry). This also allowed me to integrate a 270 mm GPU and a 240 x 30 mm AIO. Also the airflow should be better with 4 x 90 mm fans.

I am pretty happy with this layout now. Bigger fans, a 240 x 30 mm aio and 270 mm gpu should allow silent builds with decent performance. Even overclocking should be possible but most psu's will be a bottleneck here.

I am also planning with a battery now because there is enough space and I think it can be really useful. If a aircooler like NH L9 is used there is space for some extreme battery capacity.

So I think I will push things further with this layout.

Specifications concept version 3:

Dimension base unit: (H x W x D) 440 X 330 X 37,5 / 75 mm

Volume base unit: 8 liter

Material: Aluminium / ?

Display: 18,4 inch IPS display with 4k resolution (Built in ready notebook solution)

Mainboard: ITX

Graphics card: 2 slots and 270 mm length

Power supply: HDPLEX Hifi 400W DC-ATX and an external notebook psu

Hard drives: 2 x 2.5 inch

Front ports: 4 x USB 3.0, Audio I/O

Cooling:

- 240 x 30 mm AIO

- 4 x 90 mm fans

Battery (3 possible configurations, capacity is not specified now):

- small battery with 240 mm AIO

- medium battery with 120 mm AIO

- gigantic battery with aircooling

I really like what you did there. It looks impressive what hardware you packed into that flat chassis.

 

[Wantabiggercpu]

just some initial thoughts. Do what you think is right, its your build this is just where i come from as a consumer who games/does some smaller rendering workloads

this isnt good for a backpack because extended wear on the screen joint will cause it to eventually malfunction.
this is a problem on alot of screens attached similarly so the durability has to be on par with others particularly on this area, especially for a case which is supposed to have longevity/reusabilty. (sorry i dont have a good reference point for other designs but they do exist). Consider some having something to aide portability available or just making damn well sure this is how you want the screen attached.

A track pad adds some cost and if your gonna do something the stock features have to be up to par with others for it to be a satisfying experience/purchase. the onboard keyboard has some similar issues but not as severe as the trackpad, for me its tolerable. including some other mouse navigations options might be more optimal for both consumer and your overall time investment to start manufacturing. im not sure what other control options are available but the touchscreen takes care of a large portion of that issue so i see no problem removing the touchpad in its entirety. in all honestly shipping a wireless mouse with every case is probably better than a trackpad which drastically vary in quality and control scheme so you might be able to cut some case size down. The quality of the screen as a result takes precedent to the track pad with regard to user experience IMO.

It doesnt have to be a DIY laptop that supports medium size GPU's and better cooling options because thats what it seems like atm. pick a market you want to appeal to and make it right because its a premium case and has alot of potential to be awesome. Your customer base is obsessed with quality and distinctiveness, thats part of the reason why your vertical build picked up alot of steam

In my opinion leaving out the keyboard ruins the whole concept. I mean at the current stage it seems not much bigger then some fat gaming laptops like MSI GT80. So as long as the keyboard and trackpad is high quality everything is fine.

 

[Wantabiggercpu]

So where is the battery located with 240 mm AIO configuration?

 

[Philairflow]

I see that there are some open questions and suggestions above. I will answer them tomorrow because it is late now here in europe.

 

[zanduh]

Loving the project so far. Not a fan of the trackpad or the hinge for the screen. Would much rather see two hinges for better stability and less likely to break or twist. Would love to see the lower bezel taken advantage of, speakers maybe?

 

[Philairflow]

Again I changed everything because I noticed I can add SFX PSU support without increasing volume. So there will be a mounting panel that allows to install SFX PSU or DC PSU with battery. This opens up the possibility for high performance builds > 330 watt and I don't rely on DC psu exclusively. It will also be easy to switch between SFX and DC plus Battery.

To fit the SFX psu the mainboard I/O panel and gpu ports have to be on the left side. I think for a mobile case this is actually good and I think I managed to keep it aesthetic.

The new layout also allows 300 mm gpu with only a restriction in height. So now the case could fit something like watercooled i7 8700K with EVGA 1080 Ti SC2 and Corsair 600W psu.

Maybe 240 mm AiO is difficult now because I need space for LCD Controller and SSD's. So maybe I go with 120 X 45 mm AiO systems like Silent Loop 120. This certainly should be enough cooling. Even for modest overclocking.

Overall dimensions now come close to a machine like MSI GT83. It has the same footprint while only being a little higher on the tapered side. But it has a palmrest so it should provide good ergonomics.

And here is a picture of the new (and hopefully final) layout:

I realy like this new layout with the possibility of SFX psu. I think now I can go deeper into details.

 

[Philairflow]

So I made the new vertical stand. Here is a picture vertical mode vs notebook mode:

PS: I have this as my wallpaper. If someone is interested I have every picture in 4K resolution.

 

[theGryphon]

I don't see how that hinge is going to attach to the base. Looks like it's floating in the air.
Also, have you accounted for the keyboard and touchpad thickness and where they're going to mount? They seem to be 2 dimensional from the pics...

 

[Philairflow]

I don't see how that hinge is going to attach to the base. Looks like it's floating in the air.
Also, have you accounted for the keyboard and touchpad thickness and where they're going to mount? They seem to be 2 dimensional from the pics...

This is just concept so far. In terms of product development this is just step 2 (Product design). Step 2 is nearly done. Layout and dimensions are set (they are already pretty exact). Now the detailed engineering design will follow.

So all you see is not final. The real hinge is not implemented. Internal stabilization- and mounting-structure is still missing. So you are right some things are still floating. I noted that on the front post to make clear in what stage the project is.

The final hinge will look like this:

High build quality and stainless steel.

 

[Vlad502]

I think I can integrate something like 6 cells with 65 WH in max config. For a powerful machine (lets say i7 8700K + GTX 1080) this will not last long. Maybe something like 1 hour surfing and 30 min full load. This is just an estimate.

Some calculations:
Battery 65Wh (6cells*3,7V = 22,2V => 3Ah single cell)
CPU (65W) + GPU (120W) = 185W (display is 10-20W)
then PC will work 65/185 = 0,35h*60 = 21min

Small battery imo better be 6s3p battery => 195Wh,
but there are laptops (XMG ZENITH 17 with 8700K and GTX1080) using 89Wh battery (8cells) so don`t know, maybe is OK
Power consumption with 8700K and GTX1080 will be more than 200W

And if using SFX PSU then need battery with inverter (UPS), not like DC-DC with only battery
There are some mini UPS with Li battery inside and inverter to 220V: Portable 500W mini UPS lithium battery

 

[Philairflow]

Some calculations:
Battery 65Wh (6cells*3,7V = 22,2V => 3Ah single cell)
CPU (65W) + GPU (120W) = 185W (display is 10-20W)
then PC will work 65/185 = 0,35h*60 = 21min

Small battery imo better be 6s3p battery => 195Wh,
but there are laptops (XMG ZENITH 17 with 8700K and GTX1080) using 89Wh battery (8cells) so don`t know, maybe is OK
Power consumption with 8700K and GTX1080 will be more than 200W

And if using SFX PSU then need battery with inverter (UPS), not like DC-DC with only battery
There are some mini UPS with Li battery inside and inverter to 220V: Portable 500W mini UPS lithium battery

So battery will only be possible with DC PSU I think. In my opinion battery makes most sense when you replace the watercooling radiator with a very big battery.

 

[Philairflow]

So I made a size comparison picture with DAN A4 and my beloved Project Vertical: