Laptop Gaming System - guide to building it cheap
 You want to get
into computer gaming but don't want to spend up to $3000 on a custom laptop gaming system? And you still want your
system to be mobile enough so you can play with your friends or any other place except your home... a cheap
laptop gaming system is a solution.
A cheap laptop gaming system is conveniently compact and eliminates the task of
transporting your entire desktop system including case, monitor, keyboard, speakers, etc. From boring movies to
dentist offices to classroom lectures, this system can go virtually anywhere ... and you can still
have it accessorized with a large flat screen panel monitor to match a desktop system.
Not always a full-time gamer? Don't worry, a cheap laptop gaming system is built to handle the extreme
computing of modern games. With this in mind, you can use this system for just about anything else. I myself am a
part time gamer and have built a few cheap laptop gaming systems for my friends and myself. These systems can do almost
anything and don't need to be upgraded for a long while.
The advantages of a cheap gaming system
- conveniently compact and goes anywhere
- no need for upgrades for a long time
- meets the demands of all computer needs, not only gaming
- all the features you want and need for gaming and entertainment
What would it take to assemble a cool laptop gaming system?
Here is a really cool system that would amaze even a hardcore gamer. A cheap laptop, a
cheap flat panel monitor,
cheap computer speakers, a USB Dolby Digital Decoder or External Sound card, cheap stereo phones and a cheap joystick.
How much would it cost?
Here's an example of how you can assemble one from TigerDirect.com:
- cheap laptop - $1,049.99
- cheap flat panel monitor - $339.99
- cheap computer speakers - $79.99
- Extigy - $99.99
- cheap headphones - $7.99
- cheap joystick - $34.99
------------------------------------
Total: $1612.94
Let's take them down one by one ...
1 - Cheap Laptop for laptop gaming system
Minimum requirements can be found on the cheap laptops page. Here is
one I've found on TigerDirect.com - it has all the features for gaming laptop for a great price:
Ashton Digital Passport 2100
- Intel® Celeron 4 - 2.0GHz
- 256MB DDR Memory
- 64MB DDR dedicated video memory
- 30GB Hard Drive
- 15-inch LCD Display
- DVD/CD-RW Combo 8X/8X8X24X
- ATI MOBILITY RADEON 7500 Video
- AGP Graphics Engine [4X]
- Maximum Resolution: 1024x768
- Built-in speakers
- SoundBlaster Pro Compatible Audio
- S/PDIF [5.1 Digital Audio Output for DTS]
- External CD controls [plays CDs even when system is off]
- V.90 56k Modem
- 10/100 Mbps Internet
- 4 USB ports
- VGA port (Monitor)
- Hi-Duty Li-Ion Smart Battery
- Microsoft® Windows XP Home Edition
- Maximum Memory: 1GB
- Limited Warranty: 12 months parts; 12 months labor
2 - Cheap Flat Panel Monitor
To make your proper selection of a flat panel monitor see my
cheap flat panel monitor page. For laptop gaming,
additional considerations must be taken for the Response Time characteristic of the monitor. Response time is measured in milliseconds (ms).
To view the images from games and movies as they are meant to be viewed, the
monitor needs to have the highest level of response time to eliminate "visual stutter." - 16 Milliseconds
What is "response time?" This refers to the screen's signal reaction speed - a monitor's response
time needs to be lower than 17 milliseconds to enjoy smoother transitions without still image retention or
delays in motion. Flat panel monitors with a 16ms response time show almost 63 images per second…that
translates to smooth and fluid images, even better than in your television. Here's one cheap monitor that fits this additional requirement:
Benq FP767T 17" 1280x1024 16ms
- 17.0" active matrix TFT LCD
- max res. 1280x1024 at 75Hz
- 0.264mm dot pitch
- Contrast Ratio: 500:1
- Response time 16ms
- Net weight: 14.1 lbs.
- Tilt Base
- Dimensions (W x H x D) 15 " x 7.9" x 15.9"
- Limited Warranty: 36 months parts; 36 months labor
3 - Cheap Computer Speakers
I recommend that you select a 6-piece speaker system to give your laptop gaming system the true Dolby
Digital 5.1 Surround Sound effect. Most video games today are designed to support it.
Logitech Z640 Speaker 51 Watt 5.1 Surround System
- Total Wattage: 51Watts
- Speakers: Four 3" midrange/tweeter speakers, One 4" midrange speaker, One 8" subwoofer.
- Included adapter for instant connectivity to video game consoles
- Dual-chamber subwoofer delivers twice the bass energy of similar subwoofers
- 4 stylish satellites stand on desk or mount on wall to provide smooth mid and high frequencies
- Center channel speaker with system controls rests on your monitor or your desk
- Magnetic shielding in speakers protects your equipment
- Warranty: 1 Year Limited Warranty
4 - External USB Dolby Digital Decoder
You will need the Dolby Digital decoder to connect all 6 speakers and to decode sound effects or music through the
6 different channels to achieve a true Dolby Digital 5.1 effect. The Sound Blaster® Extigy™ from
Creative will do just that. The Extigy plugs into the USB port on your gaming laptop.
Sound Blaster Extigy™ from Creative
 Connects to USB port- Installs quickly and easily
- A remote control is standard.
- 100dB signal-to-noise ratio
- Dolby® Digital decoding
- 24-bit/96kHz compatible connectivity
- Home theater experience.
- Can operate as a stand-alone Dolby® Digital decoder for use with DVD players or entertainment consoles.
- Optical and MIDI In/Out, SPDIF-In, Line-In and Mic-In ports
- Connect your laptop gaming system to DVD players, CD and MP3 players, MIDI devices, stereo and multi-channel speakers, headphones and more.
5 - Cheap Stereo Headphones
If you're a gamer like me, you play a lot at night. To keep the volume down and still have a good time
playing you need to get a good pair of headphones. Your laptop gaming system won't be complete without them.
Cyber Acoustics ACM-500 Stereo Phones
- Durable adjustable headband with leatherette pads
- Rotary volume control
- Soft leatherette ear pads
- Shielded cord
- 3.5mm gold plug with 6.3mm adapter
- 7' shielded cord
- Sensitivity: -47db +/- 3db at 1 kHz
- Frequency response: 300Hz to 10,000Hz
- Impedance: 2000 ohms
6 - Cheap Joystick
Take control of your game with all the features you need to dominate flight sims, combat missions, and races. Plug it into the USB port of your laptop gaming system.
Logitech Wingman Extreme Digital 3D Joystick
- 7 programmable buttons
- An 8-way hat switch, and a precision throttle.
- Turn on a dime with precise twist-handle rudder control.
- Stable, but compact, weighted base
- Start playing right away with pre-configured button maps for hundreds of popular PC games.
- One Year Limited Warranty
- "Double" the number of buttons with the shift-button
- Software to customize buttons
- Quickly switch between game controllers
- Includes profiles for hundreds of popular PC games
- Easily download new game profiles
- Connect to USB port or game port
- Limited Warranty: 12 months parts
Assembling your laptop gaming system
First, connect the 6 Logitech speakers to the Extigy decoder.
Connect the Extigy to the one of the USB ports on your laptop.
Connect the Flat Panel Monitor to the USB port or the VGA port.
Connect the Joystick to the USB port.
Connect the Headphones to the headphone port.
You're done. Now you have a desktop comparable laptop gaming system that is also mobile - just unplug the
Monitor, Joystick and Extigy, and you can take your laptop gaming anywhere. Plug them back in, and enjoy a
large screen, great sound and total 'joystick' control. Or just take your laptop with your headphones to the library...
Tip: You can close your laptop and still have it running - just change the system settings to 'not to go off' when the top is
closed. Close you laptop and use your flat panel monitor instead.
Hardcore Mobile Gamer?
Looking for something very exiting? Then check out this custom built laptop gaming system. This is the coolest system that I've seen ... www.alienware.com
Alienware packs plenty of features into the compact case
See more on high-end specialized laptop gaming in
Best Gaming Laptops.
Contact Us: infogate@comcast.net
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