Advice for constructing/reconstructing a 4k media PC (using parts I have)

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dontbesojumpy

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I have a few-years-old HP laptop (model DV7T-7000 CTO) that I have been using as a media PC for a year or more (HDMI out into a 40" tv). It was my old laptop but was damaged (screen and keyboard) in a drop, but It has 2 good hard drives, 8gb ram and a pretty solid i7 3610qm.

I already have a 40" UHD tv. The Dv7 won't run above full HD, even tho I can push the settings past full HD a little, it looks like hot garbage due to bad frame rates.

My question is, would I be better served to upgrade the HP's video cards or would it be better to find something like a Shuttle where I can plug in most of these assets from the HP? Is it even POSSIBLE to upgrade the GPU/Video to 4k?

I am finding MSI Cubes and Shuttles, but they take 4th gen Intel Chips and my (still very strong) i7-3610 is gen 3.

All the machine will need to do is play video or music files and streaming services, no other real use. The DV7 is adequate if I could get 4k out of it.

Thanks for any help.
 
Solution
James Mason
Nah Desktops have all these standards they have to conform to so the parts are swappable. Laptops conform to nothing and each laptop model is pretty much unique. So while that shuttle may use a laptop motherboard, it's a Shuttle DS81 laptop motherboard.

However, if you wanted to, you could take the RAM & HDDs out of your laptop and put them in that Shuttle Barebones and then also buy a 4th gen CPU to put in there that can handle 4k video. Which is basically any of them from the Celerons to the Core i7s. https://pcpartpicker.com/product/QLDzK8/intel-cpu-bx80646g3260
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dontbesojumpy

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bearing in mind I'm not married to keeping the laptop's configuration IN a laptop casing, why can't the video card be updated? is it integrated into the motherboard?

Does anyone know of any barebone media box computers (like an MSI Cube) that would take a gen 3 i7?
 
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James Mason

James Mason

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Yes.
Laptops are entirely integrated. the only thing you can salvage from it is the harddrive, but considering the screenbroke because your dropped it, the HDDs could be as well.
Laptop Ram is different from Desktop ram, and laptop CPUs/GPUs are soldered onto the motherboard.
 
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dontbesojumpy

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For claification, I have been using the laptop as a media PC *after* the drop, so I know the HDDs are still good, ram is good, motherboard and out componets (audio out and HDMI out) all work, etc.

It's just a shame for such a good CPU to be wasted. I'd love to find some barebones box I could swap it into.

Do 4k computers need a lot of ram/CPU power to playback smoothly?
 
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James Mason

James Mason

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For video, not really. For 3d, kinda a lot. (steam streaming isn't 3d though, it's just a 2d image)
And Laptop parts are completely different from desktop parts. There exists no case you could actually put it in where you didn't just drop it in there and let it float around, besides either a new empty laptop case of the exact same model you have, or some custom built one specifically for your laptop motherboard. Which still wouldn't work because you can't attach any coolers to it because it's only designed for the laptop cooler it currently has.
 
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dontbesojumpy

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Hrm. I know desktop vs laptop parts differ, but I was under the impression something like this would take Laptop type components due to the extremely small size.

This is why I come to you guys, I defer to more inform people so I can figure out my best options :)
 
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James Mason

James Mason

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Jan 2, 2014
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Nah Desktops have all these standards they have to conform to so the parts are swappable. Laptops conform to nothing and each laptop model is pretty much unique. So while that shuttle may use a laptop motherboard, it's a Shuttle DS81 laptop motherboard.

However, if you wanted to, you could take the RAM & HDDs out of your laptop and put them in that Shuttle Barebones and then also buy a 4th gen CPU to put in there that can handle 4k video. Which is basically any of them from the Celerons to the Core i7s. https://pcpartpicker.com/product/QLDzK8/intel-cpu-bx80646g3260
 
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dontbesojumpy

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Cool, thanks for the info.

I just found a masterlist of motherboards for my 3610qm chipset, and there are like 4 and they are all laptops. So I can see how that severely limits me moving in the direction I was hoping to. Certainly no out-of-the-box barebones will have a compatible MB. Oh well. I'm glad I asked.

Hopefully I can at least sell the CPU so that someone else can get good use of it. I had having so many odds and ends computer parts around.
 
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