Can I transform this old laptop?

woodystyle777

Honorable
Jun 11, 2012
7
0
10,510
Hey guys, my company gave me an old laptop that they dont use anymore. It's a Sony Vaio VGN-N325E. I think its like from 2006 or something. Its really fat being so old but I thought to my self, it would be cool to rip the insides out and make a custom laptop with an old body. I know you can go to walmart and get a decent laptop these days for like 300-400 bucks, and that this might not be a cost effective project, but I really like the idea of making an old custom.

I have some experience in custom computers, I have a custom built desktop that Ive also upgraded and runs great. I just have never messed with laptops. Can this be done? It seems harder since Im guessing I would need a motherboard that would have all the jacks line up with the computers body. And im not sure if you can upgrade the optical drive and make it all "fit".

Thanks,
WooDy
 
Solution
Not really. Laptops are built around all the parts working together. You can't take a new laptop motherboard and other internals, and fit it into an old case. All the ports are in the wrong place.
The screen will take a different ribbon connector.

You can maybe turn it into a pic viewer, or possibly use it as a whole house firewall box.
Hang it on the kitchen wall for a recipe viewer.
Fix it up and gift to to an underprivileged kid.

USAFRet

Illustrious
Moderator
Not really. Laptops are built around all the parts working together. You can't take a new laptop motherboard and other internals, and fit it into an old case. All the ports are in the wrong place.
The screen will take a different ribbon connector.

You can maybe turn it into a pic viewer, or possibly use it as a whole house firewall box.
Hang it on the kitchen wall for a recipe viewer.
Fix it up and gift to to an underprivileged kid.
 
Solution
Not much you can do with it. The max RAM it can support is limited to 2GB and the laptop is relatively slow. At home I have two laptops side by side. Sometimes I have both of them on so that I can do multitasking or simply watch video on one while doing things with the other. The laptop I have sitting on the side is a Lenovo Y470 with a nVidia GT 550m chip that has basically died; only using the Intel HD 3000.

When I replace it with a new laptop next year I will clean up the Lenovo and wipe it. Then I will drop it off at a local Salvation Army Depot.