Briefcase PC

I had a brainstorm after buying an aluminum tool case to stash my laptop in so i did some research on the net and found a few PC mods already done to turn the briefcase into a fancy computer case, however i was thinking to make it into a compact and completely portable unit, monitor, stowage for essential connectors, keyboard and mouse etc. all integrated into one case, open it up, pull out the keyboard and mouse, plug it into the wall and go. A portable PC with the pwer and, most importantly, the upgradability of a desktop PC. Now, with those requirements in mind.

I can aquire a new aluminum tool case at canatian tire.
To start im thinking a micro ATX board, i havnt looked too hard into this market but i assume they come just as packed with integrated components (ethernet, modem, audio etc.) as regular board but sacrifice expansion slots for space, thats not a problem.

In the extra space, A standard sized PSU can be modded and mounted, if the monitor has an external adaptor, it will also be mounted in the case with a single external plug to feed them both.

For media solutions either an external CD/DVD drive be modded to pop up or a concieled drive bay opens on the side of the case while HDD share the spare space with the power solution, (but not too close mind you).

Problem comes when allotting space for pc cards. to allow for room for perifrial and connector stowage, the PC cards will have to be mounted on an angle instead of 90 degrees to the board. Is there adaptors to do this ? 45 deg. daughter boards or ribbon adaptors etc.

Like these?

For a motherboard I know this may sound expensive but have a look at the itx, nano itx and utx boards. They're around 100 and up but they're small enough for what your planning

Yessir... thats exactly what i had in mind.

as for the itx and utx boards, i shal look into it when i get home from work. 100 bucks isnt much concidering i was looking at a $200 MB and DDR3 in my full size quad core build plan.

Next up for debate would be the cooling system. It would have to be low profile and not excessively heavy, which rules out water cooling and those monolithic heat pipe solutions, yet still be able to evacuate the heat of all the components in a cramped space.

If this project gets off the ground ill document it and post it up. Put my new DSLR camera to work

Use big fans... 120's

Or a modded blower design with custom ducting to keep things cool. 120s would be impractical since the PC has to fit in the lower half and the monitor in the lid.

Ive been looking around, i have found only micro ATX that offers what im looking for, 1 or 2 PCI and 1 PCI-E x16, 2gb+ ram capacity, as well as Quad core support (MSI P6NGM-L and MSI P6NGM-FD in particualr caught my eye.. the suckers are loaded). However the dimentions of 12 x 11 would be a little snug in this plan. The intended briefcase is 17 1/2 x 12 1/2 and i want all wires and cables internal, no mess, its gotta look like a briefcase when its done... personal requirement, computer in disguise

Any suggestions on a better selection of boards ?

This formfactor standards have me confused, Wiki defines MicroATX to be 9.5" x 9.5" while the retailors label a 12" x 11" board as MicroATX

Yeah... imagine my surprise when I ordered a microATX board and it turned out to be the same size as a regular board. WTF is micro about 12 x 11?

lol the matx boards are shorter lol thats all whats really micro about them.

I aparently misread the specs on the site i was shopping. turns out 11 x 10 is the size of the box. MicroATX if indeed 9.5" x 9.5" will work out just fine for the briefcase build.

A general idea on what components should be going into this secret agent worthy gaming rig so far.

Widescreen LCD monitor (fit in 17" w x 12.5" h)
mATX board
Multicore proc
PCI-X & PCI riser (cables preferrably).
PCI-X Geforce GFX card
PCI Wi-fi
ATX PSU (modded)
2GB ram (min.)

The riser cables will be a tough one to find tho. Maybe i can make a pair if i get some project components

Next to figure out is how to efficiently cool the proc with something that stands no more than 2.5" to 3" tops when mounted to keep it below the lip of the lower half of the case. As for media, can laptop HDDs and CD-roms be adapted to mATX hardware ?

Here.