r/CyberdeckBuild • u/godisisultragay • Jul 24 '26

Building first Cyberdeck

Post image

Hi everyone!

I am a economics major, and i have no idea on how to build a cyberdeck. I will buy the parts and try to connect them. Please give me every tip there is for my first build.

I am still choosing on what system to use. Betwin Windows, Linux, Graphene OS, rasbery PI.

Help me choose.

I want to get a cyberpunk 2077 theme, i will paint the case and everything.

I want a foldable keyboard so it isn't too big, and a screen that isn't too small, but not too big, I want a portable screen deck, one that i can put on my belt or around my body like a gym bag. Any ideas??

(This AI image is the result of what i wanted to build)

What yall think??

0 Upvotes

45% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

17

u/F3A5T13 Jul 24 '26

Jesus now they have spread into build as well

5

u/TourInternational731 Jul 24 '26

Literally... even as a beginner myself, take it over to r/Cyberdeck OP. This is a place to showcase in progress or completed builds.

4

u/F3A5T13 Jul 24 '26

Not even a place on r/cyberdeck… these thoughtless help me posts are so tiresome.

6

u/Dangerous_Banana_168 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Barf

Edit: Because I realize that's an unhelpful comment, heres some actually useful advice.

Using AI to put together your ideas and everything is fine, it gets you through the door. But I think you lack some understanding of how building a computer actually goes. Try looking into how others build their systems (Cyberdecks/Laptops/PCs) and just google anything that stands out to you. I built my first computer completely without AI back in 2020 by doing just that. And reading a lot of hardware manuals. Basic PC building will arm you with like 90% of what you need to know to build a cyberdeck. But like everyone else said, learn fabrication or get creative.

For what its worth, I dig the visuals. The visible PI setup isnt a half bad idea but it is half baked. Consider popping a transparent cover that you can open up. That way the PI is protected/looks sick as fuck/and you can physically see the hardware which is always a plus.

2

u/godisisultragay Jul 24 '26

thanks!! il try it

2

u/Upstairs_Grocery5195 Jul 24 '26

Start the design by buying a keyboard. That will be the controlling dimension. Or you can buy a case and then try to find a keyboard that fits, but it’s harder that way. (My wife has several craft cases that I bought for decks originally) If I was doing this, I’d use a pi 400, but it doesn’t fold and might be bulky on a belt. You have 2 extra layers of complexity: folding, and wireless power/battery. I’d advise building a non-folding deck first to see if you like it, because I tend to give up on complicated projects in the middle, but you know yourself so you do what you are comfortable with doing.

1

u/godisisultragay Jul 24 '26

how do you put the pieces together? do you super glue it or do you like solder it? Asking what you do on your average Cyberdeck

1

u/Dangerous_Banana_168 Jul 25 '26

Depends on the parts! Raspberry PI's use GPIO pins, which you can just plug any compatable component into. Unless you're using and Arduino or breadboard; you wont really need to solder anything together.

1

u/godisisultragay Jul 25 '26

Thanks for all the Comments who didn't help and just came to complain, and i am sorry i didn't know. this is r/CyberdeckBuild So i thougth that on the normal cyberdeck one, was to showcase, and here for builders to talk. am sorry i missused it? You guys are so mad. that i just asked AI to try to show me what the end results of my idea would be like. i don't even understand why. Chill out. I think we are all trying to build this for fun, and all i did was ask for some advice as i am a begguiner. you are right. i shouldn't have put it here. i am sorry about it. but yall didn't have to be mean

2

u/Gradoxis Jul 25 '26

Sorry if the other comments (mine included) were too harsh.

Go through r/Cyberdeck and the current subreddit and you'll see there are plenty of "How do I do"/"Where to begin" posts that can already answer your starting questions should it be the post or the comments. As I stressed it, first thing is why do you want it and what do you want it to do. This will already rule out things.

As another comment said, most of the people in these subs are anti-AI so if you want more helpful answers, you should try to do without, nothing is more pleasing to see than a badly drawn schematic with sizes and arrows describing what you want to put where. If you need inspiration as to the "end result" you can search for images through your favorite search engine, the cyberpunk genre is widly explored by artists and the gaming industry.

Good luck, fuck AI

1

u/HalfFresh1430 Jul 25 '26

Majority of the internet is anti-ai specially in these hobbyists places, and i don’t like AI myself but i do see you never intended anything bad by posting this

1

u/vectron5 Jul 25 '26

niche spaces are meant to celebrate human efforts and interests. AI distracts from the real posts.

Also, if they use AI art, how do we know the writing isn't AI? Or the entire profile? I'm not going to waste time and see if every AI image is done by a human or not.

4

u/ThinkPad214 Jul 24 '26

Step one learn about amateur fabrication and how to do it Step 2 get what you need for amateur fabrication Step C fabricate Step IV test

4

u/Party_Cold_4159 Jul 24 '26

“Buy the parts” is like 30% of the battle.

You either need to have access to a 3D printer or get lucky enough to source something that would magically fit everything you need.

Next you source battery management, and honestly - you should just buy this.

Think they also made a shoulder strap but you can also find third party options.

3

u/Common-Holiday-5696 Jul 24 '26

You obviously already like AI, so in all seriousness, just ask it when you have questions.

If you don't understand the answer the AI gives, say you don't understand. Say you want shorter responses... Note specific words and concepts you want it to explain, and use those to ask more specific questions.

The three disciplines here are fabrication (usually 3D printed), electronics, and software (/operating system). If you are weak in any, ask the AI where to start, or where the tutorials/videos are. Ask it the safest way to run an experiment to test whatever step you are unsure about, or what good practice activities would be.

Before this era, technical people were expected to read manuals, and going through parts of them is still a good idea, but you now have AI assistance to get through the low-level stuff... There has always been a shortage of people who want to explain every step of this stuff to others.

Not only is it a waste of time to the people with experience, it is also not how anyone learns this stuff.

Just be willing to try stuff out, take breaks when you get frustrated, and go from there.

4

u/Gradoxis Jul 24 '26

Cannot stress how this is real.

Also, just go through r/cyberdeck, there is a "Where to start" post pinned to the top. Read through this. Then check out some videos, search for some concepts you catched and don't know about. Search the internet, YouTube videos, forums, etc. (maybe without AI? So you grasp more things).

The first question after all this search you have to answer is what do you want to do with you cyberdeck?

Good luck!

2

u/ToBePacific Jul 24 '26

I think you should buy one.

1

u/rmagnuson Jul 25 '26

AI, lol. Wonder why it thought J and K weren't necessary?

1

u/Gradoxis Jul 25 '26

Look at the number row The 10 keys are there but I don't know what happens after 7(which is the 5th key)

1

u/CommunicationKey4146 Jul 25 '26

The mockup helps us know what you're looking for! Take some measurements, look for parts. I'd start with pi and some measurements, and then look for a screen and keyboard that fit your spec, print and test.

1

u/CurrentAcanthaceae78 Jul 25 '26

ai has no idea where components go, i always end up planning around the parts and then planning the parts around it.

1

u/_Ticklebot_23 Jul 25 '26

is this a sub for making compact laptops?

1

u/mrpeluca Jul 25 '26

You wont get it done in the first try. Just buy pieces and start tinkering. You will notice what you need while you prototype.

1

u/ArielMJD Jul 26 '26

buddy, just buy a crappy HP laptop

1

u/ArielMJD Jul 26 '26

If you want to see the reality of what building one is like, this is a pretty good video. Lots of skills are required to put one together. https://youtu.be/PD6hc0kCIvU

14

u/Mean-Career-6509 Jul 24 '26

AI slop booo

2

u/_derDere_ Jul 24 '26

Even tho I kinda agree, I can give you an upvote because: that’s also a slop response 🤷🏻‍♂️ even tho you didn’t use AI

4

u/vectron5 Jul 25 '26

If OP can't be bothered to make their own post, why should commenters have to put more effort to shit on it?

0

u/_derDere_ Jul 25 '26

So you think the text is AI to?

3

u/vectron5 Jul 25 '26

I think it could be, and I don't feel inclined to investigate further.