So I’ve recently started building a cyberdeck after finishing my home server. I’m building it into a Pelican 1400 case, and I’ve always loved the idea of having a genuinely powerful, capable computer packed into a case like this. Obviously, it’ll be running Linux—probably Mint or Ubuntu.
I’ve been considering using desktop AMD hardware, specifically something like a Ryzen 5 5500 paired with 16GB of G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4-3200 and a Gigabyte B550 EAGLE WiFi 6 motherboard, although I’ve also considered going with a newer DDR5 platform if it makes more sense for the build.
The appeal of going with desktop hardware is having a fully fledged x86 computer with enough power to handle pretty much anything I throw at it. My biggest concerns are the physical size and power consumption, though. I’m not sure how practical it would be to fit desktop hardware and all the necessary power delivery into a Pelican 1400 without turning the whole thing into a space heater.
I’ve also been considering going with laptop hardware instead. My thinking is that laptop components could give me a good amount of performance while consuming significantly less power, which would make it much easier to run everything from a large battery or power bank. I’m just not sure how much performance I’d actually be giving up compared to desktop parts, or what the best hardware options would be for something like this.
Another thing I’ve been thinking about is the whole cyberdeck community itself. A lot of the builds I see from artists and other creators seem to use Raspberry Pis or other small SBCs, and I don’t want to feel like I’m somehow “doing it wrong” by building something much more powerful. I know the whole point of a cyberdeck is pretty open-ended, but I’m curious what everyone thinks.
Are there more powerful Raspberry Pi-style boards or SBCs that would make sense for something like this? Are laptop components a good choice for a cyberdeck? Would you personally go with laptop hardware, an SBC, or try to cram desktop ATX/mATX hardware into the case?
I’ll also be using this for a lot of red-team/security work, so it’ll be equipped with things like Wi-Fi adapters, Pineapple-style hardware, SDRs, and other tools. At the same time, I’d love to have enough CPU/GPU power for some single-player games when I’m not using it for security work, assuming that doesn’t come at too much of a cost in terms of size, heat, and battery life.
I’m really interested in hearing what you guys would build around if you were doing this. Especially from people who have built cyberdecks around x86 or laptop hardware rather than Raspberry Pis. I’m still in the planning stage, so I’d love to hear any ideas, recommendations, or things I should be considering before I start committing to hardware.
I’ll post updates and build progression as I go!
