In this article I will be explaining how to make a Raspberry Pi-powered laptop for under $400. The finished product can surf the web, run programs, and can be compared to laptops far more expensive. Since the pandemic has limited electronic availability, some supplies can be a lot more expensive than what I have listed.

Supplies

Step 1: Explaining Materials

Raspberry Pi 4 or 3B

Although something like a Zero 2 W or an older model can work, it will be exponentially slower and drag down the user-friendly portion of this laptop. With the Raspberry Pi shortages, it can be difficult to find a product at a reasonable price. In my example, I used a Raspberry Pi 4b with 8GB of RAM that I purchased in around 2019 for $75. Now however, the same one can sell for over a hundred dollars if not more. I recommend to buy a 2 or 4GB version as they still can be found in stock on some approved resellers.

10 Inch LCD Screen

It does not have to be 10 inches, but keep in mind that the case has to change depending on the size of the screen. There is no difference between touchscreen and non-touchscreen, just pick whichever is most convenient to you. Raspberry Pi offers an official 7-inch screen but it is too tiny to be utilized in a laptop.

15000 mAh Portable Charger

It does not have to be 15000 mAh. A mAh is described as how much energy a battery can hold. The greater the mAh, the longer it can last without being recharged. I found that a 15000 mAh Portable Charger is small enough to fit inside a laptop and holds enough energy to last around two hours on a single charge.

Miniature Bluetooth Keyboard

The keyboard you choose must be smaller than the screen or the laptop will look odd. Raspberry Pi's bluetooth connectivity can be spotty at times so a direct USB wire is more reliable.

Male to Male Jumper Wires

This is not required. Since most LCD screens contain a driver board, there's a chance that the processing unit can overheat. To counter this, wire a fan up with Jumper Wires from the GPIO pins of the Raspberry Pi.

Heatsink Plus Fan

If you own some sort of PC or laptop, the main issue is overheating. Raspberry Pi's are designed to automatically shut down when temperatures over 80 C are reached. However, the board still can suffer permanent damage (I learned my lesson on that one). Since sophisticated cooling methods such as water cooling is too clunky, the fan and heatsink is the best product for its price.

USB C Cable or Micro USB

If you decide to use a Raspberry Pi 3, a Micro USB cable is needed to power the board. For the Pi 4, a USB C cable is used.

Oak Plywood

Any form of wood thinner than half a centimeter can work as long as it is durable. You can also 3d print a shell. To cut the wood, you need either a saw or a blade sharp enough to cut wood. Jigsaws or power tools are not required since the wood can easily be cut with a hand saw.

A Hinge

A door hinge can work for this step, with varying results. A possible substitute is a torque hinge but can be difficult to find at a reasonable price.

Step 2: Assembly

This is the step where you collect the materials and blueprint the laptop case. To start, use the saw and cut out a board big enough to fit the screen. Then, add sides to the board that is long enough to cover the screen.

Second, make a case that is big enough to fit the keyboard, power bank, and raspberry pi. Make the appropriate wiring and be sure to test all materials beforehand. Connect the two cases using a hinge glued to each side.

And that basically is done. If people bother to make this, I will provide the dimensions and more detailed supplies. This isn't an official tutorial, just a article to spark your imagination in a way.