[GortWillSaveUs]

I recently purchased a Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop as a gift for someone.
Got a chance to check it out once they started using it,..and I was very pleased by the design, quality, and the fact that there was no noise even when the fan kicked on,...which according to the specs is desgined to run cool-n-quite.

So,..I went and brought one for myself.
I needed a laptop anyway,...and I had a TV in a room that I wanted to drop a HTPC in anyway.
I installed XBMC and it is pretty awesome! Works perfectly in the XBMC role.
Plus,..I get to take it with me on business trips. No more wondering what's on TV in Cleveland, Ohio. (not that I've been there in a while,...but you ge tmy drift)
As an added bonus,..I've already brought it to a couple of friend's homes as a protable theater system,..and they were blown away with what XBMC does for us movie lovers.

[GortWillSaveUs]

Who needs Chromecast when I can use plug this laptop into the HDMI and play XBMC perfectly on my TV.
Okay, okay,..so the Chromecast is only $35,....but even still,...Google always seems so restrictive,...that I'll save the $35.
Plus,...I have a multi-functinal device in my laptop,....whereas the Chromecast is limited to what Google says it can do (or not do).

[Djangostar]

Great little laptop there!

You just gave me an amazing idea , If I can just find someone selling a broken laptop (screen) that I can use as an Xbmc machine . Like you said , your laptop can do it all .

Thanks Gort!

[joelbaby]

I installed XBMC and it is pretty awesome! Works perfectly in the XBMC role.

I don't understand why more people don't do the same thing.... a laptop (particularly 2nd hand IvyBridge) is a very strong xbmc box.
Stick an SSD inside it and it becomes an awesome work PC too.

Don't forget to do this:

Control Panel, System & Security, Power Options, left hand side "Choose what closing the lid does" -
'When I close Lid' - "Do Nothing"

[Netix]

Would you keep Windows 7 on a laptop that only run XBMC or you would try a different os ? And also what size would you take the SSD ?

Do you guys think a Macbook mid-2007 would work ? The 2.16 ghz with 2 gb of ram : http://support.apple.com/kb/sp18

[Dougie Fresh]

A 2007 MacBook has "Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory" which I am pretty sure is a no-go for what you want to do with it.

[Netix]

What about a Samsung Laptop with those specs :

Processor: 2.13GHz Intel Core i3-330M
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Hard drive: 500GB
Graphics: GeForce 310m
Model: NP-R580-JS03CA

[wttwoa]

my uncle gave me a acer aspire 5251 and it runs xbmc decently at 720p. here are the specs:

amd v120 cpu @ 2.2Ghz
hd 4250 intergrated graphics
2 gigs ram
250 HDD
windows 7 home premium 64 bit

it can display xbmc at 1080p through hdmi and play 720p videos just fine, i havent tested 1080p videos on xbmc however it can stream 1080p twitch and youtube just fine in internet explorer. i use the confluence skin with minimal add ons and disable background fan art and use thumbnail view to get the best response, the only thing i have noticed is that the mouse is a tiny bit jittery when you bring up the osd when watching a movie. hope this helps

[joelbaby]

Would you keep Windows 7 on a laptop that only run XBMC or you would try a different os ?

I would keep Windows 7 to start off with, because it familiar for most people.
I would buy a USB stick and put OpenElec on it, and boot from that to try a different OS first.

And also what size would you take the SSD ?

Small enough to run XBMC and your other software. I would not put the movies on it. Put those on an external drive.
XBMC downloads lots of images like fanart. Having this on SSD makes the interface a faster experience.
I use 128Gb because laptop is used for other PC things (and this requires 60-70Gb). Openelec builds only require smallest SSD (and only after you decide you want to do it after having tried it out with a USB stick).

Do you guys think a Macbook mid-2007 would work ? The 2.16 ghz with 2 gb of ram : http://support.apple.com/kb/sp18

Don't know. Does it have an HDMI port?
A problem with older laptops is they run their fan a lot. The fan is annoying when you watch a movie. The good thing about the SandyBridge and IvyBridge processors is they do not use much power, and don't generate much heat. The fan hardly ever goes on even when the PC is 'doing something'.

Model: NP-R580-JS03CA

This uses a 1st Gen i3 processor and so check it for fan noise... run an HD youtube video and see if the fan turns on. You can tell if you have a 1st Gen by the Intel Inside Sticker which has a gold top right corner. Safer to go for a laptop with 2nd/3rd Gen processor which has a gold stripe through the middle.

[GortWillSaveUs]

What about a Samsung Laptop with those specs :

Processor: 2.13GHz Intel Core i3-330M
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Hard drive: 500GB
Graphics: GeForce 310m
Model: NP-R580-JS03CA

That looks fine. If this is a laptop you already have,..then I'd say,..install XBMC and give it a go.

---

I installed XBMC and it is pretty awesome! Works perfectly in the XBMC role.

I don't understand why more people don't do the same thing.... a laptop (particularly 2nd hand IvyBridge) is a very strong xbmc box.
Stick an SSD inside it and it becomes an awesome work PC too.

Don't forget to do this:

Control Panel, System & Security, Power Options, left hand side "Choose what closing the lid does" -
'When I close Lid' - "Do Nothing"

Thanks! and thanks for also explainging where and how to disable the closing of the lid.
I have that setup,...but I know some people might not be aware of that option.

[Briany]

Who needs Chromecast when I can use plug this laptop into the HDMI and play XBMC perfectly on my TV.

I was hoping that Chromecast would essentially be a proprietary but flexible Wi-Di connection device with some Google goodies built in. I've got a PC downstairs in part time HT role over the HDMI but it would be sort of nice if I didn't have to futz with running cable. Got a 3 metre one running across the mantlepiece. Classy decor.

Only thing with running the show from a laptop is using the damn touchpad. If you don't have one already, get some remote control solution. Controlling XBMC from some touchscreen device makes me feel like I'm living in the future.

[GortWillSaveUs]

Who needs Chromecast when I can use plug this laptop into the HDMI and play XBMC perfectly on my TV.

Only thing with running the show from a laptop is using the damn touchpad. If you don't have one already, get some remote control solution. Controlling XBMC from some touchscreen device makes me feel like I'm living in the future.

I'd highly reccomend the following three options (I use all three and love them all):

I use the IOGEAR Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel, 2.4GHz Wireless most of the time and love it. It's not a big as a full sized keyboard,...but it's also not a so small as to be ridiculous.

The other one I use from time to time is the FAVI Entertainment Wireless Keyboard (Built-in TouchPad/Laser Pointer). This thing is so cool and especiially handy when I go portable with the laptop. The laser pointer is actually really helping to show your friends how your football team is picking their football team apart.

And last but not least is the Windows 7 Vista XP Media Center MCE PC Remote Control and Infrared Receiver for Home, Premium and Ultimate Edition my kids love to use,..it's light, quick, and easy to use.

[Netix]

Any idea how to reduce the heat on the laptop ? When the lid is closed the laptop go as high as 95 degree celcius.. and sometime it close by itself !!

[grease monkey]

I have been using a Dell Studio 1550, running openelec for a while now. The Dell hard drive fried on it, so I put a 32 gig sd card, and reloaded openelec and added 2tb external hard drive. This is connected to a 42-Inch LG LN5300 via the hdmi port on the dell.
I have no problems works great.
As far as the cooling goes,I have sitting on a Laptop Cooling Pad, link.

[GortWillSaveUs]

Any idea how to reduce the heat on the laptop ? When the lid is closed the laptop go as high as 95 degree celcius.. and sometime it close by itself !!

The newer laptops seem to be doing a much better job in this area,...meaning heat.
As I said in the first post, the Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop was amazingly silent, even with the fan kicking on. Also, the heat was also basically non-existent. Can't say that about other laptops, especially older ones!

I suppose it's all about low power CPU's, more efficient heat sinks,...and the use of SSDs.

If you have a laptop that needs cooling,..I'd highly recomend the Thermaltake Massive23 LX Laptop Notebook Cooler Oversized 230mm Blue LED Fan USB.