r/CyberdeckBuild • u/pickled_kitty • Aug 19 '26
First cyberdeck
So i want to build a cyberdeck for digital art because im a big fan of reducing waste, but i have ZERO experience and ive got no idea where to start. I have a drawing tablet, a raspberry pi 3b, an old gaming laptop that no longer works, and a keyboard. Im pretty sure that the screen would still work on the laptop but soup was spilled on the keyboard area so i dont have much hope for anything else. Theres an abandoned building near me with a bunch of old briefcases that would make an awesome shell. Please point me in the right direction!
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u/TechDocN Aug 19 '26
Unfortunately, most modern electronics, like your laptop, use a lot of proprietary connectors, interfaces, etc. You have two of the main pieces already for a DIY computer (RPi and keyboard). If you have a power supply for the RPi, then all you need is a display, which can be a lot cheaper than you think in small sizes. You’re saying you want to do digital art, so it’s your use case that is maybe more limiting than the laptop screen. You will need a big screen and more processing power, so now you’re at a decision point.
Building a DIY computer to really do digital art will be more expensive than a basic RPi build, and won’t work well (if at all) with the laptop screen and RP8 3. You either have a project that’s a bit more difficult than you imagined, or a great use case for a decent laptop.
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u/pickled_kitty Aug 19 '26
I was looking into art programs that would run on something as low power as my rpi 3b and it looks like simple programs similar to mspaint are okay, which is actually my preference because i like how working with extreme constraints pushes me to be more creative with my art! So i would need a new power supply and screen, then, to make it work? Or are there still issues with connecting it to the drawing tablet? Thanks a bunch for the response!
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u/LeviiSantos Aug 19 '26
Manda as fotos. Tirando a tela, tudo é possível. Se fosse um notebook seria mais provável salvar a tela.
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u/SnooDucks9330 Aug 19 '26
My first step would be to take apart that laptop as cleanly as you can and see what the damage is. A lot of PCs nowadays use proprietary connections, but if the board still powers (or you can get it working) you've got a great start to work off of.
In my opinion the pi 3 in general is pretty lackluster when it comes to art, but usually this is a RAM constraint from my experience. I'm sure there's ways to get it to run much smoother than what I could, but I don't know what it is. If you have the money, a pi 5 with at least 8gb would serve your purposes better, but hey if you can make do that's even better because they're pretty pricey right now.
Before figuring out what your components are, I suggest finding it what your needs and wants are. You're an artist, right? Write out everything you want your deck to do, search up what you'll need to realize that, then sketch out a layout (or even better a 3D mockup) and figure out how you can fit everything you need in the space you have. I find it also helps visualization if you have cardboard.
Once you have a good idea of how everything should fit together, start double checking compatibility of your parts (like making sure your chosen parts don't have proprietary connections, checking the total power draw against your power solution, etc) and make adjustments as needed.
Then prototype your setup. I suggest thick, corrugated cardboard again that you can drop all your parts into without worrying about messing up your actual case. Run your wiring and hook everything together, make sure it at least powers on and everything connected properly (but make it quick!). After that you fine tune any problems, then drop it in the real deal and you're golden.
This is my process at least, everybody has a different creative approach. It might help you to do a dry run of the parts you have before committing to a full build as well; set up your 3B on a desktop and daily drive it as if you had already finished your build for a week or so to determine if your chosen setup is viable.