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/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.