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OCZ Barbone Gaming Notebook in-stock at Buy.com for $669.99 after mail-in rebate.

In mid-May, DailyTech broke the news that OCZ would be entering the DIY notebook market with its Barebone Gaming Notebook. Less than a month later, the notebook is finally hit e-tailer store shelves.

"For years consumers have wanted to build their own mobile computing platforms, but the product offerings and market simply did not serve them as they did in the desktop do it yourself segment," said OCZ Systems Solutions Product Manager Eugene Chang back in May. "With the OCZ Do-It-Yourself Notebook initiative, OCZ empowers with the resources like validated component guides, documentation, tech support, and a warranty to allow consumers to configure and build a true gaming notebook with the exact specification that matches their unique requirements."

Buy.com now has the OCZ Barebone Gaming Notebook (OCZNBIAS15DIYA) in stock for $719.99 with free shipping. Buyers can send off for a manufacturer's mail-in rebate to drop that price to $669.99.

That price will get you the actual 15.4" notebook, requisite Intel PM965 chipset, 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT mobile GPU, 8x DVD burner, and 9-cell battery. The processor, memory, HDD, WiFi/Bluetooth adapters, and operating system must be provided by the buyers which would easily push the price close to, or over the $1,000 mark.

It's nice to see that OCZ is giving buyers a choice with a system that they can configure and put together themselves, but many may wonder what if any cost savings can be realized by going this route considering the steady drop in pricing for notebook computers.

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What a rip off
By Spenny2112 on 6/6/2008 3:22:36 PM , Rating: 4
what they really need to do is sell the damn cases with the LCD and let us choose our own components, rather than rip us off for the 8600GT.




RE: What a rip off
By treehugger87 on 6/6/2008 4:11:50 PM , Rating: 1
there seems to be a common misconception here, mobile graphic cards are not really cards, they are usually integrated into the motherboard, OCZ obviously is using the 8600GT to save space and not end up with a ridiculously bulky laptop. By the By, if they gave u the choice of using ur own video card, good luck fitting it in a DIY laptop, good luck getting proper cooling, and interestingly enough not all cards are the same size :O, so there isn't some magically industry standard size that they can build to.


RE: What a rip off
By Yawgm0th on 6/6/2008 4:41:01 PM , Rating: 2
But mobile GPUs can very easily be made modular. The connections for the LCD and external monitor ports might be built into the motherboard, but a standard socket for GPUs is quite possible. As I mention in my post below, Dell has done this on several models (particularly every generation of 19'' Inspiron and XPS) simply to save motherboard costs when offering differing GPUs (making multiple motherboard models more expensive than making one modular model). There's no reason they can't make a motherboard that lets me put my own laptop GPU in it. The problem is that there is no standard (e.g.) AGP, PCI-E x16, etc.) like with desktop computers.

If a significant portion of the industry would get involved, there could be a standard for internal laptop video cards, meaning any laptop motherboard with the right port could potentially be upgraded. Of course, a variety of engineering concerns would prevent the level of variety we have on the desktop, but things could certainly be better in the DIY laptop market.


RE: What a rip off
By murphyslabrat on 6/8/2008 11:50:34 PM , Rating: 2
There is a standard: MXM. The problem is that no one seems to like it, and anyone who does implement a modular GPU interace, only rips off the MXM standard, as opposed to using it. The only company (as far as I know) that uses a non-MXM-based GPU interface is Dell.

When you start getting larger laptops, it stops being such an issue; but one of the biggest reasons that MXM has received so little direct attention is the exact opposite of what you are saying: the connector and mobo traces takes up valuable real-estate. This drives up motherboard complexity without offering significant added value (considering that people like us are only 1-5% of the consumer aggregate) while driving up costs.

Though, honestly, what I think would rock is an ATX-ish standard for motherboards and batteries. Additionally, I would like to see a PC-Card-like standard for a graphics module. If this last item would need to be external, ala ATI's new XGP, so be it...as long as it appears.

I think I may very well build a laptop on this OCZ barebons. I priced out a complete system build (minus OS ^_*) on Asus's C90s, and it came out to about $1080. I would have to use a laptop CPU with this one (I think, at least. I haven't really done any research yet).


RE: What a rip off
By ttnuagadam on 6/6/2008 8:02:53 PM , Rating: 3
you're not familiar with MXM are you?


RE: What a rip off
By Locutus465 on 6/6/2008 5:37:06 PM , Rating: 2
My main problem is that it's a smidge pricy for my tastes.. Grant it it's not a gaming notebook but I got a full HP laptop with 2GB memory (I upgraded it) for that much.


RE: What a rip off
By murphyslabrat on 6/9/2008 12:16:35 AM , Rating: 2
So, then, you would be paying an extra $300 for a grahics card you could get in a desktop for $100. Though, honestly, it's a better deal than HP, compaq, or other companies have been giving.

Up until recently, Dell had the best deal: you could get a Vostro 1500 laptop for ~$700, including a Geforce 8600 w/ 256MB of GDDR3.


Hardly DIY
By Yawgm0th on 6/6/2008 4:23:37 PM , Rating: 5
The problem with this notebook is that there are too many mandatory components. You get more choices (and usually a better prices) configuring a Dell online.

What we need is a laptop version of ATX, essentially. We need a standard case size and layout with the expectation that certain components (processor, RAM, HDD, and mini PCI/PCI-E) must be at certain location. Motherboards with different components could be designed to fit this standard case design, so you have the choice of motherboard.

Additionally, having the video card should be changeable on the motherboard. Being forced to use an 8600GT is a big deal. I might need less power, I might need more. The connection to the LCD and the external ports on the case can still be standardized, so that any video card you put it is essentially just a GPU and RAM on a PCB, along with a heatsink (which of course must fit the standardized case design.

It's important to note that Dell has been doing all this for years to save costs and make repairs easier. There are basically three standardized case designs (for 14.1'', 15.1'', and 17'') that will fit motherboards, LCDs, and keyboards from future or past versions of the same model. The 17'' and occasionally 15'' models can use different video cards as well, sometimes requiring a simple BIOS flash. Of course, this is not for done customization, and purchasing different components from Dell is prohibitively expensive. The example is just a proof of concept; if Dell can, accidentally give high levels of customization, OCZ or another company could certainly come up with similar standards intentionally.

Given a solid set of standards and sufficient consumer interest, DIY notebooks could certainly be price-competitive with OEM notebooks and even have the potential for unique or superior builds compared to what's out there now.




RE: Hardly DIY
By Lazarus Dark on 6/6/2008 5:53:52 PM , Rating: 1
There is a flaw in this thinking. How often do you expect to upgrade your laptop? I upgrade my laptop every 5 or 6 years when it just won't do any more. (obviously, I upgrade my desktop much more often.) Even if say, you allow two years between laptop upgrades, do you know where we will be in two years? Intel, for example will have switched to integrated memory controllers. You can't upgrade that, you have to get a new mobo. Are you saying you want a standard laptop mobo size, a la ATX? The thing is, laptops are all about portability and size. In two years, you could make a laptop board half the size, but with your suggested standard, you would be stuck with a bulky laptop case trying to stick in a laptop board that is half the size. Size is of utmost concern, which is why you can't have a laptop standard (at least not exactly like the desktop), because as processes shrink and components are continually made smaller, you will want to make the laptop smaller to take advantage of it. In five years I expect to get something like the Macbook Air that's actually capable of playing games. Or a umpc that has enough power and storage for anything I want on a daily basis. By the time Moore's law slows down and we may have a final size, we'll have system-on-a-chip and there will be nothing to upgrade anyway.


RE: Hardly DIY
By Yawgm0th on 6/6/2008 7:13:05 PM , Rating: 2
It's not necessarily about upgrading. Granted, I usually end up upgrading GPU, CPU, and/or RAM (two of the three) before a desktop gets replaced entirely. That would be an added benefit, but with all DIY computers, the main advantage (IMO) is supposed to be price and customization. I have virtually limitless possible combinations of components, and I can select them based on what I need and want. Why can't I do the same for laptops?

I would actually want multiple standards, like ATX, mATX, mini-ITX, etc. Whether or not a standards works requires that consumers be behind it. Many people will want big 17'' DTR notebooks because of the screen size. I do not think hardcore gamers will prefer smaller laptops since there are serious advantages to bigger screens. Those who can stand smaller screens would simply get a 15.1'' or 14.1''. Non-gamers might get a 12''.

But the laptop screen size is an entirely different issue. I think you're missing a fundamental issue with screens. There are advantages to bigger screens. The ultraportables, Eee PC, Mac Air, etc. are not going to take over the market. Larger laptops will always the potential for faster hardware, and bigger screens are a big deal for gaming, productivity, and multimedia. The progression of technology will not change this.

The fact that there are such drastically different markets for laptops (17'' DTR vs a 12'' ultraportable, for example) does present a major challenge, but if there is sufficient demand for it, there could be standard case/motherboard designs for all of them. We do have nano-ITX, mini-ITX, mATX, ATX, and BTX, so it is not unreasonable to have similar standard form factors for varying laptop sizes.

Also, by the same logic we can't have a desktop standard. Miniaturization of laptop and desktop hardware goes at the same rate. And unlike laptops, which are always limited in at least one dimension by the screen size, desktops don't need to stay a certain size. I'd love to have smaller components and smaller cases in my desktop computers. By your logic, desktop cases should become obsolete every two years or so. But no, ATX has been around forever, and BTX doesn't seem to be catching on.

No, I think a standard form factor for a laptop case would be quite future-proof, not that upgrading is anything more than icing on the cake.


RE: Hardly DIY
By Alexstarfire on 6/6/2008 7:18:30 PM , Rating: 2
Except that your logic is actually what is flawed. Even IF they could make a motherboard half the size of what we have today they wouldn't. The motherboard inside a laptop completely fills up the case. And the case wouldn't shrink since you still have to house the LCD screen. You wouldn't have a smaller motherboard in there because then the outside connections wouldn't be in the right places and such. If they had standard motherboard layouts for all the typical laptop sizes you could, in theory at least, make laptops as customizable as desktops. True, in 2 years you may not be able to upgrade the CPU, but I'm sure you could still upgrade the RAM, HDD, Video Card, Sound Card, Optical Drive, and just about everything else. You may even be able to still upgrade the CPU. If you waited 6 years, the only two things that you likely wouldn't be able to change are the CPU, and perhaps the sound card or video card if they decided to change platforms again. The sound card may change since it's the last major component not to go PCIE.

Anyways, it's something that needs to be done. I don't like the idea of being forced to have a certain video card or such just because they don't give me any options.


RE: Hardly DIY
By heeros1 on 6/10/2008 1:25:37 PM , Rating: 2
I agree that it would be nice to have a standard size for DIY laptops, I'm saying this as the owner of an ASUS C90S. but the major problem I see is the external connections. On Desktops you have the Standard size little metal plate on the back of the computer that fits right onto the connections the motherboard comes with. On laptops the connectors are all over, up to 4 sides of the case. So you can't really standardize that. unless you have individual classes within the screen size category, or you can get replaceable side panels for the case from the case manufacturer.


Its a Sager/Compal?
By MIDIman on 6/6/2008 3:32:07 PM , Rating: 2
If the image is true to what the notebook actually looks like, this is nothing more than a Sager 2090/Compal IFL90




RE: Its a Sager/Compal?
By RjBass on 6/8/2008 11:36:10 PM , Rating: 1
I was just going to say the exact same thing.


lol
By ttnuagadam on 6/6/2008 5:13:57 PM , Rating: 2
those of you who think the 8600 gt is decent, have obviously never used one. i happen to own one which is why i made the original post. while it might be an OK card as something baseline for gaming, it should NOT be put in ANYTHING called a "gaming" computer. if that were the case my inspiron is a gaming computer. and i dont think that anyone on this site, regardless of what you've said on this page would consider an inspiron a gaming laptop.




RE: lol
By awer26 on 6/8/2008 2:14:33 AM , Rating: 1
I don't know why everyone hates the 8600GT so much. I have one in my XPS m1530 and I was able to finish Crysis on Medium settings (albeit at 1024x768) without a problem (~30fs). It you want anything better, you have to move to a 17" "gaming" latop, which starts at over $2000 (and easily becomes $3000 if you want SLI) and weighs twice as much.

For a laptop, the 8600GT is great, hands down. If you want to do serious gaming (my favorite oxymoron), stick to a desktop.


good start
By FXi on 6/6/2008 8:26:04 PM , Rating: 2
It's a nice start, but it's going to need a lot more gpu power before I'm going to get interested.

Nice first round though.




Wrong idea...
By jonmcc33 on 6/6/2008 9:07:22 PM , Rating: 2
So it's a laptop lacking a CPU, RAM and hard drive...which means it's rather worthless at the price they charge. OCZ, you should know better that there isn't any market for this sort of thing.




Too Little, Too late
By tjr508 on 6/7/2008 5:30:46 PM , Rating: 2
This is crap indeed.
What we really need is just standard port for external graphics adapters. This would allow gaming on buisness laptops or more portable ones.
I think what is really hurting gaming is the millions and millions of us that have great company laptops and cant see putting down the cash for another computer strictly for gaming. A standard external port would solve this problem once and for all at little cost to the manufacturers as most common chipsets allow for some graphics adapter to begin with.




wtf?
By ttnuagadam on 6/6/08, Rating: -1
RE: wtf?
By OrSin on 6/6/2008 3:03:01 PM , Rating: 2
Hopefully thye will drop the video card and the price?
People only want a BYO laptop so they can iether build a cheap one now and upgrade later, or a very highend with things of your choose. Right not this one is not it.

Drop video card, memory and CPU, and let choose what we want.


RE: wtf?
By just4U