Backtops and HDD

[brantlew]

So I've been having some problems with my backtop system that I suspect is due to the HDD. While walking around, the system will frequently "stall" and lag and become unusable for a few seconds and up to a minute. It was really obvious when I tried to record in-game using Fraps. Everything was fine, but the moment I took a single step Fraps cut out. So I suspect that the accelerometers in the HDD are stopping the drive during movement and preventing games from loading scene data efficiently. I went ahead and ordered a 180GB SSD to try to sort this problem out.

I know that others here have put backtop systems together - Palmer, cyberreality, pierreye, etc and was curious if you guys experienced these type of issues because I have not heard mention of this being a problem before. Do gamers typically equip their laptops with SSD's?

[PalmerTech]

My old backtop had dual drives, SSD as main and HDD for media. My new backtop uses an M11x with just a HDD, though, and it works fine.

What model is your computer? Way back in the day I had a Fujitsu P2630 that I used as a media player mounted to my car dashboard, and it had hard drive protection that you could turn off. Did that, got paranoid that I would ruin the drive, and ended up using a CF card for the OS and a cheap external USB HDD for music.

[cybereality]

Hmm, I did not notice any stalls or stuttering when I was using my backtop setup. Admittedly I was not running or jumping around or anything, just mainly turning in place. Even so, I was able to play in 3D or record with FRAPS (in 2D) no problems. When I did the video I recorded for around 15 minutes straight with no problems (I edited the video down). I just have a normal HDD in my laptop.

Can't say for sure what the problem is, but the HDD does seem like it could be a problem. Hopefully an SSD will solve your issues.

[Synexious]

Why not use wireless video?

[brantlew]

I'm covering too much ground...up to 200 feet.

[brantlew]

I'm happy to report that the SSD fixed my problem. Ironically after I had already installed my SSD, I also found the OS setting to disable my accelerometer. I suppose you could just disable HDD protection and the system might work fine with a traditional hardrive, but with my setup I move around a lot, and it would make me nervous to have my HDD bouncing that much. I prefer the SSD solution instead.

For reference, I have an HP Pavilion dv6t quad / with Radeon HD 7690M. Technically not a gaming laptop, but with the SSD in place it makes a very good backtop. There are other important factors beyond just raw rendering power that anyone creating a backtop should consider:

1. Size - I have a 17" and a 16" inch laptop and while that difference may sound insignificant, it actually matters. The smaller laptop (dv6t) just fits much better into a backpack and feels more comfortable on my back.

2. Heat venting - It's easy to forget about this but it is very important that you position the laptop so that the heat exhaust blows upwards or your unit may overheat. A well ventilated back pack is also important. I have a mesh backpack so that the entire computer can ventilate.

3. Hard drive protection - As discussed earlier you should either disable the accelerometer or (better and safer) get an SSD. Games that dynamically load data will sputter and crawl otherwise.

4. Ports - If possible all of the necessary ports should be on the same side of the laptop - facing upwards, and on the same side as the exhaust. That includes the video port, audio, and USB. I got incredibly lucky because my existing laptop just happened to have this arrangement. It was not something I planned or had even considered until I started hooking everything up. Being able to just zip the backpack and have the cables running through a small opening in the top is very helpful.

[FingerFlinger]

Good info; I hope to spend a lot of time on development this summer, once I get a Rift and a test build of your FriiSpace system...

[cybereality]

Great end to this story.

[brantlew]

Just ran across this. This looks like it would make a very nice little backtop (with the SSD option of course). It meets all the criteria from above, plus at 11 inches you could pack it in a really small bag or make room for a battery pack + laptop. One thing to keep in mind about a backtop is that since you run it with the screen closed and turned off, the battery lasts a lot longer than the reviews say.

http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/122/1225480p1.html

Edit: Another look at this machine.
http://pcper.com/reviews/Mobile/Origin- ... ing-Throne

The only thing that is worrisome is the 100 degree exhaust temp. The back of your neck is definitely going to be sweating with this thing. Otherwise...you really couldn't ask for a better backtop machine. I wish I had an extra $1300 lying around

[brantlew]

Just thought I'd pass along this little gem of a device for people building backtops. A problem with backtops is that you can't easily use the USB slots on the downward side of your computer without putting a lot of stress on the cable and the connector. I recently found this however...

http://www.amazon.com/HDE-Vertical-Male ... B006C0QWEK



Perfect for creating a right angle at the bottom of your backpack so you use an extra port down there.