Hi! I found a cheap Lenovo 500e Chromebook(gen 1) on marketplace for basically free, with a busted screen, missing keys etc… But the bones were all there: passively cooled Intel Celeron N3450, 4GB Ram, 32GB eMMC, so it sits somewhere between a RPI4 and 5 in terms of performance, perfect for an average HA server.
This was the original condition, as i mentioned a “Lenovo 500E Chromebook”.
So i was able to install a proper bios on this and that let me install HAOS as a generic x86-64 install: Generic x86-64 - Home Assistant
To change the firmware to support this, just follow these instructions: https://docs.mrchromebox.tech/
Then, took the machine apart, started to measure and after some trial and error, came up with a 3d printed case. You can find the model here: SketchUp
I’m using a Bambu A1 Mini printer, so thats why i had to split the case into 2 parts, otherwise you can merge it if you have a larger print bed.
All the parts needed:
- 3d printed parts: bottom case(2 parts), top covers, front and back io plate, 1 spacer, 2 clips to hold the bottom plates together and 2 flat pieces where you can attach(double sided tape) the WIFI antennas and a white HA logo
- motherboard
- battery
- wifi card and antennas(the antennas are in the screen, so you need to took that apart carefully and then attach it to the 2 small printed rectangles)
- daughter board
- some screws: you can actually re-use the small ones from the chromebook itself to mount the battery and i used the rest from an old 2010 iMac to mount the motherboard and the top covers. I’m not sure about the exact sizes.
Bottom plate snaps together and the little clips holds the sides too.
Then you mount the battery and route one of the wifi antennas to the side and it slots into the angled part. You can just wrap the cable around the screw post so its a good length.
Mount the motherboard & front IO panel.
Route the other wifi antenna to its place, same way wrap it around the screw post(the wire is pretty long on this one) and just slot it in the side.
Attach the rear IO shield and the daugher board. This one has the power button. USB-C is both the front and the back and both can be used to power on the machine. Power button is integrated into the IO shield.
Most important part is to clip in the HA logo to the top cover.
And then simply screw it in. Some of the screws also hold down the motherboard, and the white top cover has this spacer so it fits tight.
And then it’s all done. It can stand on its own, but optionally you can print the little feets, those just clip on and can support it both vertically and horizontally.
The LED shines through the white part just fine and since it has a battery, it works as a built-in UPS, so even when you unplug it, it works.
