ccr0ss

Hey guys,

I just wanted to start a thread on my plans to install a windows-based infotainment system. I did the CIC retrofit about two years ago (I paid more than 2k for the whole thing ), but got bored with the limitations of the CIC and decided that I wanted more out of my car. So, here we are. This thread will serve as both a progress log and as a kind of DIY for those who would like to tackle the challenge and reap the benefits

There are several skills that I believe are necessary to successfully complete this DIY, but those could be easily picked up on the way to the finish line with a little practice.

Now, to the basics:

This are all the features the custom system will have:
1. On-board diagnosis (from 1st Gen BMW software, JB4 and simple Windows App)
2. Offline GPS navigation (still deciding on the software, so far Windows Maps seems to work fine)
3. Phone integration
4. Audio Amplification
5. Rear-view camera (I believe there is a possibility to add several cameras, but I have not try any of this yet)
6. AUX input
7. WIFI capabilities
8. Video Playback
9. Any sort of nice and handy stuff you could do with a computer (like playing pinball or Age of Empires

I build the computer myself (it was very easy). I tried to balance power and budget the best I could, but you could probably do a better job than me at than, being that I was too extravagant in some parts. Here are the parts I chose for my PC build:

Case: Mini-Box M350 -- $40 (Amazon)
Power Supply: M4-ATX -- $70 (eBay)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H170-WIFI -- $114 (Newegg)
Processor: Intel Core i3-6100 -- $125 (Newegg)
Memory: 8GB G-Skill NS Series (F4-2400C15S-8GNS) -- $32 (Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung SM951 512GB NVMe -- $280 (Amazon)
Operating System (OS): Windows 10 (I know some of you might hate it, but it works!)
Total Cost: $661 + Whatever you pay for OS

LCD Screen
Panel: AUO B101UAN02.1 10.1" 1920x1200 IPS screen $40 (eBay)
Controller Board: M.NT68676.2A $40 (eBay)
Touch Screen Digitizer for B101UAN02.1 $40 (eBay)
Power Regulator: 12v-to-5v 25w DC-DC Converter Regulator $5 (eBay)
Total Cost: $125

I believe you can get all those parts together (except for the DC-DC converter) on ebay for about $140-150

Audio System
1. JBL MS-8 $250 (eBay)
or
2. CPJ D-AMP 90-4.1 - 5CH 90W Audio Amplifier (You might need more than one of these) $80 (eBay)
or
3. Any other amplifier you like (check out the Pyle PLMRA820 on Amazon for $216)

The most important aspects of the computer have to do with processing power, hard drive speed and memory speed and capacity. I believe an i3 is more than enough for a car computer (too much, perhaps), but consider it a good investment if you choose to run a couple of heavy programs in your car. The amount of memory I chose was based on future programs I am planning to run down the road. In principle, the smaller the amount of memory the faster the computer wakes up from sleep (2GB is probably the best, but I decided to go with high-speed low-latency DDR4 memory, and a blazing fast hard drive instead It should be enough. The fastest user-grade hard drive in the market right now is the Samsung 950 Pro. The second fastest one is the Samsung SM951. I decided to go with the latter because I already had it, but you can choose whatever the former with a smaller capacity and save a good chuck of money on the computer. If you get the 258GB Samsung 950 Pro ($188, Amazon) or the 128GB Samsung SM951 NVMe ($100, Amazon) you could save anywhere $100 to $188, leaving you with either $561 or $473. I will not choose any other hard drive, though. You need something really fast to boot and wake up from sleep. Hard drive space is irrelevant after 128GB, so choose wisely.

I will edit this post later to include a detailed list of all peripherals (bluetooth module, microphone, wires, etc) needed to complete this project successfully. I estimate a cost of about $200-$300 on top-of-the-line yet simple peripherals for the job.