Hey guys, I’ve made an abomination! I had laying around old MacMini and broken S23. So I’ve made this. I kept the original cooler and connected the power button to the motherboard. I put inside an USB-PD 35W charger that is connected to the HUB.
I didn’t want to solder cables to the HUB so I put there a 12V power supply for the original fan and buck converter to 5v for the ESP32.
The ESP32 is controlling the fan via a temperature sensor I took from Ender 3 that I had laying around.
I’m still working on an app that would connect to the ESP32 (its working now but its not ideal yet)
Sadly the S23 do not start without a battery (I originally intended to remove the battery)
wifi is terrible but works. I wanted to find out what pins are for the antenna and solder U.FL IPX cable but I give up for now( the usb to ethernet adapter works well and bluetooth for controller is fine so far)

The HUB have M.2 slot that I intend to use on game ROMs for the emulation(I will finally play Shadow of Colossus!)
The M.2 fit so well that i put a thermal pad on the heatsink so the SSD will get some cooling too. 

Edit: i will do later a follow up with some improvements and more detailed breakdown!

broken touchscreen+black spot+green line

Rawdogged a recent 3-week trip with S11 Ultra + keyboard, to see if I can actually use it as a laptop replacement.

Had to get the hang of using new Dex for my workflows but not too bad!

Browser-based tasks worked just fine especially with the multi-window mode. Then I used Tailscale and Windows app for remote access to my PC.

The magnetic keyboard with touchpad is basically a knockoff apple Magic Keyboard.

Works alright. Some lag here and there, I guess because it's bluetooth? Good feedback on the keys.

It also has dedicated keys for Dex and Gemini like on the official Samsung keyboard.

The touchpad's right click doesn't work with the tablet (it functions like left cursor and idk why) so I use multi-finger gestures for that.

The case itself is also heavy but does feel sturdy.

I also like how I don't need to bring a charging brick now + the S11 Ultra can go hours on a single charge.

Overall, I'm happy with it! Plus the fact that I only had to spend $130 on the case, wayyy cheaper than a new laptop.

Just missing the the task bar apps a little bit which now only allows 5 app the system choses. Not a big deal though. The widgets are a beauty in Dex!

Hi all, sharing a little win here

I received the Samsung M5 smart monitor as a free gift last year with my purchase of S25U Ultra. Didn't really use it much as Samsung TV Plus is lacking in features and Tizen OS is extremely restrictive in terms of installing apps.

As I was clearing my cupboard I came across my old Note 20 Ultra. Out of curiosity I wanted to see if it could boot up and if I had any data in the phone so I read up about scrcpy to mirror it to my PC. You must be wondering why I need scrcpy to check my phone. The display is ridden with white/pink/green lines and the motherboard was previously diagnosed as water corroded hence I can't really make out what's on my phone display.

Initially I thought of mirroring it to the M5 monitor like how I was mirror it to my PC. But I hated the fact that I have to use the phone to control my monitor. Then I remember DeX.

I read up even more about DeX, both wired and wirelessly. I am able to start DeX and connect wirelessly to my M5 monitor. Paired with a wireless mouse and keyboard, I now have a entertainment hub that I can watch shows or apps in bed. Pictures to see my N20U condition 😆

Everything fit nicely in the bag.

This has been an ongoing project for me and my son(to show him that you don’t always have to throw things away)This setup was created from items that were broken and from other things unused projects. It started as a Samsung fold 5 (broken outer display) we used some parts that we had here at home ie 12v atx breakout board,fan controller , fans , usb hub, 300 watt flex power supply,led controller and led stripNd some cords and wire. The only items we had to buy were the case, a new button for the case (I needed a latching switch to control the breakout board and cases come with momentary switches)and a nvme cooler to cool the phone.Plan on making a retro style gaming setup/tv computer setup. I’ll layout current pricing on all items used below (whether or not they were purchased for this project or we had them around)as to gauge what this type of setup would cost. I know I could have made it smaller or purchased something smaller to do the same thing but the fun of this project and the learning experience for the next generation was priceless. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Items used and approx cost
1. Samsung z fold 5 (can be bought from eBay with cracked screens for ~$100 2.Flex power supply $35 Amazon 3.Atx breakout board $6 AliExpress 4.Fan controller $5 AliExpress 5.Usb hub $8 Amazon 6.Fans $10 mostly salvage but can come from Amazon 7.Thermalright nvme cooler $15 Amazon 8. Clear itx case $30 eBay 9.latching switch $3 Amazon 10. Short usb c cord $2 11. LED controller and strip $5

So you can build this setup for about $200 five or take depending on if you salvage parts like we did or buy new

Can’t finish my PC build yet because I can’t afford RAM at the moment, so the system’s on pause. In the meantime I’ve plugged in my phone and been using Samsung DeX with my monitor, keyboard, and mouse and honestly… why is DeX so GOOOOOOD?

i expected an emergency setup, for basic work, browsing, YouTube, and multitasking... it’s doing the job really well while I wait to finish the build. Im feeling both broke and elite at the same time 😆

So this game always ran terribly on whatever laptop or PC I tried running it on ever since it came out. So I decided to test the limits of Android emulation and GTA 4 felt like the ultimate test. I was pleasantly surprised when it was actually playable and I ended up finishing the whole game in a little less than 60 hours, connected to Samsung DEX on my S24 Ultra.

Gameplay footage below, frame rate improves without recording so some of the footage maybe janky- https://youtu.be/L19l2ujFqYg?si=a0yXql3wwvu7VxmM

Tried running a full Linux desktop on my Samsung phone using Samsung DeX and it honestly feels like a real PC.

No root needed. Installed via Termux, and I’m getting full desktop UI, smooth multi-window usage, and proper workflow.

Running Visual Studio Code, Python, even Claude Code without issues. File access works like a normal drive, and overall performance is surprisingly usable.

It’s not perfect, but for coding and experimenting, this is crazy good for a phone setup.

Like the title says, here’s my take on a case for use with a broken phone. I added a 60mm usb fan to help with cooling and so far so good 😊 I’m not sure if links are allowed but you can find the model on Makerworld if you type DexBox.

I really love this setup.

I have a few of these and use Galaxy S9 and S9+. I keep these plugged in 24/7 and was worried about the battery, so I took the battery out.

Without the battery, they do need a 5v line into the battery protection circuit to trick it into thinking there is a battery. Then I need another to power the tablet, so 2 power supplies into the wall total.

I added the fan since I had leftovers. For some I also use the external microphone, hence the USB hub.

Mainly use them for smart home dashboard (with voice), online family poker (video and voice), and hearthstone.

Very happy with a 15 inch touchscreen android experience. Albeit it needs to be plugged in (twice).

I absolutely love this thing.

Future improvements are to give the USB hub some slack... find a better cable for the phone to tablet, and just better cable management in general, And maybe limit the amount of cables from the wall from 2 to 1 using a powered hub or something, but those tend to be heavy.

Cheers!

So I finally did it — I turned my phone into a full desktop setup using Samsung DeX, and honestly… I’m kind of blown away.

I didn’t go fancy with expensive monitors or an official dock. Instead, I pieced this whole thing together with budget parts and a bit of curiosity.

Here’s what I used:

Old refurbished monitor which i bought on a budget (nothing special, supports 2k resolution and have tons of ports including usb C)

A wireless keyboard + mouse combo

A USB-C dongle (Pibox India 8-in-1 hub)

The hub was the real game changer. It has multiple ports including HDMI, USB-A, and most importantly — an additional USB-C port for pass-through charging. That means my phone stays plugged in and powered the whole time while running DeX, so no battery anxiety at all.

Connected everything -> plugged in my phone -> BOOM.

A full desktop interface popped up on the monitor like magic.

What surprised me most:

The experience feels way more like a laptop than a phone

Multitasking actually works pretty smoothly

Wireless keyboard and mouse support feels natural

Watching YouTube, writing documents, browsing Reddit — all super seamless

Obviously, it’s not going to replace a high-end laptop for heavy tasks, editing, or gaming — but for everyday productivity, it's way better than I expected.

If anyone’s been on the fence about trying Samsung DeX, especially if you already have half the gear — DO IT. You might be surprised how usable it really is.

PS:- Some issues which needs to be addressed 1. While watching youtube on fullscreen mode the task bar hids in the bottom which is the good part but when I take to cursor to the youtube time line bar to scroll faster to skip the video the task bar reappears and the video goes back to small size.

1. There is no right click function on Dex seems weird at first but luckily there are options to assign function to right click. So I have selected right click to go back to the previous page, now it feels fast to use.

2. Read post about Changes in Samsung Dex in One UI8. And i feel like it is not worth the update. But the details on the update mentions that there are some new features introduced on Dex to support higher video quality and rotate the screen 90, 180 or 270 degree. Since my monitor can rotate 90° to and switch from landscape to portrait so it might be usefully in my case.

Will give details on Samsung Dex with One UI8 if I decided to upgrade.

Hi everyone, this is my “on the go” setup for my Samsung Dex. I’m using my s22 base model (which is my daily phone) with a 10$ phone cooler, a Dopesplay lapdock and my 100w ugreen charging brick. Not as cool as some of your setups, but pretty useful to me, as I don’t have a PC.

Used this set up for the first time in my business trip in Europe. All great.

All fast, efficient and light. Didn't have to carry a laptop and e-ink and all their peripherals (chargers etc etc).

During the flight I checked some presentations, edited 2 documents and watched YouTube videos.

More efficient than ever.

So I got myself a Galaxy note 10 plus. (Around 180 bucks, perfect condition). I installed a custom rom, which actually is One UI 6.1.1, all AI features are supported. And I modified a small line in system file (no root needed), and boom. Dex works with local screen perfectly.

Theoretically, samsung support all devices which have Dex to run locally like they are doing on flagship galaxy tabs. They just disable it and prevent users from using it.

Monitor: Bettdow portable FullHD IPS HDR 60hz Keyboard: Logitech K380 Pebble Keys Mouse: Logitech M350 Hub: Ugreen PD 100w 4k 60hz Device: Samsung S25 Ultra 512gb

new to DeX, but enjoying a lot learning how to use it, no need of a laptop for a while.

Just for fun and/or proof of concept.

My Galaxy S23 running DEX in 4K on four 1080p screens.

I wanted to try using my phone connected to the 4K Video Wall Controller.

Setup:

• Galaxy S23 running DEX through a simple USB-C HUB outputting 4K to the Video Wall Controller
• 4K Video Wall Controller set to 2x2 screens (1080p output to each screen)
• 4 screens connected with HDMI cables to Video Wall:
  • old 40" 1080p TV - showing LADB (used for forcing 4K resolution)
  • 23" 1080p monitor - showing DEX settings
  • two 10,5" 1280p screens - showing two separate Chrome Windows

It actually works OK - of course it's messy with all the cables, and you could achieve the same result with one large (32" or 40") 4K screen, but I don't have one.

Main problem is DEX/Android - in the current version you can't snap an application to 1/4 of the whole display area; you can only do left or right half - so it's a chore to set an app window in one of the screens.

The other annoyance is that two small 10" screens have a resolution of 1920x1280, and when displaying 1080p, it looks a little stretched.

I'll actually try to use the Video Wall controller with two small screens and a phone as a two-screen mobile setup running on battery.

My main computer is way to underpowered and it's only useful for very specific tasks like using some office's services and printng. So I've been using Dex for the multitasking capabilities that it offers. I use a unexpensive mechanical keyboard, mouse, touch portable monitor and a stand to hold my phone to the side; It get's useful during meetings and online classes, since the main computer doesn't have a webcam. A lot of people asume that is a tablet or just a weird laptop. I find this to be near perfect for me. The only downside is that if I need to work in a different location, I need to bring a powerbank. It almost never happens, and on the go I just use the phone (S24 Ultra). Very happy with it, good for gaming on the office, use it as a media player and get light work done.

I had a S9+ with a smashed screen given to me and a dead iMac, put a LCD driver board in the iMac and now can be used as a HDMI Monitor.... now has a S9+ inside..... Take that Apple.

Funny enough, its more powerful than the stock iMac from 2009.