Compaq seems to use a trio of construction materials in the design of the V4000: carbon fiber, polycarbonate, and ABS plastic. The black top and bottom part of the notebook use ABS plastic, while the dull silver inlay of the notebook and the hinges use polycarbonate. Interestingly enough, the buttons, button trim, monitor rim, lid trim, touchpad and touchpad trim all use carbon fiber, which has a very distinctive smooth texture.