All of my long MXDL builds are using either the 5V or 3V 5mw Fasttech modules as is. Just jumper across the button. add spring, shrink tube the board, bore out the MXDL with I believe a 15/32 drill bit from front end down enough so the module will slide in, add 10440 and you are good to go (that's the basics) of it.
Up to you whether you try adjusting the pot or not but many have broken their modules not paying close enough attention to what they are doing.
The smaller MXDL hosts are a bit more of a pain and use the module out of Fasttech single AAA pen and of course the single AAA battery.
These builds are using modules with boards/drivers that they already have so I have no answers for other nm.
Remember that I'm building as inexpensively as possible so I'm purchasing pieces/parts with that in mind and not buying diodes and boards/drivers/custom heatsinks etc....
You can certainly get some inexpensive "stuff" like that and put it together but that's not what I "personally" am doing and feel free to post all that stuff!
Their haven't been 50mw modules for months and they are not going to carry them. When we requested more powerful modules, they apparently looked into the legality issues and now won't sell anything that doesn't say 5mw. Almost all my builds are using the single AAA pens or the 3V/5V modules that all say 5mw but are actually MUCH higher (up to 28 times higher in one instance with a pot mod).
Really need to read what I've said about these modules through the thread
Basics are the single AAA pen modules are really small and can fit in lots of small hosts. The 5V and 3V modules are basically the same other than length and the deal with the 5V module is it puts out mw from the same lower voltage as the 3V but can handle up to 5V or more in so there's more battery choices. You don't get more output with 5V than 3.2V into the 5V module! The 3V module appears to have no issues running a battery that outputs 4.2V at full charge.
There are plenty of modules you can buy from all over the place that claim more power and if they are not scamming, ouput more. But, I haven't seen anything that rivals the price/output of the Fasttech module.
The last unit pictured above is a 650nm module stolen from a $5 pen and puts out 118mw. Was going to make another focusable pen when I noticed that the module wasn't glued down and I could easily push it right out. Was all out of 532nm modules so figured why not build something other than a 532nm. Of course, I wouldn't do that without making it focusable (same technique as my focusable pen tutorial) because I find the 650 and 405nm boring otherwise compared to seeing the 532nm beam
Pete