[mythtv-users] external power supply rant (Was: Zotac ION M/B..)

[Gabe Rubin]

On Wed, May 13, 2009 at 12:44 PM, Nick Rout <nick.rout at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, May 14, 2009 at 7:12 AM, David Brodbeck <gull at gull.us> wrote:
>> On Wed, May 13, 2009 11:32 am, Raymond Wagner wrote:
>>> The real problem of concern is that 'wall-warts' are cheaply built,
>>> typically linear, and always low efficiency.  They will be dumping
>>> easily twice the waste heat of a traditional computer power supply.
>>
>> In the sizes we're talking about to power a whole computer -- i.e., >2
>> amps at 12 VDC -- I haven't seen a linear wall wart in a long time.  Even
>> the little cell phone charger wall warts are mostly switched-mode, now.
>>
>> Linear power supplies for computers went out of style in the Commodore 64
>> days. ;)
>>
>
> Well of course those who have read the whole hothardware.com article
> will know that there is a version of the board which can plug into an
> ATX power supply
>
> http://hothardware.com/Articles/Zotac-NVIDIA-Ion-Motherboard/?page=10
>
> See the table of models. Something to please everyone :)

So this really does not answer my question.  If I am not putting this
in a car, and I care about having a small case with as little noise
from fans as possible, doesn't having an external PSU help me with
that (assuming I can drop the brick of the PSU that gets hot away from
the device it is powering)?  If so, I see this as a huge plus,
especially if I decide to go a CF card and network storage to
eliminate the HD in the box.