[mythtv-users] Zotac ATX Power Supply - go fanless with anb old one?

[Greg Cope]

2009/9/27 Robin Gilks <g8ecj at gilks.org>:
>
> I put in a Pico120  12v PSU and hacked a Toshiba laptop brick from 15v
> down to 12v and I'm well happy - no disks mind because I netboot but I'm
> drawing 20w and running a very cooooool Zotac IONITX.
>
> There is a version of the Pico that can run from 15 to 25v so an
> unmodified laptop brick would work well.
>
> I've also used a PM200 12v supply with a Via Epia ITX board and again
> really quiet and cool.

I am no electrician.... but I would suggest 30w is the limit fanless
before the PSU gets "warm".  Most laptop PSUs are rated higher than
this, and when you get the laptop busy whilst charging the battery
they get quite "warm" whilst pulling near 30W (yes they might be rated
higher)

My 90w PSU draws 60W and it has an intergral fan - it runs warm
without it on, and slightless less warm with it running.

60W is my FE/BE; Sp13000 Via board, 3xDisks, 2xNova-T's and 1Gb ram.

With an Atom board and fewer, but larger HD, I recon I could drop
another 20W (the Nova-T's pull around 10W each and are warm to the
touch = 20W, and 20W for a board, ram and drive).

I had to fit a fan as the hard disks were getting very hot!  Even
running that added a few W (which means a few £ a year to run it.... x
this host is nearly 5years old and that adds up to quite a bit of
beer!)

Get a what meter if you really want to go to town.

Greg