PicoPSU-120

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Looking at one of these for a project -

http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl/it.A/id.417/.f

Will it be enough for a Zotac 9300 w/ an e6300/5200, 4GB RAM and a Samsung EcoGreen drive?

I might even stick in a 4770 or similar at some point, I'm guessing it wouldn't be enough for that?

Are there any similarly sized but with higher wattage alternatives?

Thanks.

[Funkstar]

There is a 150watt version of that too.

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12383

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Thanks Funk, 150 is an improvement, and that's now what I plan on getting, although I certainly wouldn't mind going a little higher.

[peterb]

I'm using one to run a jetway board and two WD 2.5" Scorpio blacks through a raid card. Whole thing takes just under 40 Watts. (It is only a 1.2GHz processor)

[scaryjim]

For the Zotac 9300 + a 65W processor the 120W would be cutting it fine. The 150W should be fine, though

[TheAnimus]

I'm using the 150W in a very similar set up. Its very good.

Only downside is its a little rf noisey. Don't get me wrong its silent in the audiable spectrum, but on my zotac 9300, its made the VGA output slightly noise prone. Obviously if your on DVI/HDMI this isn't an issue, and i can't hear any sound issues on the analouge out, but its worth mentioning!

[pcup]

How much would a nice powerful itx system cost to build? With 4gig ram.

[malfunction]

The silentpcreview.com review of the Zotac 9300 board has at the wall power draw measurements for a system using a full size ATX PSU (Seasonic 400W jobbie), an E7300, 1GB RAM, a SATA bluray drive (full size) and a notebook HDD but no WiFi and no fans (they use a fan to cool the CPU heatsink but they power that using an additional external DC power supply to keep it's power draw out of the measurements - a bit OTT IMHO).

The maximum they got at the wall was 65W running Prime 95 and Furmark at the same time without the wifi and they say the wifi module added another 2W to the at the wall power draw, so 67W total. Assuming an efficiency of 85% for the PSU used (which is unlikely given that it would be less than 20% load on the PSU) would mean that the system was actually drawing 57W from the PSU itself...

Zotac 9300 Review here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/zotac-gf9300itx

The same site also has AC power draw figures and DC power draw estimates for the 4770:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/ati-hd4770

Which they estimate at 60W DC... 57W + 60W = 117W so I'd pop for the 150W given the minimal price difference.

Obviously these are their figures not mine and YMMV but it seems like a safer bet than you would imagine. Note that the Pico PSU gets it's +12V line from the external brick so you need a good one - that will run quietly if noise is a concern - to power the system not just the Pico PSU itelf and that the conversion from +12V to all the other voltages required (+3.3V, +5V, -12V and +5VSB) obviously reduces the maximum the system will receive on the 12V line. At one point there were people in the SPCR forums talking about buying a relatively heavy weight Dell PSU (for a big mofo desktop replacement laptop if memory serves) to use with the Pico PSU though the connector needed to be hacked to work.

If you're feeling paranoid I'd build the system using a standard ATX PSU and check power draw at the wall before using the Pico PSU + external brick.

[format]

Would using one of these

http://www.nexustek.nl/psb-1000_dc_to_dc_board.htm

and one of these

http://www.nexustek.nl/fsp150-aaa_fu...er_adapter.htm


be suitable?

I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to power requirements and voltages etc, but both those components say they are compatitble with the Nexus Psile case I'm using.

[malfunction]

Are you looking to use the psile case? I've just had a look and was shocked at the price especially considering that there's no PSU included. Are there any specs for the PSU you linked to?

LinITX has the 150W Pico PSU paired up with a 150W FSP brick:

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=12383

Though again I'm experiencing shock at the price. I found a reference on the spcr forums to the Dell PSU people where using "Dell DA-2":

http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums...ic.php?t=54577

Looking at that thread they're basically saying that if you want to draw anything like the 150W you need to use a better connector - i.e. a "P4" mobo style connector. Looking at the pic here helps:

http://www2.multithread.co.uk/mtcsho...-XT_Detail.jpg

So where the DC in jack is you can see there's a P4 style connector - what they are saying is that you need to use a similar connector on the DC brick itself because the DC in jack connector isn't rated for more than 8A (96W... 8A * 12V = 96W).

Personally unless you want to hack around I'd either go for a slightly bigger case with a 'proper' PSU (1u / 2u / TFX PSUs will easily go to > 200W) or not use the 4770 / swap it out for something with a lower power draw

[format]

I got one for about £80 brand new off ebay, just waiting on it arriving

http://forums.overclockers.com.au/sh...d.php?t=776854

This guy uses those same components on a similar build.

I can't find any specs for the power supply though, but the guy from that build says

It also included the power pack, which is a 19v, 7.98A unit. PSU is 200W
Plus i know it's more powerful than any of the PicoPSU's and will run everything properly

[malfunction]

I got one for about £80 brand new off ebay, just waiting on it arriving

http://forums.overclockers.com.au/sh...d.php?t=776854

This guy uses those same components on a similar build.

I can't find any specs for the power supply though, but the guy from that build says

Bargain! Presume that was a one off auction? (I still miss my Hoojum Cubit 3 and the psile is the logical successor of that case in my eyes). Note that he's not using a GFX card (he is using a tuner but I doubt that draws 60W like the 4770 is estimated to at full load). If you can remove the GFX card or use one with a much lower power draw you'd be OK to use just about any decent DC/DC and AC/DC brick combo.

[format]

Bargain! Presume that was a one off auction? (I still miss my Hoojum Cubit 3 and the psile is the logical successor of that case in my eyes). Note that he's not using a GFX card (he is using a tuner but I doubt that draws 60W like the 4770 is estimated to at full load). If you can remove the GFX card or use one with a much lower power draw you'd be OK to use just about any decent DC/DC and AC/DC brick combo.

I originally wanted the Cubit 3 but they are so hard to find.
I was chuffed to find this Psile on ebay for this price, the one I got was in black but I think it'll look great.
I can hold off getting a seperate graphics card, tbh I might not ever get one, it'd just be nice to know that I could if I wanted to.

Thanks for the advice

[malfunction]

You're welcome. I've been fantasy shopping for another mini-ITX system for a while so most of it was already hanging around in the depths of my brain. Trouble is I currently have too much old crap so I can't really justify putting another system together unless I'm going to get rid of 1 of the older ones I have lying around.

[format]

Heh, I've only been building for about 3 years now, and mostly whilst being a student so I don't have the (mis)fortune of having lots of spare parts.
Although I've got tons of fans and SATA cables for some reason

[scaryjim]

... I've got tons of fans and SATA cables for some reason

Everyone has tons of Sata cables - there seemed to be a time when every piece of hardware was bundled with SATA cables, regardless of whether it was even vaguely SATA related.

I have them mostly because I did a full IT refresh (which eventually stretched to 12 clients + workgroup server) for a client at a time when IDE drives were still a few quid cheaper than SATA for the same capacity (and I like me an extra few quid profit!). All the mobos came with 2 sets of SATA cables + molex -> SATA power converters. I have a box *full* of the damn things...

As far as my mini-itx aspirations go, I'm still trying to work out the logistics of watercooling a mITX set-up. I'm convinced it's possible, but I don't really have the cash to put it into practice at the minute... ;(