Any LOW power desktops with external wall wart power supply?

[me]

Looking for an extremely low power desktop but that
uses an external power supply. Maybe wall wart style

Desktop could use a laptop CPU such as Pent M or
something

Such a beats exist?

 

[Mike T.]

Looking for an extremely low power desktop but that
uses an external power supply. Maybe wall wart style

Desktop could use a laptop CPU such as Pent M or
something

Such a beats exist?

Yeah, it's called a notebook. Most notebooks support external keyboard,
external mouse, and external monitor. You can usually run them with the
cover closed, in fact. -Dave

 

[me]

Yeah, it's called a notebook. Most notebooks support external keyboard,
external mouse, and external monitor. You can usually run them with the
cover closed, in fact. -Dave

yeah I know

Just curious if a desktop existed like that

sounds like a waste of time looking for it thing if
notebooks exist already huh?

 

[JAD]

small footprint systems bout the size of a keyboard cybernet makes a few

http://www.cybernetman.com/default.cfm

 

[Paul]

yeah I know

Just curious if a desktop existed like that

sounds like a waste of time looking for it thing if
notebooks exist already huh?

This isn't really a "desktop" as such, but this thin client
uses a 50W external wall wart. It has an NX1500 processor,
which is pretty under-powered by modern standards.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12388_na/12388_na.HTML#Technical Specifications

And you can convert a low powered desktop, to wall wart powered,
by using one of these. The "picoPSU" is a DC-DC converter,
suitable from taking wall-wart 12VDC, and making the rest of
the voltages needed by a motherboard. A power device like
this should have some moving air over it - while conversion
can be 95% efficient, the thing has next to no surface area
for cooling. There should always be at least one fan present,
to keep the disk drive cool, and the moving air can help
cool this too:

3.3V@6A, 5V@6A, 12V@7A, [email protected], [email protected] (input 12VDC, regulated)
http://www.mini-itx.com/news/images/story0417-01L.jpg
http://www.mini-itx.com/store/default.asp?c=10
http://resources.mini-box.com/online/picoPSU-120/picoPSU-120-manual-engl.pdf

Something like this might make a good motherboard.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131007

You can fit a Core Duo at 31W into it.
http://processorfinder.intel.com/scripts/default.asp?CHRID=1042

The cheapest Core Duo is this one for $244. The necessary heatsink
and fan come with the motherboard purchase.

"Intel Core Duo T2300 Yonah 1.667GHz/FSB667MHz $243.99"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819111180

Too bad there is no way to work out what total power is needed.

For a system like that, you could use a laptop hard drive and
a laptop CD to reduce power. The motherboard chipset is a mobile
chipset, so just like a laptop, it tries to do the best it can
to save power. The board has built-in graphics, and that means
you don't need a video card. (No, this won't be a gaming box,
unless you put a bigger power supply in it for the
video card.)

Low power systems are a pain to build, because you don't have
any power to spare. Ideally, you buy motherboard and components
first, and test them with a standard ATX power supply. Then
measure the current flowing from the ATX supply to the motherboard.
Once you have all the measurements done, under load, then you'll
know whether one of those "picoATX" supplies would work. You can
then shop for a power source known to provide the amount of
power you just measured.

If the wall wart is being called on to deliver a lot of power,
make sure it is located where it has good airflow. If dropped
straignt onto carpeting, half the surface area of the wall
wart is insulated.

Paul

 

[Paul]

yeah I know

Just curious if a desktop existed like that

sounds like a waste of time looking for it thing if
notebooks exist already huh?

Here is an article for you. There are people who fool around
with low power systems.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article300-page1.html

Paul

 

[me]

This isn't really a "desktop" as such, but this thin client

This is what I want but in this unit the power supply
is built in

If it had an external wall wart type power supply this
would be perfect

http://tinyurl.com/syls8

 

[hdrdtd]

Just out of curiousity, why the requirement that the PS be an external
type??

 

[me]

Just out of curiousity, why the requirement that the PS be an external
type??

Might want to run it off grid on DC power

 

[Michael Hawes]

Might want to run it off grid on DC power

Notebook has battery! Runs off grid on its own. What have you got
against notebook?
Mike,

 

[HDRDTD]

Aha.

This assumes the output of the wall wart is DC and not just low voltage AC?

 

[me]

What have you got
against notebook?

Nothing really except they are harder to work on

I will probably go with laptop anyway.... just
investigating small DC desktops is all

 

[me]

This assumes the output of the wall wart is DC and not just low voltage AC?

yes

But what else would it be other than DC?

 

[David Maynard]

yes

But what else would it be other than DC?

He told you: low voltage AC.

Just depends on what the designer needed/wanted. DC is certainly common
but, for example, I just did a little project and used an AC wall wart
because I needed +- voltages and it was easier to bring low voltage AC in
and derive them from that than a single DC. Which, brings up a third
possibility: multiple voltage wall warts. They're not as common but out there.

Oh, and the DC could be either regulated or just filtered.

 

[HDRDTD]

He told you: low voltage AC.

Just depends on what the designer needed/wanted. DC is certainly common
but, for example, I just did a little project and used an AC wall wart
because I needed +- voltages and it was easier to bring low voltage AC in
and derive them from that than a single DC.

Exactly..

Which, brings up a third