175w Ac to Dc Inverter?

OCgod* · 02-24-2006, 01:38 AM

I just had a simple question. If I had a 175w power inverter Ac to Dc in my car running a Amd 3700+, 1GB RAM, 200 GB HD, DVD+Rw Drive, and a Geforce 7800 GT OC card, running on a 500w PSU. Would that power inverter be enough to give it power to my system (Once it does that my 500 w PSU will do the rest of the job right?) Or would I need atleast a 500 w Inverter? B/c off the inverter imma run a Surge protector and just plug in my cord to the surge, and run the puter system. Thnks for all the help in advance...

**DJiK** · 02-24-2006, 01:42 AM

FAQ: Will <insert PSU model> Power Supply work with my system?

**DarquePervert** · 02-24-2006, 08:17 AM

DJiK: thank you.

OCgod*:
You're way off. The general rule of thmb for inverters is 1.5-2 times the rating of your power supply. That 175w power supply isn't going to provide enough power for your system.
Frankly, the general consunsus is that your setup is WAY too much of a power hog for a vehicle installation.
First of all, your CPU is an Athlon64 3700+. AMD is just a manufacturer. For future reference, these details are vital to obtaining assistance. That CPU all by itself consumes 89w at peak.
I'd suggest looking into a much lower-power setup than what you've got.

Also, the general consensus is that inverters aren't the ideal way to go. There are a number of potential issues with inverters, including heat, noise in your audio system, extra boxes and cabling, etc. A DC-DC power supply is the ideal way to go, but you have to build your system to work within a limited amount of power. As these products develop, the limit is getting higher and higher.
Check the FAQ that DJiK linked to. It outlines step-by-step how to figure out the power usage for your system.

**Jahntassa** · 02-24-2006, 09:17 AM

I agree that an inverter adds an entire seperate level of pain-in-the-arse to the whole project. I'm running one due to the fact that the system i'm using is non-ATX, and there is a little bit of noise I can't get rid of, plus the quirks of the inverter itself.

**MatrixPC** · 02-24-2006, 12:42 PM

When I was using inverter, the only noise I hear is the harmonic noise from the AC PSU. I have no audio noise, engine whine, ..... So crank up the music a little and there noise is virtually gone. That is when the car is park. If it is in motion, road noise is one that really bother me.

Now back to the topic. You SHOULD trim down your system. That is WAY too power full for carPC setup. We all want powerfull system, but there is ALWAYS a limit that we have to live with. MAX setup at the moment is 220W with DSATX. I know there is a Keypower and clone exist but not really worth mentioning.