Thread: Powering a IBM Thinkpad Need Help

Just use a laptop car adaptor for the Thinkpad.

Originally Posted by ReddyFire

So for the last month ive been looking around the forums trying to figure out the best setup for a car pc. i have an ibm thinkpad t41 thing is im not sure how exactly to power the mobo on it. ive worked with desktops alot and their power supplies/cables are completely different. i took my laptop apart and kept the screen aside for future use (not sure what yet its a 14" lcd). so anyways the dc jack see below is very different than a 6 pin ATX power supply connector. i looked at the M2 DC DC PSU and im not quite visualising how that would hook up to the car and the laptop given my situation.

That 6-pin connector is NOT an ATX connector.

yes i am noob in carpc but im ready to learn so i figure before i go any further id ask you guys .... i need help

If you're ready to learn, I suggest tracking down some detailed specs and service manuals for your model laptop., You can likely get a lot of good information from one.

Originally Posted by ReddyFire

how would the m2 dc dc psu hook up to the car adapter?

It doesn't. The M2ATX is designed to connect to a desktop motherboard that is ATX-compliant. Laptops are not ATX-compliant.
You're not going to be able to use an M2ATX with your laptop.

arent those supposed to plug in the cigg lighter thing...
excuse my n00bness

That's exactly what they are for. That's why it makes for such a simple and somewhat elegant power solution for a laptop.
Wire it straight to the battery and TAH DAH! You've got power.

Originally Posted by DarquePervert

That's exactly what they are for. That's why it makes for such a simple and somewhat elegant power solution for a laptop.
Wire it straight to the battery and TAH DAH! You've got power.

You're overthinking it. Like DP said, ATX supplies are for desktop PC's, not mobile ones. With a laptop as your Car PC, all you have to do is substitute your car's electrical system for the adaptor that you usually plug into the wall to charge up your laptop. Plenty of manufacturers make the right gizmo that plugs into your car's cigarette lighter and your laptop.

Why, you may ask, do people complicate things and use something besides a laptop for a car PC? Several reasons. First, the auto startup and shutdown of a laptop requires some hacking. Second, you may want to expand or add on to your PC (better sound or video card or larger hard drive) and a desktop unit is more flexible than the laptop. Third, you may want a PC with more computing power than a laptop. Fourth, laptops are more expensive unless you have an old one laying around or get one with a busted screen.

Explain what you mean by "power converter thing", please.

When DP said 'wire it straight to the battery,' what he meant was just cut off the cigarette lighter end and connect the wires of the power converter straight to the battery of the car. This allows you to keep your cigarette lighter outlet open for other stuff and makes your installation look more professional.

Of course, if the actual power conversion circuitry is inside the cigarette lighter portion, you wouldn't want to do this! However, that cigarette plug portion would probably look suspiciously large and have vents cut into it to let heat out. More likely, there is the cigarette lighter plug, followed by a wire that connects into a small box where the circuitry is and a wire that goes out of the box and plugs into your laptop. Cutting off the cigarette plug in that case just gives you two wires you connect to the battery.

Make sure you don't reverse the polarity if you cut off the lighter plug. I always advise people to use a multimeter but [sigh] they are afraid to do it because they don't understand how it works. It takes five minutes on Youtube to learn how to use one to measure voltage properly but instead they'd rather hook up their $400 amplifier blindly and hope there is reverse polarity protection built in.