Thread: getting started....ATX vs ITX etc

Originally Posted by FiSKARZ

Assuming i go the P4 route (which eats up ~75w i think) would i be able to power a basic setup...

This sounds good to me.

In looking at the Opus specs, I see that their ATX case is running a custom 150w DC-DC PSU. This should be sufficient for a most modest P4 systems. Really, the lower the CPU speed (say, around a 1.6Ghz) the better here... although it sounds as if you've got this aspect figured out, "eats us ~75w". From what I can recall, 40w was required for the early P4s, where as the the recent 3.0Ghz (533Mhz) chips can draw ~81w.

Originally Posted by FiSKARZ

laptop drive as well as the convertor bay would be separately powered.

I like your idea for a laptop drive (removable) to move files from the home PC to the car PC. Sounds handy, in lue of a wireless network.

If you're running these drives externally from the PC case (and it's DC-DC PSU), I'm not sure what sort of inverter (or if an inverter) _is_) the best way to power the laptop and optical drives. Seems like you could get away with 75-100w on this. *However, this is only a mildy educated guess. Hopefully, someone else with more experience can confirm this. I can point out that OPUS claims inverters are hard on the car and sensative electronics. Not sure if this is a sales oriented statement or not. Sounds as tho a bit more research and caution are warranted. : )

Originally Posted by FiSKARZ

optical drive... has a separate 5v power jack on the back of the unit...how would i get regulated power to that from the car? or would it be easier to somehow power it from the PC itself?

Too bad both the laptop drive (in a USB external enclosure, correct?) and the optical drive (using a similar, laptop internal to IDE/USB converter) most likely won't be able to draw (enough) power from USB. That would certainly be handy.

Cheers,
Blue

Originally Posted by robiewp

As for the adapter that will allow you to connect an internal laptop CD drive to USB2 externally, such things can be found on ebay for under $25, and as low as $15. They aren't both firewire and usb at that price, but why would you need both for a semi-perm install?

Good call with that, and also something I forgot to ask. The one I mentioned was the only kind I saw so far. To save the money (and since USB 2.0 actually transmits higher bandwidth than firewire) I would opt for your device. Any good links.....I dont need the enclosure either since this will be mounted into a dash kit. Also, a big problem is supplying power to the device. Another adaptor I was checking-- http://www.bixnet.com/notslimcdtod.html uses standard power run from the PC bus, however I would have to work with 10-15 feet of IDE cable to connect it. I've read successful posts regarding running LONG IDE cable to the dash. Any other suggestions for a laptop to desktop optical drive converter that would be easy to power??

Originally Posted by robiewp

maybe this new super porn nobody told me about can be personalized and requires DVD-R to move the settings from computer to computer, and is so graphic intensive you need a Gefoce 4400.

I personally would use a DVD-R for transfering music and DVD images, in the absence of my external firewire drive. I use the car comp so much I find myself wanting things off it, not to put on it. There's nothing like somebody saying, "damn, i wish we had such and such movie to watch" and being able to go out to your car and bring in a disk in 15 minutes

Well to address the "super porn", the GeForce 4400 is currently the oldest graphics card that I own, and it is not being used. I can buy a cheaper one and put it in the unused desktop to make it functional, moving the 4400 to the car. That would obviously be cheaper than selling my used 4400 and getting an inferior card that you might find more appropriate in a carPC. To be more precise as to my DVD/CD-RW combo drive, its main use will be to load DVDs i dont have on HDD. Also note that this isnt a DVD burner (you mention DVD-R), the drive would be a combo drive, playing DVDs and burning CDs (CD-R/RW). On my desktop PC, I have a 120GB filled to the brim with divx movies/tv shows/emulation/music/backup apps.....and basically all the stuff ive saved over the years...I do not need to actually MOVE data back and forth, except for the one time installation...ill prbabably take the 120GB desktop and temporarilly wire it as an IDE slave in the carPC.

Originally Posted by BlueF

From what I can recall, 40w was required for the early P4s, where as the the recent 3.0Ghz (533Mhz) chips can draw ~81w.

Are you talking about the early 1st-gen P4s that use RD-RAM exclusively? One of my desktops has this processor, and RD-RAM is quite expensive. Any good compromise between a newer generation P4 with lower power demands, maybe around 55-70w? (or even a good resource i can look for info, besides stores like newegg and stuff). A 3.0GHZ only uses ~81w? thought it would be more. Seems like something in the early "2s" would be more cost and power effective, while retaining a relatively "luxurious" speed for a carPC. On a side note and off-topic thought, I could probably get away with 256 ram since I will be loading bare-minimum programs and services at startup. I don't plan to do any hardcore multi-tasking between Photoshop and MS office in the car...hehe

Originally Posted by BlueF

If you're running these drives externally from the PC case (and it's DC-DC PSU), I'm not sure what sort of inverter (or if an inverter) _is_) the best way to power the laptop and optical drives. Seems like you could get away with 75-100w on this.

Now we can be talking about a lousy radioshack invertor that plugs into cig lighter....i could clip the cable and hardwire that setup.....Or are you referring to a specific inverter? Theres no way i can run/convert standard 5-pin power supply to that? As I said above i will start my hunt for a USB bridge more like what ROBIEWP mentioned, perhaps with different power connection options. If not, what about this: http://www.bixnet.com/notslimcdtod.html and then i just run a long IDE cable to board. Obviously, I'd much rather run USB through the car though.

AGAIN, sorry for posting a short novel. With all the help from this boards, and posts to this thread, I'm getting closer to working out the final kinks of this setup, and will (hopefully) start ordering parts real soon! thanks again in advance

AHA! Found something else that might be helpful if I use the LAPTOP->IDE convertor. This seems to solve the problem of running the IDE cable through the car, while still allowing the laptop drive to be powered via an (extended) 5-PIN power supply cable:

http://store.yahoo.com/meritline/nemeusb20hit.html

Again, the link to the proposed convertor to connect a Laptop slim drive to desktop IDE

http://www.bixnet.com/notslimcdtod.html

....think that would work?? anything i'm overlooking?

Well, i just bought an Epia M mini-itx (7"x7"). I'm ripping out the TL head unit and putting it behind the screen. It's about the same size as any aftermarket headunit so it should fit. I'm going to try to stuff the LCD, motherboard, dvd, opus power supply, hard drive, and a controller where the headunit in the TL goes. Fabrication will begin this weekend. Should be a fun project

What did you decide on for a screen?

Originally Posted by Crav4Speed

Well, i just bought an Epia M mini-itx (7"x7"). I'm ripping out the TL head unit and putting it behind the screen. It's about the same size as any aftermarket headunit so it should fit. I'm going to try to stuff the LCD, motherboard, dvd, opus power supply, hard drive, and a controller where the headunit in the TL goes. Fabrication will begin this weekend. Should be a fun project

What did you decide on for a screen?

lol what does that have to do with this thread? from what i've heard, an OPUS PSU is pretty big....dunno if that will fit in the HU space with the mini-ITX........rather than conserve space, im just gonna put the whole thing in my trunk. My plan is to gut out that STUPID "executive tray" (the one above head unit, below tem. controls) i will have a front interface (consisting of a laptop slimline DVD/CD-RW combo drive, 2-4 powered usb ports, and possibly a PCMCIA slot and/or a 3.5mm audio out....a headphone jack). The stock HU will remain and the basic front setup will take the place of that tray assembaly. As far as the screens go, I plan for 2 sunvisor screens (as large as they come, still working on that) as well as a 3" rear-view mirror screen which will display a constant image, (since the sunvisor mirrors will be folded up while driving). The rearview mirror screen will serve more purpose for full-screen movies, and visualizations, etc. That's my deal...ACURA TLs UNITE!!

Any response to my prev. posts in this thread....? Thanks again!!

Originally Posted by robiewp

that's the kind of stuff i was talking about. here's an auction that ended, i haven't been able to find the same model yet:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ory=42322&rd=1

Here's the one that you found in the yahoo store:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=41911

my concern with anything but the one in the auction that has ended is that I do not think they can power your drive without an additional power cable.

Well, as far as power is concerned, I would have to use either of the above two devices in conjunction with this:

http://www.bixnet.com/notslimcdtod.html

It appears in the diagrams (in the above link) that the laptop drive is fed one single cable, providing power AND data....the device I mentioned above splits the two, providing a 5-pin connection for power, and a standard 40-PIN IDE connection for data. Using your device will convert the IDE to a USB, which i can run to the carputer in the trunk, but still leaves the "power" connection untouched. For that, I intend to run a standard 5-pin power cable directly from the case to the device mentioned immediately above. Do you think this would work at a length of 15 feet approximately? Also, on another subject, do you know of a USB device that would provide me with a ROW (5-10) of buttons. I want to avoid a keypad if possible, as I do not need full-sized keys, but rather a series of compact buttons I could assign as "hotkeys" with appropriate software, (to be used controlling Winamp among other basic programs). Thanks again!

Originally Posted by FiSKARZ

lol what does that have to do with this thread?

Well, the title of your thread is ATX vs ITX... i'm just telling you what you could with an ITX as opposed to an ATX... and yes, everything CAN fit back there especially with an Epia

Originally Posted by Crav4Speed

Well, the title of your thread is ATX vs ITX... i'm just telling you what you could with an ITX as opposed to an ATX... and yes, everything CAN fit back there especially with an Epia

is there a way to use ITX without an EPIA though?? I don't want to be stuck with a 1ghz unswappable processor. rather than make my own case and gut my stock changer, i would rather sacrifice some (unused) trunk space, or even my spare tire compartment for the opus case and included power supply. I was looking more for something like a 2.x ghz processor with pentium 4, but didn't know if an ITX board could support that. It just seems like you could do way more with an ATX than an ITX. On that principle, I would rather have a larger, more powerful computer than a smaller one with more limited options. Please tell me if im wrong though....