Should I use 2 DC-DC PSU's?

**babyman1737** · 10-04-2006, 02:10 AM

I have a desktop mobo, it's the PCchips M810LMR rev 7.1a board, it has an AMD (x84 or something) 1.24Ghz Athlon processor, 512mb RAM, onboard sound, video, and LAN. I am not using any PCI slots, and I am only using 1 40GB 5400 HDD and 1 dvd slot drive. I will be using two USB (1.1) ports for GPS and touchscreen monitor input.
I don't want to use a power inverter and 12V-120V PSU, it takes up too much space and wastes too much energy through heat (but mostly too much space taken up). I would rather use a DC-DC PSU, like the M2-ATX, but I have a feeling I'll need around 300watts. Should/Can I use 2 M2-ATX PSU's? Does anyone have any thoughtful input? Thanks.

**ryan-neil** · 10-04-2006, 04:38 AM

I'd like to hear this answered also. I'd imagein a case of just joining all the cables making a 2 PSU to 1 Atx Connector for the Motherboard. Would be cheaper than replacing my Opus 120 with a Opus 250.

**avengerki** · 10-04-2006, 05:56 AM

If you do use 2 power supply's then one power supply should power the motherboard and all the other accessories (HD etc.) should be powered off the second. Its not really a good idea to have 2 power supplies both going into the motherboard.

**DarquePervert** · 10-04-2006, 07:19 AM

Rather than "have a feeling" about uhow much your system will consume, you should get an estimate using a power calculator.
I also suggest reading this FAQ: FAQ: Will <insert PSU model> Power Supply work with my system?

Personally, I'd look into one PSU that will handle everything as opposed to kluuging two PSUs together.

**FC3S** · 10-04-2006, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by DarquePervert

Personally, I'd look into one PSU that will handle everything as opposed to kluuging two PSUs together.

normally that would be a good idea, but if the op is planning something like i am, then even opus' new 250watt psu isnt enough..

lol

but as to the 2psu into 1 atx idea, i wouldnt suggest that either, you dont want too much power going into mobo's, their pretty finicky about that, one psu to power the mobo, other to power peripherals

**babyman1737** · 10-04-2006, 02:14 PM

I said "I have a feeling" because what I've read about the M810LMR they say you should have at least 300watts and 350-400 if using a nice video and sound card. With that knowledge, an Opus 250 wouldn't suffice, so I'd like to use two M2-ATX PSU's. I can't really find my exact CPU on the calculators, as I believe I have a "Socket A" board. But it looks like I will end up using two PSU's, one for the mobo and one for the HDD and DVD drive.

**DarquePervert** · 10-04-2006, 03:38 PM

The power rating for the PSU is based on the CPU and other components in a typical system.
For a vehicle installation, you don't need uber-high-end 3D video. A nice power-saving low-end solution will be more than adequate. On-board video is perfectly fine. Personally, i have an nForce2-base motherboard by Shuttle with a mobile AthlonXP that is clocking 2.0Ghz. It runs uber-stable and is powered by a single DSATX PSU. The graphics are GeForceMX440 w/ dual VGA outs using shared system RAM, of which I've allocated 64MB.

I don't think you're going to need two PSUs. But whatever you choose is up to you.

If you read the recommendations carefully, they state minimum PSU power ratings for use in conjunction with high-end video cards and the highest-end AthlonXP CPUs. It will work just as well with lower-end devices that draw less power.

Besides, if you want to see 3D gaming in the car, go with a mobile Turion X2 setup. They draw tiny amounts of power, leaving more available for a better 3D card. I'd say for gaming in the car, that would be the ticket.

**FC3S** · 10-04-2006, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by DarquePervert

The power rating for the PSU is based on the CPU and other components in a typical system.
For a vehicle installation, you don't need uber-high-end 3D video. A nice power-saving low-end solution will be more than adequate. On-board video is perfectly fine. Personally, i have an nForce2-base motherboard by Shuttle with a mobile AthlonXP that is clocking 2.0Ghz. It runs uber-stable and is powered by a single DSATX PSU. The graphics are GeForceMX440 w/ dual VGA outs using shared system RAM, of which I've allocated 64MB.

I don't think you're going to need two PSUs. But whatever you choose is up to you.

If you read the recommendations carefully, they state minimum PSU power ratings for use in conjunction with high-end video cards and the highest-end AthlonXP CPUs. It will work just as well with lower-end devices that draw less power.

Besides, if you want to see 3D gaming in the car, go with a mobile Turion X2 setup. They draw tiny amounts of power, leaving more available for a better 3D card. I'd say for gaming in the car, that would be the ticket.

what makes you think the computer will STAY in the car? o_O,

of its gonna be removeable, then maybe the op wants a super computer that he can use in both the car and in the house (at least i want it that way, haha)

**babyman1737** · 10-04-2006, 05:19 PM

Hey DarquePervert, could you help me find out which CPU I have? That's the only part I need to find out my power requirements. As stated, it's a AMD Athlon 1.24GHz (as stated in the BIOS) and something like x86 or x84? It is on a M810LMR mobo, socket A. Specs can be found here:
http://www.pcchips.com.tw/PCCWeb/Pro...D=109&LanID=0#
Any help is extremely appreciated! Thanks.
P.S. on that PCchips website it's the M810LMR under the "Socket A (AMD K7)" section.

**turbocad6** · 10-04-2006, 05:59 PM

hey man, you could always go back to basics & actually hook a meter up to it & verify exactly how much she's drawing.... calculators, estimates & guesses are never gonna be as good as actual readings anyway....

I would think a single 250 would do more than fine in that setup though...