Thread: PSU choice?!

well, i can rule 1 out right away-- do not use the pico psu. these require regulated 12volts-- cars voltage is usually around 12 volts, but can go from 5v to 15v. the pico psu just sends that to the motherboard--it will kill computer parts.


though, after reading a little more(i do not understand russion, so that could be part of the problem) it seems to refer to the M3 as a pico psu as well.

if the site is just refering to the small size of the psu, then it is a different story.

i believe all Pico PSU models(the ones to avoid) use a yellow 20 pin connector

can i ask why you are only deciding between the m1 + m4? there are 2 models in between that could work as well.



you really need to look at what you want to power with the psu, and then add up the approximate maximum power consumption of each device to see what product best fits your needs.

I couldn't agree more, unfortunately I don't get much of a choice in my part of the world.

Also, what I meant to say is that I can choose from the Mx series.

ok, for your board only, the m1, or m3 should be plenty, but the most common psu for that type of board is the m2..

the m4 would also work, though is a lot more money upfront. if you plant to eventually upgrade to a more- power-hungry pc later, then it is a worthwhile investment, but is not needed in your current build.

Alright, but output power aside, which is the most "bug free" of them? And by that I mean available settings that actually work, engine crank resiliency [I drive a diesel car so it needs quite a bit of power at start-up].

I'm only asking because I've seen so many threads regarding firmware problems, electrical noise, etc...

for product support/reliability, i recommend the dsatx(zootjeff provides excellent support), or a opus series-- i know, neither are available in romania..

i have not been very happy with what i have read on any of those psu's you have available...

there is some debate that they are so popular, that the problems with them probably are not any worse then any other psu if based on a percentage of psu's-sold, but the market size is so much larger that there seems to be more problems..

as i said, the m2 seems to be the most popular model, so it might be the best one to go with..

The M2 works well for what it is. FYI, mp3car.com ships everywhere. And the UK based CarPC retailer should ship there too.

I can recommend the opus.

I might go with the Opus or the DSATX, but there are more things to consider. Like warranty, transport charges, etc...

I guess, considering my choices, that it all boils down to M2 vs M4 ATX.

Both would be powerful enough for what I'll throw at it, but which one would you recommend? I'm looking for the one least likely to give me headaches

i would probably go with the m2. the problems i have read of seem to be less severe, and it also seems there are many, many more m2 users..