The1Architect

am new to carputer business and don't know alot about it .. I was wondering if this power supply will replace the standard power supply that comes in a regular desktop for this motherboard and if this is all what i need interm of power supply to run out of the car battery
if so would i be able to use an internal power Y cable like the one shown?

The1Architect

buuuump

NotYou

Yes, both of those are fine.

That power supply is rated for up to 120Watts. There are others (such as the m2-atx) that go higher then that. What I would recommend before purchasing is to make a rough calculation of how many watts you will need total, add in some "wiggle room", and buy the power supply that supplies that many watts.

If you don't know the wattage of your computer devices (hard drive, dvd drive, motherboard, etc.), do a google search for something like "computer part watt draw" or something. There's tons of calculators out there.

If you are using a via motherboard, these are extremely low power, and most likely that one you show will cover everything you need. But if you plan to use a desktop motherboard/processor (as shown in your picture), I would definitly recommnd a 160watt or higher power supply, as some desktop processors use around 90watts just themselves.

The1Architect

thanks alot for the reply...
if am planning in adding alot of components ie, HDD, DVD Rom, PCI USB hub, FM transmiter, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi am assuming that I would need a somewhat higher wattage so is there a harm in going up to say 300w or even 400w?

NotYou

Are you going to be using a desktop motherboard or a via-type motherboard? When completed, I will have all of that (except FM transmitter) plus the monitor running on a 160 m2-atx power supply, along with a via-based board. Most of those components don't use too much, it's just that the most power-hungry item is the motherboard / processor.

There is no harm is going above what you need. The largest dc-dc intelligent auto power supply I have seen is 320watts, which is a lot of power for our environment. Take a look at the selection in the mp3car store under "power supplies" to give you an idea of what's out there.

The1Architect

am going to you use a desktop motherboard just because I already have a whole extra pc

I guess once am ready to start my project i'll have to do some calculations to get a PSU just above what i need
thanx again

NotYou

Sounds like a good plan... plan on at least 20% overhead to be safe, more if you already know of a plan for more items.

Also, don't forget to check out the FAQ's in the "Power Supply" forum. Good luck