Intel PC powered by car battery - bit-tech.net Forums

WilHarris · 23rd Aug 2005, 19:33

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/08...c_car_battery/

Firehed · 23rd Aug 2005, 19:50

Well the car battery thing is a decent idea, assuming it's designed to charge back up when the AC isn't all dead. Of course... it'll last all of maybe three minutes with a preshott. I think the only time I've tried system restore it made things ten times worse.... so I'd rather not be able to do it by accident.

jakenbake · 23rd Aug 2005, 21:11

give me some high wattage resistors to use as voltage dividers, and i could do the same thing. just need a 12 v line, a 5 v line (maybe a 7 and 3.3 volt as well) and some capacitors. as far as being able to power a processor for only 3 minutes, my 12 volt battery in my car can power my lights, stereo, and 2 300 watt amps, so i don't think its an issue.

has anyone ever picked up a car battery? they weigh about 20 lbs. no thanks on that mod.

wolff000 · 23rd Aug 2005, 22:18

Yea the mod is simple but when you are dealing with a country whose power goes on and off more than hollywood marriages and the average income is only a few months rent,(here in the states anyway, you need cheap simple soltutions. brilliant idea hope it helps out people who normally couldn't use a pc because of power issues.

jakenbake · 23rd Aug 2005, 22:45

brilliant would be making it run off a cell phone battery or a few 9v batteries

(obviously the cicuitry gets more complicated when u have to go from 9v to 12 v)

Gascan1888 · 24th Aug 2005, 03:05

Wouldn’t this really revolutionize in-car computers???

Malfoleo · 24th Aug 2005, 05:30

Yeah, that’s nice and all, but why not just take a normal computer, rip the circuitry out of a normal UPS (or in intel's case, build the PCB and other bits), hook it up to a car battery, and bingo: cheap UPS with lots o juice.

Believe it or not, but a car battery will actually power a typical computer for longer then a lot of the more expensive UPS's actually do. Friend of mine runs an inverter in his van, and with his system (2.8 p4, 2 hdd, 2 optical, 6600gt, 350watt psu) and his monitor (15"), and the battery will last (with the van off and the dome light on) roughly half an hour or more.

This is far from break-through; it's just hype and a way to make money. And yes, it will be good for those that don't know what they're doing, and I congratulate intel on making it, but it could have been implemented in such a better, more cost-effective way.

Flibblebot · 24th Aug 2005, 17:11

Powering a PC with a UPS is very inefficient, basically because the UPS circuitry goes from DC to AC (inefficiencies in the inverter) then the PC goes from AC back to DC (with more inefficiencies in the PSU).
What Intel have done is strip out the conversion stages, and provide 12V straight to the power circuits (which is the same thing that happens with SFF PCs that use an external power brick).
Not rocket science by any stretch of the imagination...

Dad · 24th Aug 2005, 17:41

What's so inovative about this? There are plenty of DC/DC power supplies for PC's out there.. One such supply is a 90watt dc/dc 6-24v input for 69usd. There are actually many companies that make atx spec dc/dc psu's out there. Now, having said that, these won't charge the battery(s) up while on mains power.

TheEclypse · 25th Aug 2005, 12:25

Quote:

If that's not cool enough, the front of the machine also sports a hard button that enables the PC to roll back to a safe point upon a problem with the machine

Great! Just keep children away from it, because you know they will press it.

23rd Aug 2005, 19:33	#1
WilHarris Just another nobody Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Oxford Posts: 2,671	Intel PC powered by car battery http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/08...c_car_battery/

23rd Aug 2005, 19:50	#2
Firehed Why not? I own a domain to match. Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: An hour north of Boston Posts: 12,576	Well the car battery thing is a decent idea, assuming it's designed to charge back up when the AC isn't all dead. Of course... it'll last all of maybe three minutes with a preshott. I think the only time I've tried system restore it made things ten times worse.... so I'd rather not be able to do it by accident. __________________ hire me @ eric-stern.com - web developer and php ninja pics @ my smugmug :: Twitter @firehed :: blog @ firehed.net 40D\|580EXII\|285HV\|AB800\|70-200f/4LIS\|17-50f/2.8\|150f/2.8Macro\|50f/1.8 MacPro @ 8x2.8GHz, 10GB FBDDR2, 3TB HD :: MBP @ 2x2.2GHz, 4GB DDR2, 320GB HD

23rd Aug 2005, 22:18	#4
wolff000 I am here to steal your secrets. Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Never-never Land Posts: 196	Yea the mod is simple but when you are dealing with a country whose power goes on and off more than hollywood marriages and the average income is only a few months rent,(here in the states anyway, you need cheap simple soltutions. brilliant idea hope it helps out people who normally couldn't use a pc because of power issues. __________________ The gospel accordong to Myamoto, Chatper three, verse six..."And it is written that the gaming of man will die, and rest silent for two years. But on the eighty-fifth year of the twentieth century, it shall rise again. And its triumphant return shall be heralded by two great plumbers and thou will know gaming has been born again."

24th Aug 2005, 03:05	#6
Gascan1888 Supermodder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: chicago Posts: 377	Wouldn’t this really revolutionize in-car computers??? __________________ Nexxo - "S**t happens. We just don't have to sling it at the fan with both hands."

24th Aug 2005, 05:30	#7
Malfoleo I -am- demotivation. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 3,512	Yeah, that’s nice and all, but why not just take a normal computer, rip the circuitry out of a normal UPS (or in intel's case, build the PCB and other bits), hook it up to a car battery, and bingo: cheap UPS with lots o juice. Believe it or not, but a car battery will actually power a typical computer for longer then a lot of the more expensive UPS's actually do. Friend of mine runs an inverter in his van, and with his system (2.8 p4, 2 hdd, 2 optical, 6600gt, 350watt psu) and his monitor (15"), and the battery will last (with the van off and the dome light on) roughly half an hour or more. This is far from break-through; it's just hype and a way to make money. And yes, it will be good for those that don't know what they're doing, and I congratulate intel on making it, but it could have been implemented in such a better, more cost-effective way. __________________ I play with fish all day. And take photos for your sick pleasure.

23rd Aug 2005, 21:11	#3
jakenbake full duplex Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 494	give me some high wattage resistors to use as voltage dividers, and i could do the same thing. just need a 12 v line, a 5 v line (maybe a 7 and 3.3 volt as well) and some capacitors. as far as being able to power a processor for only 3 minutes, my 12 volt battery in my car can power my lights, stereo, and 2 300 watt amps, so i don't think its an issue. has anyone ever picked up a car battery? they weigh about 20 lbs. no thanks on that mod.

23rd Aug 2005, 22:45	#5
jakenbake full duplex Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 494	brilliant would be making it run off a cell phone battery or a few 9v batteries (obviously the cicuitry gets more complicated when u have to go from 9v to 12 v)

24th Aug 2005, 17:11	#8
Flibblebot Free from artificial flavourings Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Right here, right now Posts: 2,233	Powering a PC with a UPS is very inefficient, basically because the UPS circuitry goes from DC to AC (inefficiencies in the inverter) then the PC goes from AC back to DC (with more inefficiencies in the PSU). What Intel have done is strip out the conversion stages, and provide 12V straight to the power circuits (which is the same thing that happens with SFF PCs that use an external power brick). Not rocket science by any stretch of the imagination...

24th Aug 2005, 17:41	#9
Dad You talkin to me? Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Central NY Posts: 5,375	What's so inovative about this? There are plenty of DC/DC power supplies for PC's out there.. One such supply is a 90watt dc/dc 6-24v input for 69usd. There are actually many companies that make atx spec dc/dc psu's out there. Now, having said that, these won't charge the battery(s) up while on mains power.