Upgrading my computer - faster & more efficient

[ksa8907]

Originally Posted by Daox

This is a 'next step' deal, but I am considering getting a new power supply for the computer. There doesn't seem to be a great selection of power supplies for a low power system like this. PC parts picker estimates my max power consumption at ~130W. I kind of doubt it'll even get that high. I'm obviously looking for something as efficient as possible as well. Any suggestions?

Depends how far you want to go. At the heart of it, a computer power supply is just giving 12v, 5v, and 3.3v. Solar panel + charge controller + deep cycle battery + bunch of voltage regulators? Or just buy the best bang for your buck ps that is rated at least 80 plus gold.

How much is this pc going to be operating?

[freebeard]

If I were to move beyond the 2nd hand NUC market, I'd be looking at the Beaglebone X-15:

https://beagleboard.org/x15

The board is US$269. The recommended power supply is US$24. It appears to have a lot of headroom.

BeagleBoard-X15 is the top performing, mainline Linux enabled, power-users’ dream board with a core tailored for every computing task and a highspeed interface for every connectivity need. Give your algorithms room to stretch!
Processor: TI AM5728 2×1.5-GHz ARM® Cortex-A15

2GB DDR3 RAM
4GB 8-bit eMMC on-board flash storage
2D/3D graphics and video accelerators (GPUs)
2×700-MHz C66 digital signal processors (DSPs)
2×ARM Cortex-M4 microcontrollers (MCUs)
4×32-bit programmable real-time units (PRUs)

Connectivity

2×Gigabit Ethernet
3×SuperSpeed USB 3.0 host
HighSpeed USB 2.0 client
eSATA (500mA)
full-size HDMI video output
microSD card slot
Stereo audio in and out
4×60-pin headers with PCIe, LCD, mSATA

It would fit in a Mac Mini case I have already!

[Daox]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

Depends how far you want to go. At the heart of it, a computer power supply is just giving 12v, 5v, and 3.3v. Solar panel + charge controller + deep cycle battery + bunch of voltage regulators? Or just buy the best bang for your buck ps that is rated at least 80 plus gold.

How much is this pc going to be operating?

I am willing to make this a small fun project, but not a huge one. I've been poking around on 80plus.org, and there are a number of power supplies from Dell, HP, or Lenovo that could likely get me into the 90% range most of the time, and they aren't very expensive either. However, I know some come with non-standard connectors on them that would need to be changed over to the standard ATX connectors.

[Daox]

I've had all my components for a while now. I have been hesitant to jump to the new system since I do use my computer quite a bit. I use it for business, and want to minimize the downtime and potential issues that it may bring. However, I am hoping to make the change this coming weekend.

Before doing so, I wanted to get everything else set and ready to go. To have a little fun, and make this build a little different, I wanted to try a caseless build. This simply means you don't put all your components in a computer case. I decided to mount mine to the back wall of my desk's hutch. Its kind of nerdy and IMO cool looking. I used my 3d printer to make a framework for the motherboard to mount to. It then clips around the hutch's back board and has legs to hold it up.

[gone-ot]

Do you worry about "radiating" RF-energy from the bare circuit board, which is normally contained by the metal enclosure? Not so much as a danger to life, but rather as interference to OTHER electronic devices?

[Ecky]

I've never had an issue with this. Maybe you'll get some more audio distortion with onboard audio, but otherwise these components seem to be pretty resilient.

[freebeard]

The FCC regulation says it must not emit excessive RF, but must accept ambient RF.

I'd worry more about it collecting dust.

[Daox]

I'm really not too worried about any of that. Its been done before by others. If it becomes a pain, I can always put it in a case.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

The FCC regulation says it must not emit excessive RF, but must accept ambient RF.

I'd worry more about it collecting dust.

I'd worry about dust less than if it were in a case on the floor.

Floors are the worst place for computers to live. Dust accumulation is much more rapid for computers that sit directly on the floor. On the desk, under the hutch as this picture shows should be a good place for it to hide.

My main concern would be noise since there is no case to dampen and direct the sound, and that wooden surround might channel noise towards the user.

[Daox]

Yeah, noise is a concern of mine as well. Its just a OE Intel cooler on the chip right now.

However, I do have a big heat pipe cooler that I'm currently using on my old computer that I could move over. I'm pretty sure it could handle the new CPU without a fan on it even.