Show your new toys Topic

AlexTSG

Master of Cramming
Jun 17, 2018
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I won't use a dGPU, so no issue.

For APU builds it may even be possible to fit something like the HDPlex 200W AC/DC in the space provided for the dGPU.

I'm looking forward to seeing your build @GuilleAcoustic

My old Alienware X51 R2 uses a rather large 330W external AC Adapter, and the only time I'd prefer it was internal is on the odd occasion that I've had to take it somewhere.
 

AlexTSG

Master of Cramming
Jun 17, 2018
599
590
www.youtube.com
Nice to see another fellow Wooting user! I’m waiting for the Lekker a few months now but I love the Wooting, I might devote some time and make it more silent as you say. For now I’m using prints and different key caps that did made things much better.
Let us know how you did the dampening process when you do it!

I have most of the stuff I need to start the dampening project, but I thought I'd go beyond the tape, foam, and O-rings, and try my hand at lubing the switches too. I haven't been able to find the Krytox 205g0 that's recommended, but I have some Krytox 205g2 on the way from Amazon (Despite warnings that it's a really bad thing to start with for beginners...).

So, the lubing may go horribly wrong, but I plan to film the entire process. It may just end up as a video titled "Keyboard switch lubing FAIL!" XD
 

Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
2,225
I don't understand the hate for external PSU. Since your computer will likely require a power cord ... having a small black box inline with it, laying on the floor, hidden by your furniture, ain't a real issue. It allows for way smaller chassis that won't eat all your desk space, allows for front chassis fans (which many SFF chassis lack).
Nah, for anything up to and including an entry level dGPU, you can squeeze a MeanWell EPP-200-12 into nearly any case.

I definitely wouldn't say I hate power bricks, but I do strongly dislike them for a number of reasons. The main one is clutter: no matter how much you say you can hide it, it will always be more difficult to hide than a simple power cord. An AC cord can even be made to length relatively easily if necessary/desired, while doing the same for a power brick would likely require not just modifying the AC cord but also the DC cord and thus voiding its warranty. Coiling up and hiding excess cable length is enough of a hassle; coiling up two cables with a brick between them, or making a coil of two wires and a brick, is more of a hassle no matter what. And in most cases it will inevitably leave the brick visible in some way, either on the floor or dangling off a desk, etc. In the latter case it also adds unnecessary stress to the power connector, potentially leading to premature failures. To me, that goes directly against the reason I am attracted to SFF in the first place. Cooling of the external brick is also an issue, of course, especially at higher power outputs. There's also the issue of unnecessary complexity; the vast majority of power bricks are 19V(-ish), requiring further conversion to form the necessary main 12V rail inside of the PC. The reasoning behind this is sound in cases where you need a brick (such as laptops) - 19V requires significantly thinner wiring and smaller connectors than 12V. But in the case of a desktop PC, that is just adding inefficiency for no reason IMO. When you can get a ~92% efficient AC-DC unit that converts directly to 12V, I see using a two-stage conversion from AC to 19V to 12V where each step is at best equally efficient to the direct 12V conversion as adding unnecessary complexity, heat, and power waste to the system. That being said, I think HDPlex's units are very nicely made and a very good solution in many cases (especially those that allow for mounting the AC-DC unit internally), but for those willing to go the more DIY route, there are definitely better options.
For APU builds it may even be possible to fit something like the HDPlex 200W AC/DC in the space provided for the dGPU.
Or something like the MeanWell EPP-200-12C, or the absolutely minuscule EPP-120S-12. The latter would definitely fit into this case if one doesn't need the PCIe slot.
 
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GuilleAcoustic

Chief Procrastination Officer
SFFn Staff
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Jun 29, 2015
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I definitely wouldn't say I hate power bricks, but I do strongly dislike them for a number of reasons. The main one is clutter: no matter how much you say you can hide it, it will always be more difficult to hide than a simple power cord. An AC cord can even be made to length relatively easily if necessary/desired, while doing the same for a power brick would likely require not just modifying the AC cord but also the DC cord and thus voiding its warranty. Coiling up and hiding excess cable length is enough of a hassle; coiling up two cables with a brick between them, or making a coil of two wires and a brick, is more of a hassle no matter what.

I never had issues with my AD-DC bricks, could it be cable length or hiding them. I guess it's a matter of what kind of furniture you use. If you really need a custom length cable, you could only shorten the one on the AC side, which is most of the time removable. Bricks come with a velcro strap too, which helps to keep things tidy, or as I do, tie them to the steal leg of yout desk, providing extra cooling in the same time.

But I perfectly understand that it could be annoying or frustrating. I am, myself, maniac when it come to tidying things.

And in most cases it will inevitably leave the brick visible in some way, either on the floor or dangling off a desk, etc. In the latter case it also adds unnecessary stress to the power connector, potentially leading to premature failures.

Again, had no issue with that, and I've been running from AC-DC bricks for years now. If you do not have ridiculously short cable on the DC side, there shoudln't be any problem.

To me, that goes directly against the reason I am attracted to SFF in the first place.

To me, it is the very opposite. It allows for smaller "main" enclosure and help saving space on your desk. I still count the external brick in the overall size, but I don't have huge wattage requirement, so AC-DC bricks are still fairly small.

Cooling of the external brick is also an issue, of course, especially at higher power outputs.

I need 150W at most, shouldn't be an issue. Been running from a 90W 'til now and it ran warm at worse. On the opposite side, removing the AC-DC from the chassis also remove an heating component from it ... which is very desirable in constraint space.

There's also the issue of unnecessary complexity; the vast majority of power bricks are 19V(-ish), requiring further conversion to form the necessary main 12V rail inside of the PC. The reasoning behind this is sound in cases where you need a brick (such as laptops) - 19V requires significantly thinner wiring and smaller connectors than 12V. But in the case of a desktop PC, that is just adding inefficiency for no reason IMO. When you can get a ~92% efficient AC-DC unit that converts directly to 12V, I see using a two-stage conversion from AC to 19V to 12V where each step is at best equally efficient to the direct 12V conversion as adding unnecessary complexity, heat, and power waste to the system.

We agree on that, that's why I'm looking at 12V DC solutions. Reminds me that I must contact Gury on that matter. On a side note, 12V means higher amaperage for a given wattage, so it might not be suited for higher power draw. Asrock has a limit of 180W or so for their thin ITX board if you power them from 12V source.

but for those willing to go the more DIY route, there are definitely better options.

That's what I'd like to do in close future. I'm trying to find a way to have a 12V AC-DC with built-in UPS. If you have any hints, it would be very much appreciated.
 

Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
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I never had issues with my AD-DC bricks, could it be cable length or hiding them. I guess it's a matter of what kind of furniture you use. If you really need a custom length cable, you could only shorten the one on the AC side, which is most of the time removable. Bricks come with a velcro strap too, which helps to keep things tidy, or as I do, tie them to the steal leg of yout desk, providing extra cooling in the same time.

But I perfectly understand that it could be annoying or frustrating. I am, myself, maniac when it come to tidying things.

Again, had no issue with that, and I've been running from AC-DC bricks for years now. If you do not have ridiculously short cable on the DC side, there shoudln't be any problem.

To me, it is the very opposite. It allows for smaller "main" enclosure and help saving space on your desk. I still count the external brick in the overall size, but I don't have huge wattage requirement, so AC-DC bricks are still fairly small.

I need 150W at most, shouldn't be an issue. Been running from a 90W 'til now and it ran warm at worse. On the opposite side, removing the AC-DC from the chassis also remove an heating component from it ... which is very desirable in constraint space.

We agree on that, that's why I'm looking at 12V DC solutions. Reminds me that I must contact Gury on that matter. On a side note, 12V means higher amaperage for a given wattage, so it might not be suited for higher power draw. Asrock has a limit of 180W or so for their thin ITX board if you power them from 12V source.

That's what I'd like to do in close future. I'm trying to find a way to have a 12V AC-DC with built-in UPS. If you have any hints, it would be very much appreciated.
I can see most of your points, especially when talking about a stationary (i.e. not for frequent movement) setup and at relatively low power. I've strapped down power bricks before, and while it's a decent compromise, the hassle involved with removing them for any reason has put me off doing so again (though the bricks for my XBone and X360 are currently velcroed to the back of the shelf they sit on!). I haven't built any PCs with power requirements that low AFAIK, which has thus limited any brick options to huge hulking beasts like the Dell 240W 12V or 330W 19V units. I have one of the 12V units (bought as a backup for my modded Optiplex in case my MeanWell solution didn't work), but I'm glad I didn't need to use it, as I think that thing is better suited as some sort of assault weapon. I've been tempted to re-use some old 90w ThinkPad power adapters I have lying around for uses like this, but I've never actually had reason to build a PC in that power range (my upcoming HTPC build is close, but I want to overclock the iGPU, so I feel safer using the MeanWell EPP-200-12C). Plus, of course, that non-12V DC-ATX units are rather expensive here in Norway (HDPlex is pricy, importing from Mini-box is reasonable but import fees and VAT bumps the price up by near 50%, etc.). I got my 12V units from Gury at a very reasonable price (and I guess they flew under the radar of customs checks), which has obviously strengthened my conviction that this is a better way to go.

For the built-in UPS part, are you familiar with the OpenUPS2 from mini-box? It's not cheap, and the capacity isn't all that (3x 18650), but it looks like a good compact and easy-to-use unit. Should work with both 12V and 19V setups, with plug-and-play integration with Windows. From what I can tell you just hook it up between your AC-DC unit and the DC-ATX, plug in the USB connection, and you're off to the races. That in combination with something like the MeanWell EPP-120S-12 and an ArchDaemon or PicoPSU and you'd be able to put together a very compact build with everything internal. You might even be able to mount it all inside of the Lone L5 with a bit of careful planning and measuring (though don't take my word on that!).
 

GuilleAcoustic

Chief Procrastination Officer
SFFn Staff
LOSIAS
Jun 29, 2015
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Not my new toy, but I just bought that for the missus bday:



This is a Janome 8077 sewing machine that'll replace an el'cheapo "toy" machine.
 
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Valantar

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 20, 2018
2,201
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A bit of an old toy. Broke the 36inch Tube Sony Wega Trinitron and PS2 back out the other day. Old school CRT action. Component Cables on order.

View attachment 710
What kinds of resolutions and refresh rates does that do if connected to a PC? After reading Digital Foundry's excellent write-up on modern gaming on a CRT, I've been toying with the idea of getting one, both for that and for old consoles and the like.
 
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Revenant

Christopher Moine - Senior Editor SFF.N
Revenant Tech
SFFn Staff
Apr 21, 2017
1,670
2,698
What kinds of resolutions and refresh rates does that do if connected to a PC? After reading Digital Foundry's excellent write-up on modern gaming on a CRT, I've been toying with the idea of getting one, both for that and for old consoles and the like.


This is not an HDTV. It does 240P and 480i. I'm still figuring out how to get a PC hooked up to it.

A CRT Standard Definition TV with component is excellent for consoles prior to the Xbox360 and PS3 era. However, I strongly suggest you avoid anything much bigger than a 27 inch model. This is a 36 inch and I have to scoot WAY back to avoid seeing too many scan lines. I have another WEGA that's only 20 inches for 240P titles.

A lot of people go all out to get RGB input etc. I don't. I settle for Component and S-Video (HD Retrovision cables). The reason is that developers used the lesser connections to hide art issues. They knew it wouldn't be pixel perfect and designed around it. Pixel art is actually NOT what these games looked like back on TVs of the 80s and 90s.

Now I do have a friend that has the same monitor that DF has. It's a beautiful beast, but an expensive one as well. I held onto my CRT monitor for as long as I could but finally had to switch to LCD when it died. Gaming on it was excellent.
 
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BirdofPrey

Standards Guru
Sep 3, 2015
797
493
This discussion makes me miss being a kid reading about pie in the sky predictions of the future in Popular Science. I remember one about how nanotubes were going to allow for flat panel CRTs. Now that WOULD be really nice, because CRTs are actually pretty good of a display technology aside from how bulky and heavy they are.
 

Goatee

King of Cable Management
Jun 22, 2018
738
1,512
Just added a contrasting silver power button to my travel setup.



Came in very handy for a 2 night stay in London.



Spec's of the set-up if anyone is interested

ZS-A4DC
I7-7700T
GIGABYTE GA-H270N-WIFI
16GB DDR4
LP 1650 GDDR6
Seasonic SS-250SU
IS-30 with Noctua 92mm Fan

ZEUSLAP 15.6" usb type c monitor

Logitech K400 Plus
 
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CC Ricers

Shrink Ray Wielder
Bronze Supporter
Nov 1, 2015
2,233
2,556
A bit of an old toy. Broke the 36inch Tube Sony Wega Trinitron and PS2 back out the other day. Old school CRT action. Component Cables on order.

View attachment 710
Ah, it's like a old PS2 ad. I can't remember exactly how, but I did manage to hook my old PC to a CRT TV when I had it. Used the TV to play PC ports such as GTA Vice City before I got a PS2 myself.

I went back to team AMD with a Asrock B450 Gaming-ITX/ac and 2200G APU for light gaming.
The CPU cooler is old, but some AM4 mounting brackets give it new life. I might experiment with a passive heatsink later.

 
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