CarPC installation

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 8:28 pm

If you are relying on aluminum to radiate your heat to cool down your processor, you're gonna run into trouble pretty fast

I actually just found a pretty nice miniATX board on eBay for cheap, so it looks like I'm going that way afterall.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 8:29 pm

mgjs1 wrote:Or, you could get one of these...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 4?v=glance

I got one at www.woot.com for $100 with wireless included and am waiting to install.

Yea, I thought about that, but they're surprisingly difficult to navigate through all your music. Also, it's only 20 gigs.

Besides, this way is a lot more open ended. it gives me the ability to do a lot of upgrading in the future.

Manarius · Post by **Manarius** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 8:41 pm

Splinter wrote:If you are relying on aluminum to radiate your heat to cool down your processor, you're gonna run into trouble pretty fast

I actually just found a pretty nice miniATX board on eBay for cheap, so it looks like I'm going that way afterall.

Aluminum + Fan = ok (standard..most actually have copper cores but aluminum fins)
Copper + Fan = better
Water = the shit.
'nuff said.

NICO · Post by **NICO** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 8:58 pm

im on a hwy typeing to you guys right now with my laptop, and i got the wedding crashers on the tv.

tris91ricer · Post by **tris91ricer** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:02 pm

NICO I WRX U wrote:im on a hwy typeing to you guys right now with my laptop, and i got the wedding crashers on the tv.

Please hit something head-on.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:20 pm

Manarius wrote:
Splinter wrote:If you are relying on aluminum to radiate your heat to cool down your processor, you're gonna run into trouble pretty fast

I actually just found a pretty nice miniATX board on eBay for cheap, so it looks like I'm going that way afterall.
Aluminum + Fan = ok (standard..most actually have copper cores but aluminum fins)
Copper + Fan = better
Water = the shit.
'nuff said.

Talking about the aluminum of the case, not the HSF.

Trust me, I may be a little shaky on cars, but PCs I know inside out. Been working as a tech for a few years, and been building computers for 10+. My current machine is running a GFX5900U and A643200+ with only 2 ultra-low-speed fans in the entire system. I'm an absolute master of cool, quiet high-performance PCs.

Manarius · Post by **Manarius** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:43 pm

Splinter wrote: Talking about the aluminum of the case, not the HSF.

Trust me, I may be a little shaky on cars, but PCs I know inside out. Been working as a tech for a few years, and been building computers for 10+. My current machine is running a GFX5900U and A643200+ with only 2 ultra-low-speed fans in the entire system. I'm an absolute master of cool, quiet high-performance PCs.

Your 5900U is quite outdated.

As for me I have FX5600U (which is very outdated) with a 3.0Ghz HT. However, my Abit IC7-G is one kick-ass board.

As for me, I like cool, but I don't mind that my PC sounds like a rocket.

corsair · Post by **corsair** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:03 pm

Manarius wrote:
Splinter wrote: Copper Heat Exhanger= silent
Aluminum + Fan = ok (standard..most actually have copper cores but aluminum fins)
Copper + Fan = better
Water = the shit.
Phase Change= truely the shit
Liquid Nitrogen= pinnacle of shit

Fixed it for you

Aluminum cases help act like a giant heat sink for a hot system, they're not the sole cooling component though, unless you're looking at the Zalman case.

Anyway so about those questions I posted earlier, I'm interested.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:14 pm

Manarius wrote:
Splinter wrote: Your 5900U is quite outdated.

Definately, but it's hotter than newer videocars, so it's just as impressive.

tris91ricer · Post by **tris91ricer** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:24 pm

OMG, take your geek-penis-contest elsewhere.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:25 pm

corsair wrote:Are you going to use an inverter and power a standard AC-DC power supply or are you going to go DC-DC?

DC-DC, an Opus 80W

Also I'll 2nd the use of a rackmount 1U sized case, you can generally find them dirt cheap in surplus auctions or whatever. Why throw a perfectly good case to the shears?

We'll see how things work out as far as fitting the whole thing into the armrest, and go from there

Also. there are specially designed carputer cases that include a power supply starting around $70 bucks, worth a look IMHO.

Yea, most of the PSUs they come with dont have the features that this one has (no reboot on crank, jumpers to set auto shutdown times, battery flattening protection), also a lot of those cases take up a DIN slot, which I dont want to do.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:27 pm

So I've ordered the Epia V8000A miniITX board ($80 CAD on eBay)
The Lilliput 7" Touchscreen ($280 at mp3car.com)
the 80W Opus DC-DC PSU ($80 at mp3car.com)

The other parts I should be able to find locally.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 10:46 pm

First stage of the install is done, the stereo.

It sounds really, really good.

I've ordered the rest of the parts, but I want to find a replacement armrest before I start hacking up the original. Just in case.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 2:05 am

Motherboard arrived today

Its a little bigger than I pictured in my head, so it can't go in the armrest, but it'll probably fit behind the LCD in the Din2.5 cage

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:53 pm

It has begun

Manarius · Post by **Manarius** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:59 pm

Shit. That's awesome.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:25 am

Installation pics will come once it's actually been installed, right now it's just sort of loose in the car.

skid542 · Post by **skid542** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 2:05 am

I gotta admit, I was skeptical of the idea, but damn, that looks tits.

mikec · Post by **mikec** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 2:39 am

The fit of that is awesome! Hopefully the rest of the install is that easy

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 10:13 pm

Here's the fake faceplate I'll put over the screen when Im parking

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 3:13 am

False front in place. I havent glued the knobs into place yet.

skid542 · Post by **skid542** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 3:20 am

Damn son

.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 3:26 am

I lost a couple screws down the back of the dash

Damnit

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 5:33 am

Just epoxied the screen onto the center trim

*crosses fingers*

Hopefully it's all lined up right.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:05 am

Alright, the epoxy went great

Nice and clean, and sturdy as a rock.
There's a tiny bit of epoxy visible around the seam, but it's not really noticeable.

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CarPC installation