Time to update the PSU standards?

[Steeeeve]

Is it just me or is the PSU the must space wasting part of the computer case? I realize it is important but for a small form factor guy like myself I find it to be the cause of almost all problems with compatibility in computer cases. Furthermore, the ATX standard just seems so old. Is it impossible to make a PSU smaller than it already is? Could there never be a good power convertor (or whatever a laptop has) that would work for a normal computer? In my never ending quest for smaller parts it seems that the PSU and the GPU are always getting bigger :wall:

Oh well, any thoughts? Surely Jon will rip me a new one haha :lol:

[jonnyGURU]

As an experiment, I used a 5.25" bay power supply (250W to 300W, take your pick) in combination with a +12VDC to DC ATX power supply (from http://store.mp3car.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=22) to power an SFF and then used a couple flash based MDM's (I used Afaya, but there are others http://www.afaya.com/afaya-01/htm/products/01_mdm_v.htm) for the OS and apps and then used SD for storage. :D

When you look in the machine, all you really see is the motherboard w/ the CPU, RAM, etc. (on board video) and an optical drive. Nobody believes that it actually runs. :D

There's lots of room for a big water cooling kit. I was thinking a radiator where the PSU used to be, a 3.5" bay reservoir where the hard drive was. I could put a pump where the floppy would go. I just don't have the time. :(

[Steeeeve]

wow, you actually agree a design change is in order?

You should form a committee :p

[SnooP]

I like the picopsu except its only good enough for SFF/HTPC computers (<100w). It uses an external 12VDC power brick and then the pico takes that and does the 5V,3.3V voltages a computer needs. I agree it would be good if computers ran off 12VDC only with onboard regulaters for lower voltage needs. Then external power bricks would be easy, though thats gonna be a big power brick for your SLI box!

look at picopsu:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article601-page1.html

[jonnyGURU]

I like the picopsu except its only good enough for SFF/HTPC computers (<100w). It uses an external 12VDC power brick and then the pico takes that and does the 5V,3.3V voltages a computer needs. I agree it would be good if computers ran off 12VDC only with onboard regulaters for lower voltage needs. Then external power bricks would be easy, though thats gonna be a big power brick for your SLI box!

look at picopsu:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article601-page1.html

Hmm.. :( Guess you didn't read my post. Now my feelings are hurt.

Like I said, I use a 5.25" bay PSU to power the PC and only get my voltages for the motherboard from a Pico-type PSU.

The 5.25" bay PSU is where Pico gets it's +12V from, not a power brick. It was hard to find a "compact" +12V adapter that put out more than 3A. The fans, flash drive, etc. still gets it's power from the 5.25" bay PSU without going through the Pico-type PSU.

I probably actually have enough power to spare to run a PCI-e card with one of the 6-pin PCI-e connectors coming off of the 5.25" bay PSU. In fact, I have a spare 7950 that I might just try that with...

I'll post pics when I get to it.

[Steeeeve]

Seems that power supplies would just be a little more innovative. I dunno, I could be wrong :(

[PaulTa]

Now I hate to go all star wars here, but I think it would be awesome if PSU's transfered power through microwaves or something. That would be freakin' awesome.

[Fam Money]

Now I hate to go all star wars here, but I think it would be awesome if PSU's transfered power through microwaves or something. That would be freakin' awesome.
Not too far away!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6129460.stm
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061115-8229.html

Something you can buy now.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/wec.shtml

[SnooP]

Hmm.. :( Guess you didn't read my post. Now my feelings are hurt....

My bad! I'm sorry. i should have noted your post or something and explained it better. I was regarding your solution as being different to pico since the main psu is still internal to case, though your right electrically its the same setup. The OP was suggesting they preferred completely external psu's with laptop style bricks, so i thought i'd give them a link to a premade product (pico + bundled 120w brick). Your right i should have read your post more clearly.

It was hard to find a "compact" +12V adapter that put out more than 3A.

The power bricks in the silentpcreview article look reasonably compact, the 120w version puts out up to 8.5A @ 12V, enough for light systems. But for any 'gamers' system your solution works better :)

[Spawne32]

well given the fact that they are starting to produce 2000watt power supplys and 1200watt water cooled power supplys, i give it say what...10 more years before our computers run on cold fusion reactors or warp cores :D

[DvBoard]

I'm sure if you came out with a whole new power supply design and case designs to go with it it's possible, and it would be nice, but getting it to catch on would be the difficult part.