90W PSU: What's The Best I Can Do ?

MegalosSkylaki · April 26th, 2007, 01:39 AM

Years ago I purchased an all-aluminum alloy microATX computer case --the size and shape of an attache case at a very low price.

One 5.5 Bay and 1 X 3.5 bay and 1 X hardrive--but the PSU was only 90 watts.

Here's the catch: it is not a conventional microATX (SFX) PSU --which could be replaced with a more adequate, 180 -- 250 Watt PSU --but one of those proprietary cases that looks like a large toothpaste box--about 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 7".

Maybe I could have someone mod it so a real microATX PSU would fit, but I rather doubt that exhaust fan, intake vents etc. could all be made o work together.

So, what is the strongest or fastest or best Mobo plus socket plus CPU, I could support on 90Watts. The lowest I have is a microATX 370 with a Celeron Tualitin 1000.

Would this be worth the mod -and not give me trouble -- ?
And with what OS?
Linux flavor "live OS" running from CD-ROM ?
Anything permanent or Windows?

Kinda like the Attache -shape of aluminum case and good for a portable desktop on longer (several months) trips.

MegalosSkylaki

**RicheemxX** · April 26th, 2007, 01:46 AM

are you certain thats a mATX case? I have a similar case with a similar ps unit that is an NLX case is why I ask. If its a proprietary ps it might be an odd form factor on the mobo, does it have a board in it already?

MegalosSkylaki · April 27th, 2007, 04:08 AM

I think I once tried out a microATX mobo in it for size and it fit.
There was no Mobo in it when I bought it, which I think was Directron for a then low $25. The case was advertised as a microATX I may recall.

Some OEM computers came with dopey low powered PSU at that time.

The candidate mobo I'm thinking is a socket 370 Tualitin supporting a Tualatin Caleron. I wouldn't even consider it, except for the Tualatin factor. I'd rather put in a AMD Athlon XP Mobo plus CPU. It is a slim case, but I have a slim nvidea dual monitor card...another concern about power.

DOOOG

PS I'm also considering one of those accessory PSU's for the Shuttle and Biostar Ideq small Form factor "Toaster: size barebones. Some are 200W and have odd sizes like a flattened box. Prices are well, propritary and not easy to find and I don't know if the wiring will work as it is proprietary for the SFF barebones.

**RobRich** · April 27th, 2007, 09:20 AM

Your Tualatin "Celeron" is little more than a high clocked Pentium 3. It is far from being power efficient, and it would probably take out a 90w power supply if paired with a moderate video card and a couple of drives.

If you stick with the 90w power supply, your best bet is a VIA C3 system or similar. If you want something more modern, then possibly a a low clocked AMD Turion 64 on a mATX motherboard with integrated video.

Robert Richmond

theedisoneffect · April 27th, 2007, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Your Tualatin "Celeron" is little more than a high clocked Pentium 3. It is far from being power efficient

It's *not* inefficient. (Sub-30w ain't bad by any standard.) It still may be a bit much for that absurdly tiny PSU, though.

But, the other problem is that the C3 sucks for any sort of real work. It's absolutely painful. Consider this, perhaps:

Use the Tualatin motherboard. But, instead of the Celeron, get a 1.3-1.4ghz PIII-S Tualatin. One of the ones with the 512k L2 cache, and the highest-clocked one you can find. Then run it at 100mhz bus instead of the standard 133. That'd make the 1.4ghz run at 1.05ghz... still pretty speedy. It'll consume about the same power as the C3, maybe a couple watts more, but it'll run circles around the low-voltage chips performance-wise.

**RobRich** · April 27th, 2007, 12:59 PM

If he plays it right, he should be able to squeeze by with a Turion 64 on a socket 754 motherboard.

theedisoneffect · April 27th, 2007, 04:57 PM

Problem with the Turion is that it would require buying a new motherboard and processor, and the mobo would be just as much of a dead-end upgrade as the Socket 370, the difference being that he already has the socket 370 motherboard.

Maybe the Turion would give him better performance, but honestly I don't know if it would be worth the investment required for such an upgrade when it wouldn't cost that much more to get a newer mini-ITX system. With the PIII route, it'd be around $15-20 for a processor from a surplus shop, using an existing mobo, and prolly existing ram. Can't beat the price/perfomance ratio on that, can ya?

Oh, and for the OS, a liveCD wouldn't really be good for a full-time OS... just throw an old HD in there... one HD and a CD-Rom shouldn't cause a huge power problem if the rest of the system is low-power. Other option is to look into installing Windows on a CF card... That'd be speedy and low-power, but it's pretty involved to get it working.

MegalosSkylaki · May 11th, 2007, 11:27 PM

I saw a Biostar microATX mobo with a Mobile 3200 939 proc combo for about $100. Gotta look up diff between Turion64 and Mobile 939.

Anyhow, think best bet to show the whole shebang to a mechanically-able associate, and get his opinion if he can mod case to a microATX PSU, so I can use all the parts I already have and get a better result, too.

ThanX for advice, ALL !

DOOOOG