Posted by tim @ 12:43AM PDT
When is comes to overclocking your system, cooling plays a big role. Powering all of those fans in your system can cause quite a strain on your PSU (Power Supply Unit). Depending on the number of peripherals in your system, adding a more powerfull PSU or adding a second PSU may be neccesary. For watercooling and using peltiers, dedicating a second PSU to power the Peltiers (TEC's) is a good idea. Here I have come up with 2 diagrams on how I wired dual 300 watt ATX power supply units for the Blizzard BP6 watercooling project. Consider this part of Step 1. More will follow this week. BTW.. hacking up your PSU's is very dangerous and is not recommended unless you know what you are doing.
View Diagram 1 here.
View Diagram 2 here.
Name:zipo
E-Mail:udumdum2@hotmail.com
Comment:
capacitors ?
Name:Gordon
E-Mail:skynet@net.ntl.com
Comment:
What lines exactly are you suggesting putting the capacitors on?
Name:zipo
E-Mail:udumdum2@hotmail.com
Comment:
is it possible to just throw the other devices onto the second power supply without crossing these wires and connecting to the motherboard? say like my dvd,cdrw and cdrom, and a hard drive if needed? or does the power supply know if its not connected?
Name:King_wsk
E-Mail:King_wsk@yahoo.com
Comment:
It is very difficult to connect to switching PS's together cause they fluctuate and addjust to control their voltage output to the correct level. IE: if a 250watt PSU gets a more that 70% load, like 200watts, the voltage will start to drop unless the PSU adjusts the transistors and accounts for that. If you connect 2 PSU's together, they are going to try and control eachothers voltages..... verybad. As for the heat thing..... When a PSU says it 300watts, its not. well it maybe, but not @ 12v. some PSU's are only 72watt (12v X 6amps) @ 12v. and then they might be 150watt @ 5v (5v X 30amps). So you see that the standard ATX PSU has to power 3 differnt types of voltages and so it isn't all just 12v wattage ( which is what we overclockers wnat). I am running my bp6 with dual C500's OCed to 750mhz using 156watt peltiers from 3dcool.com + water cooling (car radiator, copper water blocks from overclockershideout.com). I use industrial strength C&H PSU's. They are fully adjustable PSUs that can go from 9v to 16v and @ about 15amps at 12v (160 or so watts). This PSU's sell for about $45 each and they have dual connectors for 2 78watt peltiers or if you have 156watt ones you can just use either one. you can find this PSU right here--> http://www.aaaim.com/cgi-local/shop991/shop.pl/SID=142797755494/page=POWS.htm#PS9904 (the model # is MAP130-S115) it says 150watt continuous but it can push 180. Now these puppys can get kinda hot. but that is why you keepthem screwed to the outside of your case.
if you need and help wiring them up, just call C&H and they will help you. I bought to of them and wire tied them facing inwards and then but a fan on both sides and then put some rubber skick'em feet on the botton and put it on top of my case.
Name:Rick Mathes
E-Mail:rickm@itctel.com
Comment:
If you want a killer power supply for peltiers go here. Its called a Rivergate Bulldog. 30 amps for 131.00. It has a cooling fan and is a beast. They also sell a 15, 45, 55 amp power supply http://www.rivergatedist.com/thebulldog.htm
Name:evilpaul13
E-Mail:evilpaul13@hotmail.com
Comment:
Should say 400W for $85 there
Name:evilpaul13
E-Mail:evilpaul13@hotmail.com
Comment:
I'd say go out and buy a bigger powersupply. I picked up a $400 for $85 with a trade in of a 250W one.
Name:jones
E-Mail:rschecate@hotmail.com
Comment:
i have done this with 2 psus 250w and 235w been running this for a few months now not using any extra connectors or anything and the only problem i have is if i need to unplug the system both psus need to be unplugged at the same time or else one turns on :[ dont know why, but it works ok :D
Name:Martin
E-Mail:nitrax@hotmail.com
Comment:
I have just bought a 13,8 V / 12 amps separate power supply for my two peltiers (and four fans), which cost me about $80. The bad part is that it goes REALLY hot, so you have to install a 12V case fan in it (pretty simple though, but add $8 to the cost). I have some problems with condensation right now, but that's because I have no extra metal plate between the CPU and peltier. It will propably run in 15 C at 2x400@600 mhz (that is after I've drawn tubes directly from the alphas out of the case, thus eliminating the need for an extra case fan).
I will later make a microcontroller board that will control my two peltiers and alpha fans (it's not watercooled) by using input from computer fans/i2c bus and some temp sensors. I might even be able to do a automatic turbocharger when you enable cooling (such as the bp6fsb does, but by hardware).
I also hate this damn two-line box that you write in.
Name:MTP
E-Mail:perkins@visi.net
Comment:
Why did you connect 7&8 together on the second power supply? Wouldn't it do the same thing if you just connect pins 8 together from each power supply? That way power ok (8) and ps-on (14) will be closed by the case power on switch.
Name:Walter
E-Mail:Walter@crosscity.com
Comment:
Hey just a thought.
I'd recommend putting some capacitors between
the power wires and ground. You could get an
voltage oscillation between the two (cheap) supplies which could cause the voltage to vary...
Pretty innovative idea though!
http://Walter.crosscity.com (my cheesy website).