Dual PSU for HD's only... [Archive]

J-Mag

10-13-04, 12:24 PM

Anyonw know a, preferably small, PSU that could be used just to power your disk drives(hard and optical)? They mostly draw off of the 12v line is this correct? Or do both hard and optical drives use 5v as well... Anyway, I have plenty of room for two standard PSU's, but a smaller one would be nice. I was thinking about getting a Shuttle size PSU, but don't really know anythign about the brands. Obviously it should have the ability to push all of it's power out on the lines that disk drives use, and screw the 3.3v rail.

David

10-13-04, 01:27 PM

I beleive that drives draw from the 5v and 12v rails. The easiest option is to perhaps have a second normal PSU and piggyback it on to your current one, and just run the drives off of it.

J-Mag

10-13-04, 02:12 PM

I beleive that drives draw from the 5v and 12v rails. The easiest option is to perhaps have a second normal PSU and piggyback it on to your current one, and just run the drives off of it.

What do you mean by piggy back? Also, i have heard that when people power their system with one PSU and their vid card with another, that can kill your card. Is this the case with Drives as well?

Edit: God sometimes my typing skills amaze me...

Sean Lindstrom

10-13-04, 02:44 PM

Many people have powered a motherboard with an exclusive PSU and I've never heard of this causing timing problems. Presumably they have a range of drives and goodies connected to the slave PSU. But yeah I wouldn't risk that with cards.

Here (http://www.speedy3d.com/articles/case_mod_p3/index.shtml) are the options.

J-Mag

10-13-04, 03:34 PM

Many people have powered a motherboard with an exclusive PSU and I've never heard of this causing timing problems. Presumably they have a range of drives and goodies connected to the slave PSU. But yeah I wouldn't risk that with cards.

Here (http://www.speedy3d.com/articles/case_mod_p3/index.shtml) are the options.

Hey thanks for the linky... But any ideas on a PSU with dedicated 12v and 5v lines with no 3.3v?

Sean Lindstrom

10-13-04, 03:56 PM

You mean an AT PSU not ATX?

AT PSUs don't have a sleep state (wakened by grounding PS_ON), and must be turned on and off like standard appliances. Replace the AT PSU switch with a relay (http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F002%5F013%5F000&product%5Fid=275%2D248) - 12v from the master PSU switches 120v mains power for the slave.

-Sam-

10-13-04, 04:35 PM

Do you want a piggy back ride?

:drool:

Sean Lindstrom

10-13-04, 04:45 PM

But which is the master and which is the slave? :eek:

J-Mag

10-13-04, 04:56 PM

But which is the master and which is the slave? :eek:
All you need to do is JumpHer :beer: