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View Full Version : Unusual Powersupply Question - please read


r0ckstarbob
11-15-01, 09:01 PM
i'm not entirely certain how to phrase my question. please bear with me.

have been looking around for powersupplies for the Core Project (check my sig) and remember running across a thread where someone was talking about "clean" power as opposed to "dirty" power and how normal computer powersupplies put out some pretty dirty power generally speaking....

with the Core Project, there are alot of variences in it still - things like whether or not i'll decide to run with Pelts or not. This decision will depend on the Heat Trasfer capacity of my primary heat exchanging unit - the pseudo-radiator aka reservoir - and whether or not it will perform like i predict it to. I also remember reading in this thread about how clean power was definately the preferred choice as it made overclocking with less voltage easier (1.85v CLEAN was more stable the 1.85v DIRTY). not that voltage will be a big problem as i've got a mod to jump it to 2.7v Vcore and 4.5v I/O, but obviously if i don't have to run it this high i'm not going to. i've merely added these voltage mods so i won't have any barriers when OCing the board beyond the actual performance tolerences inheirant in the components themselves. and yes i'm aware of the amount of heat being generated by these voltage increases - cooling won't be much of a problem with these voltage mods as the whole case is designed to run at -30C while in operation.

hm.

okay, i think my question is this
can you recommend a powersupply that will work for the Core Project and explain why it's better. It does not have to be a powersupply specifically designed for a computer per se, but it should be able to be used as one. Emphasis is on it's ability to put out "Clean" power and at least 550watts. Size is of little concern though i'd like to keep it around the same size as a normal PS. in the Core, the PS has been removed from the casing all together and sits about a foot away from your wall outlet. (you plug your PS into the wall and plug the computer into the PS. The PS sits down there by your powerstrip/circuit breaker).

and if anyone can give me a Powersupply 101 explination, i'd appreciate it. i'm completely ignorant when it comes to the numbers involved (ie what the hell is a "12v rail" and whats the difference between "clean" power and "dirty" power, etc etc etc...)

thanks in advance for your replies.

RSB

***The Core Project*** (http://languagehammer.net/core/index.html)

JigPu
11-15-01, 11:07 PM
VERY nice link!! I think I understand what it's going for.... Sounds like it would be an awesome computer!

As for a power supply recomendation, I can't give ya one. Haven't ever built my own computer, so I don't know what would be good. However, on the CLEAN vs. DIRTY, I can help.

Clean and dirty are ways of describing the "purity" of DC. True DC (like what comes out of a battery) when graphed will have a perfectly flat line at a specific voltage. When a power supply makes power, it has to change the AC from your wall (which changes it's voltage constantly) into this flat line DC. A clean power supply will eliminate lots of ripple (slight variations in voltage), and leave you with a very close approximation to the perfect flat line. A dirty power supply will have more ripple left than a clean power supply. While a clean power supply will have a near flat line (with only minor increases and decreases) a diry power supply will have more noticible increases and decreases.

Hope that made sense to you....
JigPu

scoobydoo
11-15-01, 11:37 PM
If it is the power from the wall which you are concerned with being dirty you could use a line conditioner/surge protector to clean it up before it gets too the PS. You could also go the extra step and make a dedicated power circuit for your computer. Both these options are used in Home Theater to keep a constant and even flow of power to the big power amps thus "theoretically" producing better sound or something like that;) I can't afford that stuff so I have no real hands on experience.

However it seems it is the PS ability to convert the AC to DC current that is a problem, which I can't help you with anymore than JigPu did. However if you clean the power before it enters the PS I think that would help to get it that much cleaner when leaving the PS.

If I were to guess I would say PC Power and Cooling PS's would be your best bet for good "clean" power.

Good Luck, Sorry I couldn't be of more help!