[12secondjourney]

I just put in 2 tube led lights I got them at Frys and I just want to know if these will last ahwile or not. Also is there anything about these lights that are bad for my computer? Thanks

[Minjin]

Good LEDs are generally rated to 100,000 hours. Is that long enough for you?

Mark

[dalilman52]

lol...how would led's be somehow bad...they just draw voltage and emit light...unless like a resistor on the light tube blew and ur whole system fried or something crazy like that....

[L337 M33P]

Random facts about LEDs:

Life in excess of 100,000 hours (10 years)
They are nearly 100% efficient running at rated spec converting almost all the electricity into light (not if you overvolt them)

Can sustain quite big power surges without dying, and don't give a damn about square-wave power

They look kool.

[Minjin]

Where are you getting this 100% efficiency stuff from? Light sources are rated in lumens per watt not some conservation of energy rating. They're also not a voltage driven device (like incandescents); they are current driven. And finally, LEDs are more effecient below their rated current than at it.

Want to know more about LED's?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubb...reads.php?Cat=

Mark

[9mmCensor]

Originally posted by L337 M33P
(not if you overvolt them)

Yeah, when they die they smell, BAD.

[specific]

i pulled two led's out of an antec true blue psu.
how would i go about powering them in a case?

[9mmCensor]

attach power and run them in series with a resistor. as to what connector use the one from the PSU you took them out of.

[specific]

they were attached to the pcb in the psu
one red wire, one black wire, so i'm thinking a 5v
i just don't want to go slapping these wires on anything in sight!

edit:

yep
that's all it took. they work

[n17ikh]

Originally posted by Minjin
Where are you getting this 100% efficiency stuff from? Light sources are rated in lumens per watt not some conservation of energy rating. They're also not a voltage driven device (like incandescents); they are current driven. And finally, LEDs are more effecient below their rated current than at it.

Want to know more about LED's?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubb...reads.php?Cat=

Mark

What he means is that if you measure the ratio of light output to electricity input in wattage amounts, it will be almost 1, or 100%.

LEDs are more like 90% efficient though, there will always be some resistance to electricity. Plus if you use a resistor to put it at its rated vMax then it will only be around 70% or so due to the resistor putting off heat.

Incandescent lights are around 10% to 15% efficient and flourescents are anywhere from 45% to 75% efficient (Depends on the ballast/transformer) if I remember correctly. The wasted energy is output in heat, which is why incandescent bulbs get so hot. It is generally the ballast of the flourescent light that wastes power, though, feel one and you will notice lots of heat coming from it. LEDs generally run only slightly above room temperature and are extremely bright for their current draw. However, they put off more and more heat as they are overvolted and are less and less efficient even if they are returned to normal voltage. Also, the current an LED draws depends on the voltage you put it at.