crazy idea

[vipergtsr1736]

I was plugging everything into my new fan controller when I realized that it would be awesome to try to plug things like the harddrive and the video card(if it requires its own power source) into the fan controller. Could you imagine running 3dmark and dimming the power to your video card slowly and watch the FPS go down? It might overload the fan controller, but it would be an awesome thing to try. You might even be able to adjust the speed of your CD burner while its burning! LOL anyone tried anything like this before?

 

[Cyrix_2k]

I *highly* doubt this would work. It would probably just cause error's or maybe even kill the stuff connected to the fan controller. Electronics like to be run at their specified voltage.

 

[dorimon81]

Yup, Cyrix is right. A hard drive has to run at a certain voltage. If you turn down the power, it wont run. You will most likely damage your components.

 

[Como]

yeah, hte hard disk wouldnt spin fast enough to work right, and if left alone would corrupt data, IF it worked at all. any other device would not work correctly iether, running things on not enough voltage is bad. (Amperage is a different matter, as mad as not enough amperage for a device is, i could see the fun factor in running a vid card at 70% of needed amperage)

 

[Cyrix_2k]

Como, how can you regulate amperage? Just wondering.

 

[Como]

uh, not the slightest idea. i was just remembering when i tried to run my netgear hub off a 12V .8A adapter, when it requires 12V 1.2A...

now its running off 1.25, untill i hook up the 1.5 i paid $20 for...

the extra will go back to the socket, but yeah...i dont know if you CAN regulate it, the hub tried ot suck 1.2 out of my .8 and i had a small fire on my hands. that adapter got hot fast

 

[tom10167]

Putting a dimmer switch up to anything but very basic electronics will destroy them immediately. Try it with a cheap stereo, see if the volume goes down.

 

[Foxie3a]

I can see where you are comming with this, but it won't work.

I had the idea of doing this with Cathodes to dim them. It is possible with those, but you need a little more electronics to do so.

and make sure you consult with usbefore you try things like this in the future..

 

[Remove]

and make sure you consult with usbefore you try things like this in the future..

Most definately!

 

[Cyrix_2k]

you know, I have a cheap stereo and I think we have a dimmer switch somewhere... Second thought, I better not, I've destroyed enough stuff lately.

 

[Sk8erfreak986]

Idk the whole idea of doing that sounds like one of the dumbest things i have ever heard. Sorry for shooting down something that is just an idea. Large amounts of calculation goes into the creation of these products to make sure they run correctly at the voltages they should. I mean you may be thinking we overvolt processors all the time but think of how little voltage we are changing. A rheostat makes much greater and less easily predicted voltage change.

 

[Supchaka]

A hard drive isnt like a DC motor that will slow down when the voltage gets dropped.

 

[ThePerfectCore]

Let us know when your rig blows up.

 

[k3nshin]

yeh we want pics of the flames and smoke and sparks

 

[Blueacid]

Yeah, I certainly wouldn't reccomend fitting your main computer with some rheostats lol, but if you have an old, knackered 486 lying around, which you don't care about you could try fitting some fanbuses and rheostats to the hard-drives in that.

I don't see why the computer is going to explode, catch fire or burn out just because a voltage gets reduced - I WOULD expect it to crash, or corrupt files, but I doubt that lowering a voltage would cause any harm - if a lower voltage did harm stuff, then you'd be perpetually changing the batteries in your walkman to stop it from blowing a hole in your pocket when it started to run down.....

....Now if you were considering pumping 24 volts into your video card, then I could understand sparks and explosions and the like, but not if it's a voltage lowering.

Just my humble opinion - if anyone would like to prove that taking a hard drive down from 12 volts to 3volts whilst it is switched on causes an explosion, then PLEASE video it and post it on the forums LOL

--Blueacid

 

[Blueacid]

you know, I have a cheap stereo and I think we have a dimmer switch somewhere... Second thought, I better not, I've destroyed enough stuff lately.

I think that as you dim down the stereo's incoming voltage, it will start to distort, and if you're playing a tape, then it will start to slow down, but a CD might start skipping and jumping, then the distortion will worsen until the stereo just shuts up.

Really, I don't think it will do much, it'll probably work again if you plug it back into the normal mains

 

[Cyrix_2k]

I would try it if anyone knew without a doubt what it would do. I might still do anyway, just with an extension cord out in our yard so I don't burn the house down.