I was wondering, since I have all the components, how difficult would it be to integrate a desktop computer into a car? You'd definitely need a power inverter, a proper power switch mounted somewhere into the dash somewhere along with a reset button, HDD LED and power LED, mount the screen somewhere where the passenger can use it, integrate the keyboard, and you'd probably want to use a tablet for the mouse. Using a traditional chassis would be pretty heavy, so I figure you could use static protected plastic around the mobo/PSU, and make the exhaust fans run out towards the back of the car, and have the CPU fan exhaust run through a tube to an opening in the computer's "chamber".
Not really planning on doing this, but I'm interested to see how it could come together. I men, you could just have a laptop and a power inverter, but that isn't the point of the idea now is it? It would be something that isn't too common, completely integrated, and if Pimp My Ride wannabes can have PS2s in their cars, why not a whole PC?
2010 Honda Fit LX
If you wanted to really impress me, you could take into account that a power supply in a desktop computer takes 120 A/C and makes 12 V and 5 V voltages for computer components. Use that fact to bypass the whole 12V-to-A/C-inverter-to-PSU-to-computer issue.
That, or just use a laptop that already uses an A/C to12V transformer. Easy direct wiring.
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I have one in my car. The computer was made just for the car so it uses a small motherboard, small hard drive, etc. It's mounted in my glove box. I made a custom "case" from fiberglass and I have one fan that vent somewhat behind the dash. It also uses a 12V-12V power supply. There's a couple places that make them. I have a touch screen mounted above my headunit that I use for the mouse and the keyboard if i ever need it. My cd/dvd drive is mounted under my headunit where there's normally a "pocket". It's pretty nice but unfortunately I don't really use it a lot. I need to work on getting it to boot faster and having a dedicated hard drive for music instead of using the one that I use for my desktop.
-Seth
no one has heard of a car-puter??
wow...
They make pre-made ones in basically any combination.....you have a homemade car-puter by the sounds of it. there are ready made ones that you can buy though. Perhaps I mis-understood your description, and you just have a homemade case.
Where do I get the PSU? Anything a manufacturer can build, I can build 100x better.
2010 Honda Fit LX
John Benham wrote:They make pre-made ones in basically any combination.....you have a homemade car-puter by the sounds of it. there are ready made ones that you can buy though. Perhaps I mis-understood your description, and you just have a homemade case.
Ya, it's home built but its essentially the same stuff that you can get in the prebuilt ones.
Scott Ryman wrote:Where do I get the PSU? Anything a manufacturer can build, I can build 100x better.
Go check out
www.mp3car.com. That's just about the best place to find info and products. I use the M2-ATX. Not to dog on ya, but you'd have to do a LOT of work to try and make one that is really better than that one for the price.
-Seth
Those don't put out enough power. I'd have to use converter for something I build.
2010 Honda Fit LX
I don't know what you could possibly ever need in a car that would need over 185W if even that much.
Converters aren't good to use because they don't provide a steady enough power output.
-Seth
Buddy of mine had a car-puter also, custom built similar to what Seth was talking about. Once you have the componets, it shouldn't be too much to install/configure them.
There are also some neat accessories to them too, like WIFI and GPS.
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That is flippin intense I don't even want to think about doing that wiring. Kind of disappointing that the graphics aren't better.
The proper way of using the word seen. It is not I seen it that would be I saw it. He has seen the car is the right way to use the word. English class is Cool. By the way thats my sig
