What type of power supply should I use?

[em59]

I am building a small pc, no optical drive. Here are the specs:

Motherboard: intel dq45ek mitx
Cpu: Intel Quad Q6600
Ram: pc5300 DDR2 sd ram (recycled). I will probably start with 4 gigs.
Hard drive: 200gb sata 5400 rpm (recycled)
OS: linux mint 12 x64

What type of power supply will I need for this build? Also, what size fan would you recommend? Any advice is much appreciated, thanks all.

[zburns]

Hello em59,

Here are two URLs, one for a power supply and one showing the power supply mounted to a mini itx motherboard. Does this look like what you are asking for? I just did this quickly late tonight. Will look in more detail tomorrow!

Power supply URL: http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-160-XT

Mini itx Motherboard with above psu mounted on it: http://resources.mini-box.com/online/PWR-PICOPSU-160-XT/moreimages/picoPSU-160-XT-big4.jpg

[zburns]

Here is the URL for the Intel motherboard you have chosen: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/desktop-motherboards/desktop-board-dq45ek.html

(1) The Intel mobo is a mini itx very similar to the one I gave the URL for in my post above. In my post above, you can see a typical mini itx motherboard with a power supply plugged into a plug identical to the one on the Intel motherboard. The Intel cpu has a TDP (Total Design Power) of 97 watts. You will interface the motherboard with other components that use up some wattage. Therefore, to compute the total watts or power your power supply must be, I need to know what else besides the cpu will be attached to cables coming from the motherboard. If there is any small component that plugs into the motherboard that will be used, need to know what that component is also.

(2) Once I know 'what, besides the cpu, is attached to the intel motherboard, I can figure the total wattage that the power supply has to meet or be rated at!!

(3) In addition to the above, the motherboard likely runs off a low dc voltage that has to be supplied by cable from a small 'adapter module'. This adapter gets its voltage from an outside source; it could be 110 volts ac; I presume it could also be a range of dc volts -- the point is the motherboard will most likely require a external 'box' that contains a step down transformer to go from 110vac to whatever is the input dc voltage of the psu that plugs into the 24 pin connector on the motherboard. This connector is large and stands out in a prominent manner -- this URL will show a large picture of Intel mini motherboard. The connector is in lower right hand corner -24 pins for the circuit board mounted power supply to plug into.

Here is the URL: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/desktops/desktop-board-dq45ek-executive-brief.html Note: Once you click on this URL, you will have to scroll down to a full screen size large picture of the Intel motherboard.

Any confusion on what I have said, let me know. Need the answers to questions in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3.

[em59]

Here is the URL for the Intel motherboard you have chosen: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/desktop-motherboards/desktop-board-dq45ek.html

(1) The Intel mobo is a mini itx very similar to the one I gave the URL for in my post above. In my post above, you can see a typical mini itx motherboard with a power supply plugged into a plug identical to the one on the Intel motherboard. The Intel cpu has a TDP (Total Design Power) of 97 watts. You will interface the motherboard with other components that use up some wattage. Therefore, to compute the total watts or power your power supply must be, I need to know what else besides the cpu will be attached to cables coming from the motherboard. If there is any small component that plugs into the motherboard that will be used, need to know what that component is also.

(2) Once I know 'what, besides the cpu, is attached to the intel motherboard, I can figure the total wattage that the power supply has to meet or be rated at!!

(3) In addition to the above, the motherboard likely runs off a low dc voltage that has to be supplied by cable from a small 'adapter module'. This adapter gets its voltage from an outside source; it could be 110 volts ac; I presume it could also be a range of dc volts -- the point is the motherboard will most likely require a external 'box' that contains a step down transformer to go from 110vac to whatever is the input dc voltage of the psu that plugs into the 24 pin connector on the motherboard. This connector is large and stands out in a prominent manner -- this URL will show a large picture of Intel mini motherboard. The connector is in lower right hand corner -24 pins for the circuit board mounted power supply to plug into.

Here is the URL: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/desktops/desktop-board-dq45ek-executive-brief.html Note: Once you click on this URL, you will have to scroll down to a full screen size large picture of the Intel motherboard.

Any confusion on what I have said, let me know. Need the answers to questions in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3.

There won't be any additional components like video cards, etc. I will probably need a small fan. I was looking into something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154091 is this a good choice? Good brand? Did i pick a motherboard that isn't compatible with something like this? Thank you so much for your feedback, zburns.

[em59]

I forgot to include the heatsink, dc12v .14a, i think i will end up with 6 gigs of ddr2 ram, and there will be a wireless usb keyboard/mouse combo (not sure if that affects the size of power supply i will need.)

Thanks again for all your help

[zburns]

You only have room on the Intel mini ITX mobo for two sticks of RAM. Just look at the picture of the Intel board: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/desktops/desktop-board-dq45ek-executive-brief.html

I called the Apex company who makes (or supplies) the case your URL specifies; here is the Newegg title for the case on their 'online cat page': APEX MI-008 Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower Computer Case 250W Power Supply

Here is the URL for the Apex company cat spec page for your case: http://www.apextechusa.com/products.asp?pID=171

I called them to ask questions because the spec page had the details, but I wanted to double check my interpretation of the details. The case comes with a 250 watt psu. It is an ATX psu. The case is a mini itx case that will accept a itx mobo but has a full size 250 watt ATX power supply. The psu is part of the case -- you cannot get the case w/o the psu, at least that is what I was told.

Anyhow, the URL for Apex is the last one I just gave you. Take a look at the specs and ask me any questions. The telephone number is 626-912-1894; I spoke to Lily. She is not technical although they do have someone who is technical -- could not get to him.

Regards the heat sink for the cpu, I assume Intel will send a fan with the cpu (same box) and most certainly it will fit the 'Intel' ITX mobo.

Regards an additional fan, I did call Lily back about this and she indicated no additional fans but the fan inside the ATX psu housing.

( This para is an edit after I had finished) The 250 watt is overkill; the cpu will only pull 105 watts. You can install a DVD drive and a couple of hard drives plus your USB 2.0 (not 3.0) stuff. I wish I knew what the motherboard would draw. Maybe I can find out. My point being that you do not want to run a psu at 'too little wattage' -- a 250 watt should be designed to perform at 250 watts. For example a 105 watt draw on a 250 watt psu would be bothersome. A 250 watt psu running at only 105 watts is only putting out 42% of max watts. I do not know that you will even run the cpu at its maximum TDP of 105 watts. So I need to think about this one topic a little bit.

I guess I should ask you just what are you going to be doing with this computer once you build it?

So I sort of have all your answers but nowhere are they in writing other than the spec page. I think you are ok, the spec page has some pictures, etc. But to be certain, I suggest you send them an email with questions and request they be answered by their engineering department, etc.. If you wish I will make some suggestions for the email, but it should be sent by yourself. Again, I am only suggesting the email; the spec page and photos do look good; I am just used to more detail than I can see on the spec page. The lady was nice and courteous but she was the wrong one to talk to for 'absolute certain information'.

[zburns]

I have an inaccuracy in my post above. My quote as follows:
For example a 105 watt draw on a 250 watt psu would be bothersome.

When I wrote this statement, my concern was that the 105 watts would be the max for the cpu, but 'what would the minimum for the cpu be' -- Have no way of knowing this. In addition, you have a hard drive and some Ram plus the motherboard, all of which will draw some power -- but none of those items will draw a lot. So I have no way to calculate the minimum wattage of the cpu but I suspect the hard drive (6 watts), RAM 20 watts on the average minimum side and the motherboard, 10 to 20 watts (you can either count the RAM watts separately of include it in the motherboard total watts draw, but you cannot double count it).

You do not know where the PSU came from so you cannot call them and ask any questions about the psu performance at low wattage -- and I am really not sure if this is even a concern at all. If you assume the cpu has an average watt draw of 50 watts and leave the RAM and motherboard as above, you have a total of 86 to 96 watts which is in the range of about 36 % of the total watts the psu will put out. The calculation: Assume cpu is 50 watts average draw, RAM20 watts, mobo 10 watts -- 80 watts total. 80 watts divided by 250 watts is 0.32 or 32 % of the total possible output watts of 250 watts. -- And that is an OK number for good psu output. If this psu operates at 30 % to 70 % of its total output, I think that works out ok.

The reason I am writing so much about this subject is the 250 watt max number and the 'unavailable information' about what the actual routine average wattage draw will be; I can only guess at a low end average wattage -- no actual numbers to work with. One just has to use an 'educated guess' as to what the low end numbers will be. I think the 250 watt max is not a detriment -- if I have conveyed such a concern, I did not mean too. I am just thinking thru the process 'outloud' by writing about it.

Assuming my numbers are correct, you will just have a psu operating on the low to mid capacity with a lot of 'headroom' wattage left over (extra wattage not used).