My First Car PC Install - Research and Planning Stage

diezel · 27th March 2008, 18:12

hey monty,

Thanks for the info on the IR remote, but I will check the possibility. I do have my old Pioneer steering wheel remote, but till them, i'll be more than happy to fidget around with my new TouchScreen...

diezel · 27th March 2008, 18:14

Hi VebMetal,

I got a P4 system, with 80GB HDD/OnBoard Sound and NVidia 5600GT Graphics Card. If you are interested, PM me.

shldn · 27th March 2008, 18:50

@ diezel, good stuff, all the best with your project.

Quote:

Originally Posted by diezel

Before finalising on the installation I had completely installed the PC and tested the Wattage used. Its surprising to know but the whole system with a movie running was not pulling more that 100W of power.

Just out of interest, how did you test/calculate the power consumption ? btwn you should check the current draw on the 12V rail with a power calculator, the 160W PSU will be on the limit powering a 2+ Ghz celeron on a matx board. You could also consider underclocking the cpu.

monty9991 · 27th March 2008, 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by diezel

hey monty,

Thanks for the info on the IR remote, but I will check the possibility. I do have my old Pioneer steering wheel remote, but till them, i'll be more than happy to fidget around with my new TouchScreen...

well its for sure ull be happy for few days.. but later it will be difficult to remove eyes from the road. and in the begning you have to setup many things, which ull know as on move.

krishnavamshi24 · 27th March 2008, 19:17

160w power supply well....are u sure dude as far as i knw 8800 gt & quad core would require much more...

Quote:

Originally Posted by diezel

Hi Monty

Before planning the installation I had gone ahead and tested the PC in a normal environment. The PC with all running with Movie loaded, was not pulling more than 100W. To prove this further, I went ahead and tested my gaming PC, which has Intel Quad Core Extreme Processor, Asus R.O.G. mainboard, Corsair Thunder RAM, 2 500GB HDD, Razor Baracuda Sound Card, 8800 GT Graphics Card, which pulled a max of 175W with Crysis running on it. That gave me enough confidence that the system will run perfectly with 160W power supply.

So all you folks who have old hardware in their closets, its time to bring em out again and power it up.

And BTW, iRIDE delivered my package today, so this weekend would be fun.

Cheers

monty9991 · 27th March 2008, 21:57

hi shldn,
here are the pics of remote i made ..
i used the grey serial port cover to cover it.. and the circuit was integrated into it. and the black thing is ht IR receiver. this whole project costed me not more than around Rs.100

diezel · 28th March 2008, 12:29

Hi Krishna

You are right, I do have installed a CoolMaster RealPower 650W Power Supply, but you gotta understand one thing, its a pure gaming motherboard, there are peripheral devices also connected, like additional hard drives, 4 chassis fans, Cooler Master Liquid cooling system, etc. Considering that Games have varied levels of processing, which means at certain intervals the GPU will run at full steam, also, the CPU/RAM also will spike up. That's the reason why I got a 650W power supply.

But on normal conditions, without the additional gizmos, the system does not draw more than that. And this is Live data which I pick up.

FYI, if you use APC UPSes they give you live feed of how much watts is drawn by your PC.

diezel · 28th March 2008, 12:30

Krishna

Another thing, the gaming PC is not installed in the car. Instead a Celeron based MicroATX system is used, which has onboard graphics.

Hi Shldn

I really will never overclock a CPU on a board which a very basic board. Since these board are designed to be cost-effective, their overclocking capabilities are well under question. Again, the existing machine, fully installed and tested drew no more than 100W of power.

Hi Monty

Great! But living in Pune and finding these parts is a luxury. Anyways, whenever get to go to Delhi i'll pick em up from Nehru place. Anyways, this is the hardware part, what I am interested in is the software that runs of windows PC. I could not locate it. Can you help with that or PM me the link???

shldn · 28th March 2008, 13:19

@ monty, you could solder the components directly onto the pins of the rs232 connector. Use a sleeve if needed, will be much neater.

How have you configured girder for your remote ?

monty9991 · 29th March 2008, 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by diezel

Hi Monty

Great! But living in Pune and finding these parts is a luxury. Anyways, whenever get to go to Delhi i'll pick em up from Nehru place. Anyways, this is the hardware part, what I am interested in is the software that runs of windows PC. I could not locate it. Can you help with that or PM me the link???

well i am using the SW know as GIRDER for remote control on windows based pcs. you can get it from here Promixis you might be able to find the older and free version on net if you google it hard.
and the parts, i can couries them to you if you want and you solder them together..

monty9991 · 29th March 2008, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by shldn

@ monty, you could solder the components directly onto the pins of the rs232 connector. Use a sleeve if needed, will be much neater.

How have you configured girder for your remote ?

yes that could be done too.. but i found that little complicated as i am not that good at soldring.

to configure it with girder you need a plugin " IgorPlug.dll " and then you'll need a .gml file of the programe you want to use the remote on. like i got for WMP11 and RoadRunner (front end).
the details on this can be found at Remote control of computer

let me know if you need any other help.

monty9991 · 30th March 2008, 15:31

hi all.. i am planing to change my setup.. i planing to use the double DIN space for the screen and place the HU under the screen. and then i have to place my motherboard under my seat.
i have a question cirrently my 3.5"HDD is placed verticlaly standing. and i guess with this i am not have even a pin tip issue of skipping on bad or bumpy roads. so if i place the same HDD horizontally will it start skipping on speed breakers or bad roads?

dinar · 30th March 2008, 19:02

Hey monty9991, usually the HDD is placed vertically so that the read/write head, do not touch the magnetic disc and scratch them when the disc comes across a shock, by placing it horizontally you are at a risk of damaging the hdd.

gotzuk · 31st March 2008, 01:46

Hey guys,

i had a wonderful time going through this thread.
and of course the "must have a car pc" determination.
i plan to spread it out over the next few months..
some slightly OTT questions here.

will it be a good idea to mount the motherboard
and HDD in a car amplifier casing? i ask this
because i have a old alpine car amplifier which got fried.
the casing is aluminum and extruded for better cooling.
as the whole casing is virtually a big heat sink, will it be
a good choice to house the cpu, hdd etc..

i plan to install a slim, slot loading dvd drive in the dash.
can anyone recommend a good brand/model to go in for.

seagate had a hard drive series (EE25), which was designed
for automotive and outdoor use. i tried nehru place in delhi,
but couldn't find it. does anyone know if its available here?

cheers

_abhay_ · 31st March 2008, 06:25

Hi guys ,
am not sure if this was discussed on this thread before, sry if it was .
Sony ericsson h/s 's double up as a HID device, and its wireless ie bluetooth no messy cables , Ive been using it quite comfortably for most apps [ also played CARMAGEDDON on it ] , and you can build a custom interface ,

Not sure it nokia cells supports hid , let me know if ne 1 is using it ,

Also trying to stream audio to PC via bluetooth , HAS NE 1 TRIED IT ?

27th March 2008, 18:12	#166
diezel BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 33 Thanked: 0 Times	hey monty, Thanks for the info on the IR remote, but I will check the possibility. I do have my old Pioneer steering wheel remote, but till them, i'll be more than happy to fidget around with my new TouchScreen...
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 18:14	#167
diezel BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 33 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi VebMetal, I got a P4 system, with 80GB HDD/OnBoard Sound and NVidia 5600GT Graphics Card. If you are interested, PM me.
	() Thanks

27th March 2008, 21:57	#171
monty9991 BANNED Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ludhiana Posts: 706 Thanked: 42 Times View My Garage	Ir Pics hi shldn, here are the pics of remote i made .. i used the grey serial port cover to cover it.. and the circuit was integrated into it. and the black thing is ht IR receiver. this whole project costed me not more than around Rs.100 Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

28th March 2008, 12:29	#172
diezel BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 33 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi Krishna You are right, I do have installed a CoolMaster RealPower 650W Power Supply, but you gotta understand one thing, its a pure gaming motherboard, there are peripheral devices also connected, like additional hard drives, 4 chassis fans, Cooler Master Liquid cooling system, etc. Considering that Games have varied levels of processing, which means at certain intervals the GPU will run at full steam, also, the CPU/RAM also will spike up. That's the reason why I got a 650W power supply. But on normal conditions, without the additional gizmos, the system does not draw more than that. And this is Live data which I pick up. FYI, if you use APC UPSes they give you live feed of how much watts is drawn by your PC.
	() Thanks

28th March 2008, 12:30	#173
diezel BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 33 Thanked: 0 Times	Krishna Another thing, the gaming PC is not installed in the car. Instead a Celeron based MicroATX system is used, which has onboard graphics. Hi Shldn I really will never overclock a CPU on a board which a very basic board. Since these board are designed to be cost-effective, their overclocking capabilities are well under question. Again, the existing machine, fully installed and tested drew no more than 100W of power. Hi Monty Great! But living in Pune and finding these parts is a luxury. Anyways, whenever get to go to Delhi i'll pick em up from Nehru place. Anyways, this is the hardware part, what I am interested in is the software that runs of windows PC. I could not locate it. Can you help with that or PM me the link???
	() Thanks

28th March 2008, 13:19	#174
shldn BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 94 Thanked: 0 Times	@ monty, you could solder the components directly onto the pins of the rs232 connector. Use a sleeve if needed, will be much neater. How have you configured girder for your remote ? Last edited by shldn : 28th March 2008 at 13:21.
	() Thanks

30th March 2008, 15:31	#177
monty9991 BANNED Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ludhiana Posts: 706 Thanked: 42 Times View My Garage	hi all.. i am planing to change my setup.. i planing to use the double DIN space for the screen and place the HU under the screen. and then i have to place my motherboard under my seat. i have a question cirrently my 3.5"HDD is placed verticlaly standing. and i guess with this i am not have even a pin tip issue of skipping on bad or bumpy roads. so if i place the same HDD horizontally will it start skipping on speed breakers or bad roads?
	() Thanks

30th March 2008, 19:02	#178
dinar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: goa Posts: 1,066 Thanked: 57 Times	Hey monty9991, usually the HDD is placed vertically so that the read/write head, do not touch the magnetic disc and scratch them when the disc comes across a shock, by placing it horizontally you are at a risk of damaging the hdd.
	() Thanks

31st March 2008, 01:46	#179
gotzuk BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Delhi / Shimla Posts: 496 Thanked: 114 Times View My Garage	Hey guys, i had a wonderful time going through this thread. and of course the "must have a car pc" determination. i plan to spread it out over the next few months.. some slightly OTT questions here. will it be a good idea to mount the motherboard and HDD in a car amplifier casing? i ask this because i have a old alpine car amplifier which got fried. the casing is aluminum and extruded for better cooling. as the whole casing is virtually a big heat sink, will it be a good choice to house the cpu, hdd etc.. i plan to install a slim, slot loading dvd drive in the dash. can anyone recommend a good brand/model to go in for. seagate had a hard drive series (EE25), which was designed for automotive and outdoor use. i tried nehru place in delhi, but couldn't find it. does anyone know if its available here? cheers
	() Thanks

31st March 2008, 06:25	#180
_abhay_ BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: mumbai Posts: 38 Thanked: 4 Times	Hi guys , am not sure if this was discussed on this thread before, sry if it was . Sony ericsson h/s 's double up as a HID device, and its wireless ie bluetooth no messy cables , Ive been using it quite comfortably for most apps [ also played CARMAGEDDON on it ] , and you can build a custom interface , Not sure it nokia cells supports hid , let me know if ne 1 is using it , Also trying to stream audio to PC via bluetooth , HAS NE 1 TRIED IT ?
	() Thanks