ICEing the Honda Civic - Part II (Carputer)

ghpk · 21st May 2010, 22:22

its little cheaper now.

check more from zotac

nisarg86 · 21st May 2010, 23:48

Yup. Nice VFm motherboard. this one retails around now 4-5K.
ST. Hows the Asus Xonar ? Did you test it ? I am ditching USB soundcard and getting new mobo, cpu and sound card. have you used any preamp ? Output voltages are very low on xonar. something like 2v.
is it DIY CASE ? or u purchased it from somewhere ?

ST7677 · 22nd May 2010, 21:34

I have not yet connected the Asus DX to the car amps yet. But tried it at home and it sounded good. However many people abroad have been using it.
Asus D2x and DX are considered amongst the best sound cards lately, comparable to M-Audio but better VFM.

The case is a Winsis Wi-08
Before this I was considering Mocoso case. But I bought this one as it was best size for me. It neatly fits under the Civic front seat even at full low height. Has PCI half profile card provision, Optical drive provision, etc. and plenty of space inside to allow good ventilation.
Also it came with a PSU which works from 110-220v so I am using it at home to set it up.

ST7677 · 23rd May 2010, 02:56

Is it recommended to install the HDD in horizontal or vertical (perpendicular to the road)?

It is presently installed horizontally (standard position) and I am worried about the Bangalore potholes and speedbreakers!!!

My Laptop (not carputer) HDD keeps going into temporary protection mode every now and then, when I use it in the car while driving. I don;t want that to happen on my carputer, as the music/media might start stuttering.

monty9991 · 23rd May 2010, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST7677

Is it recommended to install the HDD in horizontal or vertical (perpendicular to the road)?

well as per my view the HDD should be in standing position. it avoids the skipping of the HDD.

lalitk25 · 23rd May 2010, 12:50

Hi ST7677
I have not read the entire post but at one point you have mentioned about placing your PC below drivers seat which means it will block the rear ac vent below your driver seat and it will create problem for rear side cooling in auto and manual mode (air on feet)........
I think you might have thought about it earlier but just a Food For your Thought.

ST7677 · 23rd May 2010, 13:30

Under the front seat, if you notice there is a partition and the a/c vents are towards the rear passenger. My carpc will be on the other side of the partition, under the front passenger thighs, so it will not interfere at all with the a/c vents.

ghpk · 23rd May 2010, 14:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST7677

Under the front seat, if you notice there is a partition and the a/c vents are towards the rear passenger. My carpc will be on the other side of the partition, under the front passenger thighs, so it will not interfere at all with the a/c vents.

yes that looks ok, and having a carputer under seat would be better cooled than one boiling CPU in the trunk.

However care should be taken for cabinet top (which faces unseat area) if you have open vents on it, any water/drink spill can get inside chassis, use vents on sides for perfect Air-flow.

lalitk25 · 23rd May 2010, 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by ST7677

Under the front seat, if you notice there is a partition and the a/c vents are towards the rear passenger. My carpc will be on the other side of the partition, under the front passenger thighs, so it will not interfere at all with the a/c vents.

Oh thats fine then... as mentioned earlier you should have taken care of about this point and you did

Just one more observation to keep size small you could have used a laptop instead of a desktop components everything could have squeezed a lot...... may be I am missing something here....

ST7677 · 24th May 2010, 12:35

I have 2 spare laptops at home, and one is being used as Carpc, while the carpc is actually being built. So, It can be used, but it is not a suitable option.
There are following issues:
1. Expandability - adding sound cards / video cards, connectivity
2. Power management - powering from car battery and switching on / off with ignition, amplifier power control, Battery voltage protection, etc
3. Adding tons of accessories required for car - Cameras, OBD, GPS, etc (laptops have very limited connectivity, here we are talking about 12+ USBs, 8 outputs for Audio, 3 for videos, ++)

Most importantly a laptop is designed and built around a different purpose, and a carputer has to be designed and built around a different purpose. Changing the purpose of laptop, is possible but expensive.

Also it is not the computer per se which is expensive, it is the car pc specific needs that mostly add to the cost like - PSU, Touchscreen, peripherals, etc, so why compromise your options with a laptop. With custom approach you can decide on your objective and simply build towards it, keeping your costs low and features high.

The objectives of my carpc are defined somewhere towards beginning of this thread.
My carpc can play 192khz/24 audio on 8 channels, manage 3 different videos simultaneously, run full HD videos along with managing 16 DSP (VST) audio Plugins. Now, find me a laptop which can do all this and is cheaper / more convenient than my car pc

Finally its the journey of dreaming something and then piecing it together, with the help of wonderful fellow bhpians, that is so enjoyable and satisfying

ashthedivx · 24th May 2010, 13:30

Exactly my thoughts too

I would also like to build up a CarPC someday with lots of features GPS, OBD, FM & lots of music/videos onboard. Though I would love to control the stuffs with Voice. However on holidays, would be picking up the Netbook attached to CarPC, check mails sitting in my hotel room and then attaching it back to CarPC next day morning.

It's not a question of Budget or How will I do it, It's something I'll love to do it 1 day

I know lots of research and hardwork is required but still I'll be game for it someday.

ST7677 · 26th May 2010, 15:09

One quick question – what are you guys using to decouple the PSU (and the carputer) from the car. i.e. if I have to take the Carpc out of the car I will need to unplug PSU from the power wire from the battery, ignition turn on wire and peripheral (LCD) power wire (that also uses regulated power from the PSU). So what connectors are recommended?
I know the PC can be opened and power connector can simply be removed from the PSU, but that may not be a very convenient approach.

monty9991 · 26th May 2010, 15:29

this is what i used in my earlier setup.
you can find this at any computer shop. or get nay burnt power supply and pull off one.

easy plug and play thing.

ST7677 · 26th May 2010, 17:47

I was thinking of this, but for a 120W PSU that would be 10 AMP load and for a 360W PSU (which I have) that would be a 30amp load, will this thing be able to take that much load? Agreed I will not be pushing it that much, but asking this from Safety viewpoint.

gigy · 26th May 2010, 18:17

use automotive connector 4 pin one or more as per requirement, which has a lock on one side.

21st May 2010, 22:22	#91
ghpk BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ghaziabad Posts: 870 Thanked: 211 Times	its little cheaper now. check more from zotac
	() Thanks

21st May 2010, 23:48	#92
nisarg86 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 392 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	Yup. Nice VFm motherboard. this one retails around now 4-5K. ST. Hows the Asus Xonar ? Did you test it ? I am ditching USB soundcard and getting new mobo, cpu and sound card. have you used any preamp ? Output voltages are very low on xonar. something like 2v. is it DIY CASE ? or u purchased it from somewhere ?
	() Thanks

22nd May 2010, 21:34	#93
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	I have not yet connected the Asus DX to the car amps yet. But tried it at home and it sounded good. However many people abroad have been using it. Asus D2x and DX are considered amongst the best sound cards lately, comparable to M-Audio but better VFM. The case is a Winsis Wi-08 Before this I was considering Mocoso case. But I bought this one as it was best size for me. It neatly fits under the Civic front seat even at full low height. Has PCI half profile card provision, Optical drive provision, etc. and plenty of space inside to allow good ventilation. Also it came with a PSU which works from 110-220v so I am using it at home to set it up. Last edited by ST7677 : 22nd May 2010 at 21:39.
	() Thanks

23rd May 2010, 02:56	#94
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	Is it recommended to install the HDD in horizontal or vertical (perpendicular to the road)? It is presently installed horizontally (standard position) and I am worried about the Bangalore potholes and speedbreakers!!! My Laptop (not carputer) HDD keeps going into temporary protection mode every now and then, when I use it in the car while driving. I don;t want that to happen on my carputer, as the music/media might start stuttering. Last edited by ST7677 : 23rd May 2010 at 02:58.
	() Thanks

23rd May 2010, 12:50	#96
lalitk25 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria Germany Posts: 190 Thanked: 8 Times	Hi ST7677 I have not read the entire post but at one point you have mentioned about placing your PC below drivers seat which means it will block the rear ac vent below your driver seat and it will create problem for rear side cooling in auto and manual mode (air on feet)........ I think you might have thought about it earlier but just a Food For your Thought.
	() Thanks

23rd May 2010, 13:30	#97
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	Under the front seat, if you notice there is a partition and the a/c vents are towards the rear passenger. My carpc will be on the other side of the partition, under the front passenger thighs, so it will not interfere at all with the a/c vents.
	() Thanks

24th May 2010, 12:35	#100
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	I have 2 spare laptops at home, and one is being used as Carpc, while the carpc is actually being built. So, It can be used, but it is not a suitable option. There are following issues: 1. Expandability - adding sound cards / video cards, connectivity 2. Power management - powering from car battery and switching on / off with ignition, amplifier power control, Battery voltage protection, etc 3. Adding tons of accessories required for car - Cameras, OBD, GPS, etc (laptops have very limited connectivity, here we are talking about 12+ USBs, 8 outputs for Audio, 3 for videos, ++) Most importantly a laptop is designed and built around a different purpose, and a carputer has to be designed and built around a different purpose. Changing the purpose of laptop, is possible but expensive. Also it is not the computer per se which is expensive, it is the car pc specific needs that mostly add to the cost like - PSU, Touchscreen, peripherals, etc, so why compromise your options with a laptop. With custom approach you can decide on your objective and simply build towards it, keeping your costs low and features high. The objectives of my carpc are defined somewhere towards beginning of this thread. My carpc can play 192khz/24 audio on 8 channels, manage 3 different videos simultaneously, run full HD videos along with managing 16 DSP (VST) audio Plugins. Now, find me a laptop which can do all this and is cheaper / more convenient than my car pc Finally its the journey of dreaming something and then piecing it together, with the help of wonderful fellow bhpians, that is so enjoyable and satisfying
	() Thanks

24th May 2010, 13:30	#101
ashthedivx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,356 Thanked: 24 Times	Exactly my thoughts too I would also like to build up a CarPC someday with lots of features GPS, OBD, FM & lots of music/videos onboard. Though I would love to control the stuffs with Voice. However on holidays, would be picking up the Netbook attached to CarPC, check mails sitting in my hotel room and then attaching it back to CarPC next day morning. It's not a question of Budget or How will I do it, It's something I'll love to do it 1 day I know lots of research and hardwork is required but still I'll be game for it someday.
	() Thanks

26th May 2010, 15:09	#102
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	One quick question – what are you guys using to decouple the PSU (and the carputer) from the car. i.e. if I have to take the Carpc out of the car I will need to unplug PSU from the power wire from the battery, ignition turn on wire and peripheral (LCD) power wire (that also uses regulated power from the PSU). So what connectors are recommended? I know the PC can be opened and power connector can simply be removed from the PSU, but that may not be a very convenient approach.
	() Thanks

26th May 2010, 15:29	#103
monty9991 BANNED Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ludhiana Posts: 706 Thanked: 42 Times View My Garage	this is what i used in my earlier setup. you can find this at any computer shop. or get nay burnt power supply and pull off one. easy plug and play thing. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

26th May 2010, 17:47	#104
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	I was thinking of this, but for a 120W PSU that would be 10 AMP load and for a 360W PSU (which I have) that would be a 30amp load, will this thing be able to take that much load? Agreed I will not be pushing it that much, but asking this from Safety viewpoint.
	() Thanks

26th May 2010, 18:17	#105
gigy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 1,321 Thanked: 47 Times	use automotive connector 4 pin one or more as per requirement, which has a lock on one side.
	() Thanks