Car PC

C

C>P>U

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I want to build my own car pc. Can anyone advise me on how to do this and where I can obtain the components or can I use a desktop pc as a car pc?
 
First thing you'll want for a car PC whether it be notebook parts or whatever, is a solid state hard drive. Any normal hard drive would be completely messed up within a few minutes of driving on a bumpy road.
 
You should get some mechanical-shock-proof components.

The setup really depends on what car you have and what you want it for. You'll obviously need a screen somewhere. Not many cars that I can think of have space to mount a 26" LCD ;)

Possibly the most critical design issue is your power source. If you were going to simply use your car battery, you're in for a suprise. Your car battery will be flat very quickly when your car is off, and will be placed under undue stress. You'd probably need a second, dedicated, battery just for the PC. And you'd need to hook it up to charge from the same circuit as the existing battery. Assuming the car battery can even handle it, although if I recall correctly, the current rating on those guys is badass.

Of course, you'd also need to look at some form of input device. I don't see a desktop mouse being very useful.

There is much to be considered, so for more comprehensive replies, you should give a detailed description of what you want to achieve, and how you were thinking about doing that.
 
Not sure what you'd want to use a car PC for, but what about a netbook?
 
www.mp3car.com

i would suggest that you consult the forums on this site FIRST.

From what i have seen retailers are trying to jump on the bandwagon selling prebuilt "CarPCs" that are basically glorified 2 DIN DVD players.mp3car is a wealth on information and will most likely have a member who has done an install in a car that might be similar to your own.

I am planning to install a pc in my focus as soon as i finish installing my sound. Its alot of work and the worst thing is the cost. Touch screen prices in SA are rediculous.I am looking at modding a eeePC with a touch panel and the prices here are 3 -4 times that of prices in the UK.

best thing i can suggest is to goto mp3car and do some research.Things like hard drives etc and how to mount them as well as power configurations and input devices are all covered in detail. you'll also find software and specific versions of linux/windows to use on the car pc to reduce startup times etc.

if you want any other info or suggestions pm and i'll be glad to help.
 
Available Options

Hi

I've been researching car PC's, and have to agree, touch screens are way too expensive. the best I could get is R2200.00.for a 7", but at least it's available.

I haven't been able to get a DC-DC power supply anywhere.

Does anyone know where I can get a PSU ?
 
C>P>U said:
I want to build my own car pc. Can anyone advise me on how to do this and where I can obtain the components or can I use a desktop pc as a car pc?
Click to expand...

Hi There

What you are trying is definately possible.
There are many modders in the UK and States that have attempted and succeeded at such a project. In SA, however, it's not as easy.
Although most standard desktop components could work, the prices on touch screens are still quite high, and DC-DC PSU's are just not available.
Everything else is, including Bluetooth, GPS, On board diagnostic, internet, WiFi, Lan gaming PC gaming Movies, Music, and whatever else you could possibly do on your desktop, so why not ?
 
Well I’m using a 40 GB 2.5" normal laptop drive for about 5 month with no problem for my in car computer , but a static drive is better
 
stroebs said:
First thing you'll want for a car PC whether it be notebook parts or whatever, is a solid state hard drive. Any normal hard drive would be completely messed up within a few minutes of driving on a bumpy road.
Click to expand...

Not entirely true. I've been driving with my notebook on the passenger seat for over a year now, bumpy roads and the lot and the hdd does not even have free fall sensor technology.
 
acidrain said:
Ye, netbook would be the best solution, cheap and small screen suitable for cars
Click to expand...

No man,that's not a carputer but a netbook in a car.

The idea of a carputer is to blend it into your car.A 7" touchscreen fits into a 2din and the pc is hidden most likely under your seat or in the boot.It replaces your car stereo/gps.

Most important...
mini-itx mobo with embedded cpu - less heat
decent dc-dc psu fanless - less heat,handle engin sparks
a decent enclosure like the voompc - it acts as a heatsink too
solid state hdd,cf/sd to ide/sata
a nice frontend for your puter like driveline(free)
 
Last edited:
JustAsk said:
No man,that's not a carputer but a netbook in a car.

The idea of a carputer is to blend it into your car.A 7" touchscreen fits into a 2din and the pc is hidden most likely under your seat or in the boot.It replaces your car stereo/gps.

Most important...
mini-itx mobo with embedded cpu - less heat
decent dc-dc psu fanless - less heat,handle engin sparks
a decent enclosure like the voompc - it acts as a heatsink too
solid state hdd,cf/sd to ide/sata
a nice frontend for your puter like driveline(free)
Click to expand...

True but it will be alot cheaper than a carputer, as pretty much everything would then need to be customized to suit.
 
Tips

This little gem comes with build in power supply 12V only needed

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2009/03/18/zotac-geforce-9300-itx-wifi-review/1

See this thread

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?p=3032813#post3032813

These links may provide you with the specs of the board

Embedded ION chip (DC - DC convertor on board option)

http://www.zotac.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=331&Itemid=555


http://www.pureoverclock.com/story3599.html


http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3562

CPU based

http://www.zotacusa.com/zotac-geforce-gf9300-d-e-itx-wifi-lga-775-mini-itx-intel-motherboard.html

http://www.mini-itx.com/reviews/zotac-ion/

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2009/03/18/zotac-geforce-9300-itx-wifi-review/2

Looky here
http://zotac.com/index.php?option=com_simple_review&Itemid=100037&review=4-Daddy's+Workshop&lang=un

http://zotac.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=100002&lang=un
 
Check this nasty animal with 9400 IGP.
I am going to try and find me one! LOL


ZOTAC_IONITX-A-U_Corner.jpg


http://www.mini-box.com/Zotac-ION-A-U-mini-ITX-Dual-Atom-N330

Review

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=334&Itemid=69

As far as motherboards go, a black PCB lined with solid-state capacitors and bright orange plastic components is enough to catch the eye. But to home theater enthusiasts it's the full-figured I/O panel that looks sexy enough to make you drool. What I like most about the Zotac IONITX kit is that you can use either a small 90W silent A/C power brick, or rely on your own PSU to supply power.

All-solid capacitors and a thick PCB earn the Zotac IONITX motherboard kit top-shelf construction ratings, but there were a few very small items that I would be careful off. First off, respect the WiFi-N antenna, since the part is made of plastic. Next is the power-supply port, which should be watched for abnormal pressure since the retaining bracket bends easily. Aside from these concerns, my estimation is that the IONITX motherboard kit is flawless in its build quality.

Zotac doesn't go small on the IONITX's motherboard BIOS, and all of the functionality and customization you find in other motherboards is also available here... up to and including overclock tweaks. While Benchmark Reviews didn't spend time covering this aspect, it certainly appeals to enthusiasts wanting to squeeze every last frame out of their performance. For an HTPC builder, it will be the full-service HDMI 1.3a connection that sells this kit, along with wireless-N capability. Even with the low-profile cooling fan installed and spinning, the IONITX kit was silent, as in no noise at all. This was a welcome night-and-day departure from the XBOX360 and PS3, which usually start humming like leaf blowers once they warm up. While each system is different from the next, the Windows 7 test system we built played streaming video content, divx, mp4, and mkv files without a problem.

As of July 2009 the Zotac IONITX-A-U 1.6GHz dual-core Atom N330 WiFi-N DDR2 Mini-ITX DDR2 motherboard kit is listed on NewEgg for $209.99. While you can get around installing a permanent optical drive, you'll need a DDR2 memory kit (the 4GB kits we used cost $42.99 each) and enclosure. Benchmark Reviews used the Antec ISK300-65, which will work really well the but the Zotac IONITX-A-U, but included its own PSU, so the less-expensive ZOTAC IONITX-D-E would have been a better fit.

If you've been looking for a motherboard for building the ultimate HTPC, this is the kit you'll want. The Zotac IONITX-A-U model offers a dual-core 1.6 GHz Atom N330 processor, WiFi-N adapter, silent A/C power supply brick, and operates completely silent. If you're looking at 64-bit editions of Windows 7 (or Windows XP or Vista), only the Atom 330 and 230 processors found in the NVIDIA ION platform support Intel EM64T; all other Atom processors are restricted to 32-bit Operating Systems. In terms of competing with ASUS Eee NetTop PC's, the NVIDIA ION is far superior, in both graphical and computing power. Add to the integrated GeForce 9400m GPU a fully-native HDMI 1.3a connection, and the ION platform serves video to 1080p HDTV's better than most media players. The Wireless-N connectivity keeps the IONITX-A-U kit rubbing elbows with gaming consoles, but when it comes time to browse to Hulu, YouTube, Flickr, or Network Broadcast websites, the ability to turn the ION system into a web-connected HTPC playing online content is priceless.

Pros:+ Completely silent computer system
+ Intel Atom N330 dual-core EM64T processor
+ NVIDIA GeForce 9400m GPU
+ 4GB 800MHz DDR2 support
+ Native HDMI 1.3a A/V interface
+ Optical and digital audio output
+ eSATA and six USB 2.0 ports
+ Wireless-N and Gigabit Ethernet

Cons:
- BIOS limits system memory to 4GB
- Fragile plastic WiFi antenna
- Thin metal WiFi/Power bracket bends easy
- Lacks TosLink cable or bundled software
- Not a gaming PC/console replacement

Ratings:
•Presentation: 8.75
•Appearance: 9.50
•Construction: 9.25
•Functionality: 9.25
•Value: 8.25
Final Score: 9.0 out of 10.
Click to expand...


http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/zotac-ion-atom,2300-12.html

The Zotac motherboard’s most promising destination is in the HTPC space, where its tiny size, equally modest power consumption, and long feature list are almost everything a couch commando could want. From the PureVideo HD acceleration to the support for multi-channel LPCM output, you have almost everything you need for lots of high-def entertainment. As the platform stands right now, we were able to get Dolby Digital and DTS pass-through over HDMI, but were still missing lossless 5.1 LPCM support. We’re most excited about using a box like this with Windows 7 and its integrated Media Center
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
JustAsk said:
No man,that's not a carputer but a netbook in a car.

The idea of a carputer is to blend it into your car.A 7" touchscreen fits into a 2din and the pc is hidden most likely under your seat or in the boot.It replaces your car stereo/gps.

Most important...
mini-itx mobo with embedded cpu - less heat
decent dc-dc psu fanless - less heat,handle engin sparks
a decent enclosure like the voompc - it acts as a heatsink too
solid state hdd,cf/sd to ide/sata
a nice frontend for your puter like driveline(free)
Click to expand...

To hell with that! stick in an i7 CPU with a HD58** card its not like you will here it :)
 
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