PicoPSUs

[Cheetah Designs]

I am looking at using one of these small PSUs in a IB build.

The CPU I was looking at was the equivalent of the SB-2500k which has a TDP of 77W. I will be using the IGP so won't have a graphics card.

The only other things that I think will require power will be the SSD, motherboard and CPU fan. There is no optical drive.

Will a 120W one of these small PSUs be enough to power this system or do I need to look at the 160W version? Last time I built a machine was ages ago and you had to check the 12V rails (or something to that accord)...is that something I still need to check?

 

[Cheetah Designs]

Hmm the logic doesn't make sense.

So for the CPU it takes all its power from the 12V rail, does any other component do that?

So assume I get the 160W PSU and it has over 90% efficientcy, meaning it has 87W on the 12V rail so 10W is left, are you telling me that 10w isn't enough to power a SSD, a fan, a motherboard and two memory dimms?

 

[Cheetah Designs]

You do know that a PicoPSU requires an external power brick? Just in case that ruins the aesthetics of your build.

Yeah I am aware of that. It was going to be one of my next questions. I obviously need a brick that supplies 160W or 200W or whatever. Does it matter if its 12V or 20V or something else.....does it have to be 12V?