Society of Robots - Robot Forum

General Misc => Misc => Topic started by: badshot359 on December 15, 2007, 03:15:41 PM

Title: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: badshot359 on December 15, 2007, 03:15:41 PM
hey another cool project from Popular Science
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/157a2ea4fc033110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html (http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/157a2ea4fc033110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html)
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: Trumpkin on December 15, 2007, 03:23:28 PM
I have already seen that I looked up the parts and it's more than $72.
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: Admin on December 15, 2007, 04:01:48 PM
It claims it can be done in four hours . . . definitely deceptive . . . I'd say more like 15+ . . .

Still, its another way of putting a cheap/small computer power processor on your bot . . .
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: badshot359 on December 15, 2007, 05:36:30 PM
i've done it in less than 2 hours. then again i had a relative with all the parts on hand already. the thing that took the longest was making a case for it.
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: ddemarco5 on December 15, 2007, 08:47:04 PM
hey, i made one of those, loaded MAME on it and made it a awsome reto arcade machine with 100 or more games! ;D
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: jklv on December 16, 2007, 07:17:23 PM
This looks good, it can be gifted for Christmas =D
Or as the post above, make arcade machines and rent 'em ;)
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: Caduscus on January 01, 2008, 06:09:12 PM
oooooooo! I love Popsci! ;D I was subscribed a couple years ago and I think i'm going to renew it sometime soon, but yeah I saw that too very cool, I think it'll cost more than 72 dollars...
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: maverick monk on January 02, 2008, 04:59:44 PM
i wanna make one... i read that recently and thaught "hey, look, 72$ high qual robot brains..."
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: Caduscus on January 02, 2008, 07:24:27 PM
good idea maverick...*starting building GLaDos from Portal* who's secreting deadly nuerotoxins now!?! ;D
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: Fredrik Andersson on January 03, 2008, 12:37:10 PM
How much power does such a thing draw?

Could it be powered with a relatively small battery?
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: dunk on January 03, 2008, 01:27:07 PM
Quote
How much power does such a thing draw?

Could it be powered with a relatively small battery?

no.
specialist low power x86 PC motherboards start at around 10Watts before you add things like hard disks, etc.
these cost a lot of money.

if you intend to use an old 2nd hand motherboard then expect to burn 50Watts minimum with a small HDD and minimal memory.

a 2nd hand laptop is a far better low power option but expect one of those to still draw around 20Watts. (although the battery problem is already solved.)


dunk.
Title: Re: a $72 pc easy to upgrade
Post by: Fredrik Andersson on January 03, 2008, 02:20:28 PM
Quote
How much power does such a thing draw?

Could it be powered with a relatively small battery?

no.
specialist low power x86 PC motherboards start at around 10Watts before you add things like hard disks, etc.
these cost a lot of money.

if you intend to use an old 2nd hand motherboard then expect to burn 50Watts minimum with a small HDD and minimal memory.

a 2nd hand laptop is a far better low power option but expect one of those to still draw around 20Watts. (although the battery problem is already solved.)


dunk.

You wouldn't necessarily need a HDD. You could use a usb stick memory. But as you said, one would probably get off much better with a laptop.