black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

This is my first time in the ICE department but I plan on coming in doing it all at once (for cheap )

My Plans:

Lilliput EBY701 7" Touch screen LCD VGA PC MONITOR

Small Form PC
---Mobo w/ Intel Atom 1.6Ghz and onboard Intel GMA 950 video card incorporated into a 11.8" x 9.5" x 2.6" black case with power supply built in.
---160Gb Sata HD
---1Gb 200pin Ram (may go 2Gb but trying to keep the price down)
---CD/DVD Combo (no burning needed)

Accesories:
USB Wireless Card
USB Mouse/Keyboard (possibly wireless in future)
Maybe a Tv/Fm Tuner (not sure if they make DTV tuners yet tho)
GPS antenna/software

Why:
Music player-I should be able to hook this up to the aux input of my headunit and play all my 20 gigs of mp3s.

Dvd player-keep the girl happy on long trips

GPS

Tuning (my ZT-2 is ready to be hooked up via USB)

Internet (when its pick-up-able)

And everything else a small computer in a car is good for.

How:
I plan on using the program roadrunner


So ya that is my plan. My brother is very good at making pc's (doing the BIOS setup stuff) and I am good at car wiring and am not afraid to take apart my center console. I came up with this setup today and I guess im here to see if anyone with carputer experience has any suggestions.

Also my biggest concern is:
Will this all hold up fine in winter or is something you uninstall in winter?? (lets say -20* F worst case to be on safe side, however 0* to 10*F common) What about moisture? I will keep the whole unit in the cab, nothing in the trunk.

Also the basic computer/screen setup is about $415. This doesnt include the accessories i listed. I say this is cheap cause to have all the features this has in separate units gets very pricey!

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

Also, I plan on plugging it all in with something like this to make it simple.

aznprid972

iTrader: (26)

I know they sell a module that detects when the car is on or off. When it is off, it will put the carputer into hibernate/standby/shutdown without you needing to press any buttons.

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

What do you wire the power to then for everything? Something with power always, or power only when the car is on?

I imagine if its something with power only on when car is on, you have to wait for the computer to turn off before you can turn the car off. If its something that is always powered, you have to make sure to power the computer down or else your battery will die.

aznprid972

iTrader: (26)

http://store.mp3car.com/Automotive_1...pplies_s/2.htm

If you have time, take a look around their forum as there's tons of information with carputer.

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

The M2-ATX DC-DC power supply seems like a good unit and good way to go. Thanks for the link, i didnt know things like this were made specifically for car applications. However going with this will change my main motherboard setup since its a package that includes the mobo, cpu, videocard, and power supply all in a case. I might just have to build the PC completely from scratch, but i want to keep it small so it will fit under the passenger seat. I dont want a big desktop in the trunk like i see pics of some people's.

I was planning on going with this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856167032

aznprid972

iTrader: (26)

Not a prob at all. I hope that gave you some inspiration. If you want a really small size, you can even use a laptop. It doesn't have to have a screen on there as you can use whatever video out you want in a car setup. Plus it can save your car's battery life by using its own battery and just charge up when you have your car on. There's tons of possibilities!

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

Ya thats what I like about this is that as i research there are tons of possibilities. but the truth is, this computer really isnt gonna be doing anything more than just run a few basic programs, so im really just trying to keep it as cheap as possible (but not take 5 minutes to boot up). I really dont want to use a laptop though cause i can get more for the money in building my own since i wouldnt need the laptop screen anyways.

Im not buying anything soon, im getting ideas for christmas and im gonna build it when i have the 4 weeks of from college. so in the mean time im doing research on what exactly i want to do and making this thread for the do's and dont's

jasonaaronfox

I'd be more concerned about using the touch lcd in sub zero than the computer. Straight electrical components fare well in cold.

Your real concern would be moisture level inside the car; but that shouldn't be a problem if you have no leaks. :P

aznprid972

iTrader: (26)

True, building with an actual PC is easier and cheaper to upgrade than a laptop. I'm just saying if you come across an awesome deal on a laptop with a cracked screen, it could work as a carputer.

I've been thinking about doing a carputer for a long time now... over a year. What's lacking for me is the funding or more so, what I want from it. Have you looked at the "StreetDecks" software yet? Looks pretty nice instead of starring at the Windows background with icons all day. Then there's one called "Centrafuse" which looks interesting as well.

edit... oops, didn't see that you planned on using Road Runner.

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

That was my thoughts too, im not really worried about the computer, my car doesnt leak and is dry inside. But i have heard of lcd screens freezing and cracking/breaking. Im gonna have to call a buddy and see what he did, he lives an hour north of me.

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

heck ya! $250 for those other programs FTL!

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

is it possible to eliminate a headunit all together? are cables sold that would connect the carpc straight to the car speakers?

jasonaaronfox

In case you haven't thought about it; you could put the computer in the trunk and just splice your usb and video cables to where you need them. You could also extend the wiring on your power button if you get crafty and be able to start / shut off the computer from the front while storing it in the back.

I've spliced allot of usb cables before; never done a video cable though. Shouldn't be much more difficult.

jasonaaronfox

If you find yourself going that route and find a way to make it work do yourself a favor and install an audigy or better sound card in that pc.

aznprid972

iTrader: (26)

lol.. true, which is why I'm still thinking about doing the carputer. Plus it makes it hard for me to justify spending too much just for a computer soley for the car. Your price range is about the price for a '00vi swap

aznprid972

iTrader: (26)

This is a good example of how it starts to add up in cost.

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

Ya Im trying to not get too crazy with this whole project. The downside of have the computer in the trunk is switching cds/dvds. Now I know you can get a slim external and usb wire it to the console, but that adds cost, id rather keep it simple and keep the computer under the passenger seat and be able to manage it on the go if need-be.

it was just an idea i had, but ya i know what you are saying about the sound card.

ya, the whole point of this was to make something that wasnt the huge price of buying a "kit" but just as good if not better.

aznprid972

iTrader: (26)

Why worry about cd's when you can play mp3's off a hd?

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

dvds mostly.

even without using dvds frequently, trunk still sounds like a bad idea. gotta wire power, several usb, vga, sound...might aswell just put it under the seat.

jasonaaronfox

I think it would be a matter of how much work you're wanting to put into it / personal tastes.

I'd rather put it in the back, but I don't have an amp or subs to worry about back there. :P

Personally I don't like the idea of hearing the computer fans all the time when I drive; hence why I'd put extra work into having the max setup with a computer station that I could interchange any size tower I wanted because it was trunk bound.

But everyone's different.

MHLY01

check mp3car.com

odecom5

i have yet to see an FM tuner in a carputer that performs well.

BLACKonBLACK98

iTrader: (42)

i did all this research not too long ago when i built my carpc (that i never installed).

first things first, whatever you expect to spend; double that. not saying that it can't be done inexpensively, but it will always cost more than you think it will.

i would plan on a remote location, or at least a system that can be used as such. cases that can hold an optical drive are generally too large to fit under the seat. besides that you really want to be able to access the drive easily. building a carpc is about convenience. molding the cd drive into the center console is the way to go.

i would definitely recommend an intelligent psu. they are wired to the constant and switched 12v and bootup/shutdown/hibernate on thier own depending on settings. make sure your psu can supply the necessary wattage for your system and all peripherals. should't be a major issue for a simple system.

for audio integration a usb soundcard is the logical solution. this will give you rca preouts to connect your stereo system. the hippohifi bloat is what i would choose for your application if sq is a concern. if not there are a ton of "ok" usb soundcards/dacs to choose from. for mine i chose and onkyo pci card but that will put you in a much larger case.

if i was to do a budget carpc build it would go like this:

case - this you would have to buy from mp3car.com since they are the only ones with the psu-less version. the psu that normally come in this case is worthless.
psu - price these out. you can find em cheaper
motherboard - aka intel "little falls". price these out as well. integrated cpu saves you money and you get intel quality.
optical drive - price out.
ram - whatever you feel you need. match the fsb of the mb (533 for the intel)
2.5" hdd - again, your choice. smaller = less capacity, larger = longer boot. make sure you match the connection type (sata for the intel).
usb soundcard/dac
touchscreen monitor

i have a couple of these parts if you are interested, as well as some other suff thats above and beyond.

notuptodateguy

iTrader: (9)

Long Post...


I agree with blackonblack. I have a carputer for almost a year now. My initial reason for building one was almost like black_maxed's. I didn't want to spend $1000+ for a navi/dvd player and have the possibility of getting it stolen like a friend of mines. But I guess I ended up spending about that price.

I would say that a navi/dvd head unit would probably have been more convenient, but then again, a carputer's much better to show-off with. Basically I used it for gps, music videos, and mp3's. Wifi internet is almost useless to me since 1.) I'm driving and 2.) You'll probably have to park somewhere to get wifi if u can find it. Getting the hotspot from a service provider might have been more useful.. If your navi program have the ability to, you can get updated traffic alerts and the program will redirect you; listen to streaming audio or movie; or the passenger can search for something. But then you'll have to pay monthly fees.

I haven't tried FM tuner, so I can't comment on that. From what I've heard, for TV tuners to work, you have to be stationary (i.e. parked). For gps receiver, make sure u get one with SIRF III or better technology. I wasted money buying one w/o it and took forever getting a lock on a satellite.

If your car didn't come with a BOSE system, then u'll need to hook the sound to the head unit or buy an after market amplifier. As blackonblack said, if you want better sound, you'll want a better sound card then the integrated (i used a usb one).

Powering the carputer is the hardest part. m2-atx is rumored to be good. Make sure you get the newer model. There was a problem with it not supporting all motherboards. I brought a used one off ebay. The auto start/shutdown worked for the 1st and 2nd try, failed after the 3rd. I did some research and found that there was a new update to it. I ghetto ragged mines to just used it as a 12v power supply. If the case came with a power supply like the one on newegg. You can still use the m2-atx to power the motherboard. I brought a something similar also. Just pull out the 20pin plug and 4 pin plug on the motherboard and plug in the m2-atx instead. I think the case should fit under the passenger seat as that's where mines was.

For dvd, if you have space, then you can fab a dvd slot on ur dash, or some people just hook up the usb dvd reader in the glove box.

Screen.. I have glares in the morning b/c of the sun, but looks great at night! Try to position ur screen so it gets some shades like how they position most factory navi systems to prevent glare. Also I recommend bondo/sanding your screen into the dash b/c it'll look nicer and more stock (so it won't get stolen). That's what I did.

Good luck!

black_maxed95

iTrader: (41)

thanks guys for the info, im still researching different possibilities. Im definately going with an intelligent psu an 90% most likely an external optical drive. with that said i will probably not go with the newegg case i originally posted. Instead im going to just build my own case and computer with a mobo/cpu/videocard combo. its cheaper and gives me more options and im not wasting money on a powersupply i wont use.