Carputer build

[blaube]

Budget (including currency): 

Country: 

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: 

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc): 

Hello, this is my first post here. It seems all the forums dedicated to car computing are no longer around. I'll hang out here, I guess. I have several PC projects I'm working on anyway. 
Recently I was given 5 Lenovo Think Centre 93P workstations with Intel i5-4570 processors on Sharkbay 0B98401 Pro motherboards. Not shabby. 
I decided to use one of the motherboards in a carputer for my Jeep. I discovered the P1 Molex for the power supply is 14 pin and they use 12. I've been searching the web for an intelligent power supply, but they're all for 20 pin connectors. I bought a 20 to 14-pin adapter to use when I find the right supply. Now I need to know how to select a power supply that will power the board properly and suit my needs as I expand.

 

I'll be using SSD drives with Win 10 (to simplify it) in tablet mode. I'll have it completely debloated and stripped to bare bones. There will be a media center for my stored music. Other options I have in mind are adding multi-camera surveillance when I'm not around and constant recording when I'm driving or pulled over by the order followers with blue lights.    

First, I need to address the power supply before I can even move forward. I asked questions at mini-box .com support and they were absolutely no help. Does anyone have any suggestions on power supplies? 

For the OS, I'm not committed to Win 10. It's already on the drive so I just need to clean it up and clone it to an SSD. However, I'm open to suggestions of other front ends or OS that are currently supported to use.     

I appreciate any suggestions on the project.

 

[MLConian]

If I'm not mistaken, these tiny form factor PCs run off a Lenovo 65W powerbrick with a yellow USB-like connector. Those adapters have also been used with Thinkpads, so Lenovo made a car adapter for that type of brick as well. There should be some car adapters of that type on Amazon, just check what type of yellow connector is on it. These car adapters should be around $30. That way, you could splice into your 12V system.

 

But, in all fairness, wouldn't it be much easier to get a RaspberryPi and run this off a simple USB connector? There are loads of carputer ISOs for RasberryPi available, you'd have more flexibility of where to put the system, and there's more peripherals to make controlling it easier.

[Bismut]

I have never heard of this but it sounds quite confusing and niche, two things that describe most of my interests.

My idea for the PSU would be similar to @MLConians: to use a pico power supply with one of those cigarette lighter to laptop barrel plug adapters. I remember them being not too expensive but can't say anything about the quality of components and cleanliness of the output.

If it's just meant to be a media centre (at least for now): why not go with a boring old android tablet with VLC or so on it? It seems like a simpler solution, has a lower power consumption and should have less that can go wrong (keeping in mind that Murphy's law exists). It obviously couldn't handle 360° video recording, but how likely is the implementation of that for you, and is there a reason not to go with an off-the-shelf dashcam (other than price and not having a 360° FOV)?

And since you mentioned the police: what about an old police cruiser laptop? It might have some donut crumbs stuck in it, but they are made to take a beating and hopefully provide less power draw and some battery backup if the main one fails or runs out for any reason.

I'm sorry if any of this sounds ignorant or is obviously wrong, I have never heard of this idea and would be happy have some more background information.

[Needfuldoer]

1 hour ago, blaube said:

It seems all the forums dedicated to car computing are no longer around.

Tablets (and tablet PCs) basically killed that hobbyist niche, much like the Pi stole the Mini ITX motherboard's "shove it in a Nintendo shell" spotlight.

 

Why go through all the trouble of installing a bunch of PC parts in your car, when tablets can do everything you'd need a carputer to do and more? (And if you're just after it for music playback, aftermarket head units have been able to read MP3s off of flash drives for over 15 years.) We're not in 2002 anymore, there are many far more convenient and flexible options available now.

 

For power, I agree with @MLConian. An off the shelf DC adapter for ThinkPads should get the job done, since those tiny Lenovo machines just run off the standard AC adapter that contemporary ThinkPads used.

[blaube]

6 hours ago, MLConian said:

If I'm not mistaken, these tiny form factor PCs run off a Lenovo 65W powerbrick with a yellow USB-like connector. Those adapters have also been used with Thinkpads, so Lenovo made a car adapter for that type of brick as well. There should be some car adapters of that type on Amazon, just check what type of yellow connector is on it. These car adapters should be around $30. That way, you could splice into your 12V system.

 

But, in all fairness, wouldn't it be much easier to get a RaspberryPi and run this off a simple USB connector? There are loads of carputer ISOs for RasberryPi available, you'd have more flexibility of where to put the system, and there's more peripherals to make controlling it easier.

Thank you for that input. These particular boards are in mid tower cases with 265w power supplies. I did learn that these boards are used in the applications you mentioned as well. I'll search for those car adapters you mentioned. I should have included the link to the machine so readers can see which one I'm referring to. 

https://www.lenovo.com/il/en/desktops/thinkcentre/m-series-towers/m93-m93p/?orgRef=https%3A%2F%2Fduckduckgo.com%2F

I was going to use the RPi, but I decided to go this route because I'm comfortable with integrating 12v applications. I read lots about the RPi and saw there are endless upon endless scripts written for many applications. There are also hats for everything...but I'm being lazy about going through that learning curve. Ultimately I may just do that. 

thanks again for your input.

[blaube]

6 hours ago, Bismut said:

I have never heard of this but it sounds quite confusing and niche, two things that describe most of my interests.

My idea for the PSU would be similar to @MLConians: to use a pico power supply with one of those cigarette lighter to laptop barrel plug adapters. I remember them being not too expensive but can't say anything about the quality of components and cleanliness of the output.

If it's just meant to be a media centre (at least for now): why not go with a boring old android tablet with VLC or so on it? It seems like a simpler solution, has a lower power consumption and should have less that can go wrong (keeping in mind that Murphy's law exists). It obviously couldn't handle 360° video recording, but how likely is the implementation of that for you, and is there a reason not to go with an off-the-shelf dashcam (other than price and not having a 360° FOV)?

And since you mentioned the police: what about an old police cruiser laptop? It might have some donut crumbs stuck in it, but they are made to take a beating and hopefully provide less power draw and some battery backup if the main one fails or runs out for any reason.

I'm sorry if any of this sounds ignorant or is obviously wrong, I have never heard of this idea and would be happy have some more background information.

This was very popular in the early 2000s, but the tablet and cell phone industry pretty much killed it. I used to visit MP3car.com forum regularly but it's been shut down. They even had their own line of products to interface with the vehicles. Mini-box.com  makes auto pcs, but they're expensive for what they are. 

I have owned several tablets in my life and discovered I don't like them. Every one of them has been tossed to the side or even stolen. I don't even like using my damn phone, I wish I could throw that away...Besides, if there's a simple solution, I tend to F* it up. My Soldiers in the Army learned to never tell me "too easy Sergeant" because I would always fail at easy. But give what seems impossible and I would find a way to master it. Maybe because simple isn't gratifying to me. I like the feeling of overcoming the challenge. Maybe I should tackle the RPi...

The police use Panasonic Toughbooks, the same ones we used in the military. They are tough, waterproof, and nearly bulletproof, but when they die, they die hard. They have their stroke and kill over. I've owned two in my life and loved them both. I'm not looking for a laptop though. I'm building an overland vehicle with my Jeep. The computer will ultimately serve many purposes that's why I want to integrate one into the 12v system. 

The surveillance system will allow me to monitor it in real-time so I'll be integrating a DVR with battery backup that's off the main batteries while the vehicle is off. Jeeps are getting stolen more frequently now especially after they're modified. GPS will be hidden in the vehicle for sure. 

I was joking about the cop cam. I rarely get pulled over, but when I do, I'm polite and have a conversation. I have better things to do than to give them the pleasure of giving me a bad day. 

[blaube]

6 hours ago, Needfuldoer said:

Tablets (and tablet PCs) basically killed that hobbyist niche, much like the Pi stole the Mini ITX motherboard's "shove it in a Nintendo shell" spotlight.

 

Why go through all the trouble of installing a bunch of PC parts in your car, when tablets can do everything you'd need a carputer to do and more? (And if you're just after it for music playback, aftermarket head units have been able to read MP3s off of flash drives for over 15 years.) We're not in 2002 anymore, there are many far more convenient and flexible options available now.

 

For power, I agree with @MLConian. An off the shelf DC adapter for ThinkPads should get the job done, since those tiny Lenovo machines just run off the standard AC adapter that contemporary ThinkPads used.

You're right tablets did kill this niche, but I don't like tablets. I've owned several Windows and Android tablets, but have since gotten rid of all of them. Don't recommend Apple. I don't use their stuff. Besides, I'm not known for adopting to the latest trends. I know PCs, I know 12volts, I know Jeeps. I'm working with what I know.   

I know about what head units can do, my background is car audio, home theater, multi-room distribution systems, computers, etc. I've sold, installed, and serviced all of it at one time or another. I've resurrected numerous laptops from the grave, lost count how many screens and keyboards I've replaced...you would be amazed at how much crap I've cleaned out of laptops because people spill their drinks on them...I do have a stack of laptops I can repurpose for what I'm doing, but their motherboards don't have the same expandability options as desktop motherboards do. 
 

[MLConian]

6 hours ago, blaube said:

Thank you for that input. These particular boards are in mid tower cases with 265w power supplies. I did learn that these boards are used in the applications you mentioned as well. I'll search for those car adapters you mentioned. I should have included the link to the machine so readers can see which one I'm referring to. 

https://www.lenovo.com/il/en/desktops/thinkcentre/m-series-towers/m93-m93p/?orgRef=https%3A%2F%2Fduckduckgo.com%2F

I was going to use the RPi, but I decided to go this route because I'm comfortable with integrating 12v applications. I read lots about the RPi and saw there are endless upon endless scripts written for many applications. There are also hats for everything...but I'm being lazy about going through that learning curve. Ultimately I may just do that. 

thanks again for your input.

Any chance of you taking a picture of the connectors on your motherboard? I'm intrigued now - and I'm also a bit of a car nut with a niche interest. I own a 93 Citroën BX that I've upgraded with central locking and electric windows myself, looking to get my rev counter working (it was never offered on the 1.4 engine trim in the BX, but its sister car, the AX, did have the same engine with a rev counter, so it should work) and I did some bits of audio tinkering with it as well. So, yeah, let's say you caught my interest.