Is it possible to use a laptop battery?

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

Is it possible to use a laptop battery or any kind of battery to power up a dekstop pc?
I want to build a low wattage dekstop pc, inside of a briefcase, like this guy: ( http://www.overclock.net/t/1206406/feb-2012-motm-winner-lando-a-suitcase-briefcase-computer-done-right )

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/HenrikMilo/saved/YdmRsY = 100Watts.

Ca: 150Watts with mouse/keyboard and monitor = 1440 x 900.

And is it possible to use this battery: ( http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Super-large-capacity-50000mAh-universal-Laptop-notebook-external-battery-emergency-mobile-power-charger-USB-Battery/808716_538537186.html? ) with some sort of adapter?

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

If you look, that guy is going to use a regular desktop PSU for this suitcase build.

From that linked battery, you might get 30-45 mins use. And then hours to recharge.

DonkeyOatie · Feb 1, 2015

Possibly, sort of yes, comparatively easy and simple, NO! Practical NO! NO!

A good modern battery may provide 4800 milliamp hours, which is 4.8 amp hours.

A 150W computer, running mostly at 12 V needs 12 amps of current, so the battery would last about 25 minutes. In addition, there would be the issue of providing all the well-regulated power feeds at all the necessary voltages and currents.

The battery you linked to would provide enough energy for about 3.5 hours, but would still require complicated voltage regulation circuitry to run the computer.

Why?

Zerk2012 · Feb 1, 2015

That's not going to work, you don't have the connections for the motherboard, or enough watts to run the PC.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

DonkeyOatie :

Why? = ("Because it sounds like a fun project to me, and i just wanted to see if using a battery was possible.")
So if it's not possible without the 12 amps, is it actually possible to find a 12 amps battery? ("I don't mind if it's kind of big")

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

The main issue you will see is actually providing the correct voltage and amps to the correct connections on the motherboard.

In a laptop, that is all built in.
In a desktop, that's what the PSU does.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

USAFRet :

So in short, it's not possible to use a battery in a dekstop computer?

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

USAFRet :

What about using a dekstop cpu on a laptop motherboard?
The main reason that i actually want to do this is because, laptops/notebooks is very hard to clean/repair,
and the temperature is usually very high.

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

Henrik213 :

If you find the right laptop motherboard, some of them can take a desktop socket CPU. But then your power consumption goes way up.

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

Henrik213 :

Consider this: a USP that weighs 10-20lbs may give you 15-20mins run time on the battery.

Here is a calculator from APC, to determine what size battery backup you might need.
http://www.apc.com/tools/ups_selector/

I went through their calculator, and for a very basic PC + monitor, to get an hour runtime is a very large, 25lb UPS.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

USAFRet :

Henrik213 :

Consider this: a USP that weighs 10-20lbs may give you 15-20mins run time on the battery.

Here is a calculator from APC, to determine what size battery backup you might need.
http://www.apc.com/tools/ups_selector/

I went through their calculator, and for a very basic PC + monitor, to get an hour runtime is a very large, 25lb UPS.

How long will a Eaton
Ellipse PRO 1200
power 150 watt?

I don't know anything about usp's, but it looks like you can get some that will cost like a car.

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

Henrik213 :

USAFRet :

How long will a Eaton
Ellipse PRO 1200
power 150 watt?

I don't know anything about usp's, but it looks like you can get some that will cost like a car.

That completely depends on the power requirement of whatever you are trying to run.
Look at the graph here: http://powerquality.eaton.com/ELP1200FR.aspx?CX=86

For instance...a system pulling 200 watts gets you 23 mins runtime.

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

150 watts total system draw gets you 30 minutes.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

Can you find a graph for every usp?

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

USAFRet :

Henrik213 :

That completely depends on the power requirement of whatever you are trying to run.
Look at the graph here: http://powerquality.eaton.com/ELP1200FR.aspx?CX=86

For instance...a system pulling 200 watts gets you 23 mins runtime.

What about the
APC
Back-UPS Pro 1500

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

Henrik213 :

Batteries are batteries. Probably not a lot of difference.
More runtime = more batteries.

To get an hour use in a minimally capable 150 watt desktop based system, you need ~20lbs of battery.
So now your portable suitcase system is 40lbs. And expensive. Which is way over the line of WHY!?!

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

USAFRet :

It's just a experiment i will try, 20 kg is not that bad, if you have a handle on it.
And sure it's expensive, but i can get the APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 for only 16$ every month.

For me it's worth it. ("laptops/notebooks is very hard to clean/repair,
and the temperature is usually very high. ")

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

Basically, what you're doing is using an aluminum suitcase instead of a regular PC case.
OK, good and inventive.

The problem is the requirement for running it from a battery.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

USAFRet :

Sure, but that for me, don't really explain it, i liked the graph from before, is it possible to see every usp like that?

USAFRet · Feb 1, 2015

Henrik213 :

Only if the manufacturer (APC or other) has made an easy graph for that.
As said....probably not a lot of difference between brands. They all use the same size and tech batteries.

If you lose the 'run on battery alone' requirement, this would be a very cool casemod.
With the battery requirement, it becomes a very expensive, badly performing, very heavy, hassle.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

USAFRet :

I will try to find a very large aluminum briefcase as a regular pc case.
Where the battery should be at the bottom of the pc case, with 2 fans on the side of it.
And then i will buy aluminum and cut some holes for the cables so it can power the pc.
And the motherboard should be on top of the aluminum.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

USAFRet :

Henrik213 :

Only if the manufacturer (APC or other) has made an easy graph for that.
As said....probably not a lot of difference between brands. They all use the same size and tech batteries.

If you lose the 'run on battery alone' requirement, this would be a very cool casemod.
With the battery requirement, it becomes a very expensive, badly performing, very heavy, hassle.

I know that it will become badly performing and very expensive.
The reason i make this is not for it to have 4x sli Gtx 980 with maybe soon 8 gb of vram each..
It's because i want a low temp, and easy to clean/repair portable pc.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

Changed the build: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/HenrikMilo/saved/YdmRsY

Uses 140 Watts now

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GHAKH6Y/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0P4WZ0YRJQ4RMDS8WM0B&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

Screen only uses 5Watts.

=145 Watts

With keyboard & mouse = about 2 watts some sites say.

=150 Watts max

DonkeyOatie · Feb 1, 2015

I think that approaching the problem from another direction would be better. How about re-packaging a laptop so it IS easy to clean and repair???!!

Building a laptop or all-in-one into a case like you describe will be MUCH more successful and you could add extra batteries for much longer run times, at the expense of weight.

Henrik213 · Feb 1, 2015

I have never touched any laptop parts in my life. ("Only prebuild")
And most websites that sells this don't really explain the specs of the hardware.
So i kinda like 99.9% dekstop parts more

Is it possible to use a laptop battery?

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