Group Buy for full ATX Linear PSU from Teradak

[MrSprout]

I'm interested as well, probably in the ATX210. I'm trying to figure out the backplate however as this will be for a new build. Is there any way to get a standard Streacom sized plate, such as for the FC9 or FC10? I've not decided what case to go with yet, but those are on the list.

 

I also saw a picture of a FC10 Pro with mini-ATX style backplate (I don't know what the official term is), which would work for me. I can't find any other reference to it though. Does anyone know if it actually exists and can be purchased?

 

Edit - with regards to the Streacom cases, does the Teradak have the dedicated 12v lines for the CPU (separate to the main connector), and do those fit in Streacom cases?

[MrSprout]

Thanks, I've sent quietpc.com an email asking about it. You didn't get yours in the UK did you?

[MrSprout]

According to quietpc.com Streacom haven't issued a release date or pricing for the FC10 Pro as yet, for the UK anyway, so I need to have a think.

[MrSprout]

Quietpc.com just spoke to Streacom again and apparently the FC 10 Pro was a Chinese market only version that won't be released internationally - and it would have solved most of my issues with their standard cases...

 

Of course what I'd really like to see is an FC 10 with three upright (no riser cables) low profile sockets (like the FC9), plus a full size ATX input suitable for passive ATX supplies from the likes of Seasonic. Now that would be perfect, but I'm drifting off-topic so I'll stop there!

[MrSprout]

Okay, I'm in.

 

One 210. I'll PM you my details.

 

I'm planning on using the following for a PC so if anyone thinks I've chosen the wrong PSU please shout. It'll be left on 24/7.

 

i5 4460T or other 35W processor

Asus H97M-E

One SSD

Passive Cooling

Max RAM (load into RAM for playback)

Haven't decided on OS yet. If I plug in a special USB card it will be externally powered, although I might conceivably get a Lynx PCI-E card to output AES/EBU instead.

Will be used for both audio and video playback (eg. 1080p music videos from Youtube).

No disc drive.

[MrSprout]

I got it in Hong Kong. Taobao also has it but the price is slightly higher than in the US/UK.

 

Strange that the FC10 Pro is limited to the Chinese market. I originally just ordered the non-Pro FC10 and the local dealer get me the FC10 Pro instead, saying it's replaced the FC10.

 

I'm jealous! I've decided to get the NoFan CS60 case instead. It can sit at the side of the rack, which means it won't take up a shelf, and it's a quarter of the price too so I'm not too unhappy.

[MrSprout]

I just saw the following (old) press release over on SPCR:

 

"Seasonic announced that its power supplies are ready for Intel Haswell processors. A key requirement for Haswell-Shark Bay is the power supply's ability to maintain a minimum current load of 0.05 Amps on the 12V rail for the CPU."

 

I haven't bought my CPU yet but was planning on getting a Haswell. Can you please check to see if the Teradak is compatible? I'm sure it is but the Haswells are pricey, so I don't want to get something that doesn't work.

 

Thanks.

[MrSprout]

Hi Mark,

 

110v/220v (hopefully 230v or 240v for those of us in the UK) is the mains voltage for your house. The Teradak plugs into the wall like any other piece of equipment with a mains lead. Whatever your voltage is (depends on your country) is all that question refers to.

 

Get the 2 SATA and 1 Molex option. It's easy to get a Molex to SATA adaptor cable so you're covered either way then. The SATA cables connect to your SSDs and possibly your optical drive if you have one.

 

The Teradak replaces the switching PSU (external power brick) you have now and the DC-DC converter inside the unit. In essence I'm assuming you have a small laptop style power brick that ends in a small round plug. That will connect to the back of your Zuma and inside leading off from that round socket a cable will lead to a small circuit board at right angles to everything else. That circuit board is plugged into a long plastic rectangle containing 24 small sockets. The Teradak replaces all of that and plugs directly into those 24 small sockets. You won't need your laptop style brick any more, nor the vertical circuit board. The Teradak will also have a 12v cable running off it that connects to a socket (4 or 8 pin) beside your CPU, and separate 5v cables lead off and end with SATA or Molex plugs (as discussed above).

 

But here's the rub: the Zuma case was not designed to accommodate a standard ATX supply, which is a big bulky box that usually sits inside the chassis. Instead it uses that small round socket on the back which you plug the laptop brick into. The DC cable coming out of the Teradak has to get inside your case, and the socket is too small. The standard ATX backplate is about 6 inches by 3.5 inches in size, which is huge compared to the Zuma. Teradak have a smaller option too, but that will still be much too large. The purpose of that backplate is like the socket in the back of the Zuma - it provides a place to plug the external PSU into whilst keeping the internal power cables secure. Unfortunately there's nowhere for you to attach it, so you'll have it hanging loose.

 

The only option I can think of is to take the top off the Zuma and feed the DC cable right through to the sockets, taking care not to put any strain on it. It will look butt ugly, but it will work. If you're doing that you might want to request a DC cable with no backplate at all. The cable will still be in two parts, you just don't attach it to anything at the join.

 

If you're good at DIY you could always order the small backplate and then modify both the Zuma and the backplate to get them to fit, but that's beyond my metalwork skills so I'm only guessing it would work. Alternatively you could cut a suitable size hole in the top cover and fit the backplate to it. That would have a positively steampunk vibe if you could get it done...

 

One final thing to check is that you have a standard Zuma with a separate power input on the case that leads to that vertical circuit board I mentioned. If the power socket is built directly into the motherboard and that's what you're connecting to now (in other words there is no 24 socket plastic rectangle to connect to) then the Teradak won't work at all unless you replace the motherboard.

[MrSprout]

Thanks Ben. It'll be interesting to know what the final tally of orders was.

[MrSprout]

Yep, correct for me.

[MrSprout]

Ben, can you please double-check with Teradak that the PSUs are Haswell compatible, re my post earlier? I'm about to put my order in for the motherboard and cpu and want to make sure they'll work.

[MrSprout]

Paid.

 

FYI:

eCheque estimated completion: 4 Nov 2014 - 6 Nov 2014

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[TD=class: label, align: right]Sent to:[/TD]

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[TD=class: small]Li Michael (The recipient of this payment is Non-US – Verified)[/TD]

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[MrSprout]

Thanks Ben, I can't see me ever using the sleep state, so I should be fine.

[MrSprout]

Is there anything we can do to facilitate the payments going through, such as contacting PayPal directly or raising a case with them? My payment was an e-cheque so isn't due to clear until next week, in case that matters.

[MrSprout]

Just fyi:

 

I spoke to PayPal and they said my payment won't reach Teradak until 5th November (because it's an e-cheque) and it can't be stopped at this point in the process. After the 5th November Teradak can choose to cancel the payment, which would return the money and let me pay by bank transfer instead - if that's what we decide to do. I don't know how long it would take for the funds to go back into my account though, so that's not a great option.

 

PayPal couldn't give me any information on Teradak's account status, so there was nothing I could do to authorise my payment, explain about the group buy, or otherwise help in any way. That also means I can't be 100% certain the information above is correct, as the customer service lady may not know all the details.

 

For the moment I can't do anything else, so I'll leave it up to you guys to sort something out. After the 5th November I'll check to see where we are and we can discuss what the best option might be.

[MrSprout]

I had the email from Teradak asking about my phone number a little while ago, but I've not had any info about delivery (or I've not found it). I've logged into my PayPal account but I can't see any tracking data either. I'm not very familiar with PayPal though, so where would I normally find it?

[MrSprout]

I just received my shipping notice and it's due to arrive on the 17th, subject to snow apparently! I'm looking forward to it even though it's been so long my new PC has ended up in the office instead. For the time being I'll be using it with an old 130w CPU machine which should give the 210w PSU a run for its money. Average power draw on that is about 110w using a decent SMPS, so I'm guessing it will be running at around 50% of the Teradak's capacity when playing music. What I don't know is whether it will provide enough power to switch on and run stable. Only one way to find out... I'll build a new music server at some point I'm sure.

[MrSprout]

My package was supposed to be delivered today by FedEx, but according to the tracking details it still hasn't left Hong Kong. I spoke to FedEx UK and they said they can't ask FedEx HK why it's still there. Apparently I need to make an international phone call and ask a JX Feng (who works for YFHEX Logistics Company Ltd) to ask FedEx HK why they haven't shipped the package. That's not Teradak's fault, but WTF? Why can't FedEx UK talk to FedEx HK themselves?

 

Ben, you're probably regretting doing this whole thing by now, but could you please ask Teradak to follow up my shipment from their end and see why it hasn't moved? I can send you the tracking details if you want, but Teradak should have them already. Thanks.

[MrSprout]

I see mine has gone from Lantau Island in Hong Kong to Guangzhou in China now, which I hope is going in the right direction. I ask because it has a note saying that it was received after the FedEx cut-off, even though it's been sat at the FedEx facility in HK for a week.

[MrSprout]

I now have a delivery date again on the FedEx website so it looks like the package is on its way.

[MrSprout]

Mine has arrived and it's up and running. I need to flag that it had no sticker over the rear screw however, and the paint is missing in that area. It looks as though someone has opened it up (presumably to retrofit the LEDs) and then not put the sticker back on afterwards. I'm not hugely bothered as it's at the back, but I want to mention it now for warranty purposes. It was still cold from being delivered in the pictures, hence the slight sheen of condensation on the top.

 

My unit also makes a faint clacking sound if I physically move it about, as though something is bumping inside. It works perfectly and is dead silent in use, so that's just for reference. None of my LEDs are flashing (that I can see).

 

 

I chickened out of hooking it up to my i7 920 and built a small dual core Celeron SoC instead, which only uses 10W. My 210W PSU now feels a bit overpowered! This is the internal build, using a Silverstone case that had a full size ATX opening at the back. It sure is colourful. :-)

 

 

The SSD is powered by the additional 5v output (running through a spare PCI slot) and everything else runs from the main loom.

 

No sound tests yet as I need to complete the software installation, do Windows updates and all that stuff, then let it burn in for a while. The Silverstone is no Streacom in the looks department, but it was dirt cheap and really easy to build.

 

[MrSprout]

I'd prep an email to Teradak, quote your Buyer ID#, and attach the same photos. This is definitely something that needs to be logged on their end in case you have any future warranty issues. Send it after the 15th of March.

 

Thanks Ben, I've added a note to my diary. Can you please PM me the best email address to use as I've seen several floating around.

 

My system has now been running for about 22 hours, initially doing the software installation and updates and then overnight playing video in VLC and audio in Foobar. The little Celeron is running at about 45% load but the Teradak has barely got lukewarm, so I have no worries on that front. It's been dead silent too, despite not running on any mains filters or DC blockers, so I'm rather impressed.

[MrSprout]

Thanks Mark, that's set my mind at ease. I haven't opened it up to check, but whatever was making the sound was small and not moving very far so your explanation fits perfectly.

[MrSprout]

I plan to use the same case i.e. ML03 and also considering to use Asus H97M-E + I3-4160.

 

I dont intend to use the CPU fan but just the heat sink and wonder if the temperature will be manageable (not more than 60 C)

 

 

That's a 54w cpu by the looks of it, so I suspect you'll struggle to find a heatsink small enough to fit in the Silverstone that can dissipate that safely. I'm not sure the stock heatsink would be up to it without the fan. My 10w Celeron is running at 52 C on both cores and although its heatsink is small, I'm not sure its that much smaller than the i3 stock cooler. I guess the question is how much power does the i3 draw when playing music and will you ever push it harder than that?

[MrSprout]

Many thanks for putting all of this together Ben, I'm really glad I participated in the group buy. It took a while to come through but my 210 is solid, silent and working like a charm.