Thanks for the insights Jeff. All interesting stuff. These are
dedicated games machines, not based on a PC in any way. The power
supply is specced to deliver 12v at 23 amps, yes, that's twenty three
amps ...

Almost all of this is potentially going into these two processors, so
not far off 300 watts between them. No mean task shifting the heat off
them !

Arfa



what processors(microprocessors?) run at 12V?
ISTR that today's uPs run mostly on 3.3V

Most other digital logic runs at 5V,I believe.

I think you wil find that most of your power is going into the video drive
(or LCD backlight) circuitry.

--
Jim Yanik


Er no. There are no backlights. Or display processor. These are X-Box /
Playstation type boxes. Apart from some support circuitry in IC form - which
admittedly does gobble enough power to make it run hot enough that a degree
of heatsinking to the pcb shielding via thermal pads is required -
everything goes on in a pair of very large BGA processors, one of which is
the data processing engine, and the other of which is the graphics
processing engine. It is they which make use of the 12v, and they which
gobble the amps from it ...

The power supply does have other outputs, but these are all at very low
current availabilities, so will be for support logic and maybe some core
supplies for the two processors. Trust me when I say that the two big chips
is where all the power is going, and generating heat that needs shifting
:-)

Arfa