Be careful with Power Supply

[no_spam_for_me]

"very good" is the keyword... if pipo talk about 12V/2A nobody knows if it is real 12V/2A (that's often a problem with the (cheap) "Chinese" psu)
e.g. I'm using this one http://www.****.de/itm/121290480449?...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT at 5V/3A because I never had any problems with it (fortunately I have an old DIR-635 which I don't use because I don't want to pay this price for it) but also had trouble with a "Chinese" 5V/3A psu...

No, no, no, I don't use it at the x7... it was only an example at 5V/3A for a good one...

[geppetto61]

Hi i think that a best bet would be to buy something 12VDC and 3-4A branded Lenovo, Dell, HP Compaq, etc. and replace the dc power plug if it does not fit (little DIY required).
I guess that the brand can guarantee some good specifications.
Even something refurbished.

http://www.****.com/itm/DELL-Power-S...item4ad29ccb06

[IMG]http://i.****img.com/00/s/ODUzWDEyODA=/z/6eoAAOxykmZTMQDH/$_57.JPG[/IMG]

[hey69]

Well preemptively i would say where does it stop?
extra costs for cooling
extra cost for a new psu.

Its maybe more intresting to buy a more robust slightly
more expensive winbox no?

[geppetto61]

Well preemptively i would say where does it stop?
extra costs for cooling
extra cost for a new psu.
Its maybe more intresting to buy a more robust slightly more expensive winbox no?

Hi and yes you are right but they must not be high priced mods.
I bought what seems a very good Dell SMPS 12VDC for 10 euros and i think to stop here for the PS.
Some thermal pads are not that expensive as well.
I think these simple mods can be final and with the right BIOS settings this little pc can work as a very nice streaming device. Only streaming from Youtube worries me lately.
Without enabling the GPX boost with Chrome streaming from Youtube is not satisfactory for me.
Regards, geppo

[loko]

Well preemptively i would say where does it stop?
extra costs for cooling
extra cost for a new psu.

Actually, it doesn't have to stop anywhere. This device has an unlimited modding potential. If you like modding and consider it as some sort of a hobby, you may definitely opt for this device. In this particular case, you probably don't really care if the modding is going to cost as much as the device itself. You are going to enjoy using the device, along with the hand made modding procedure.

If you really want to play with a challenging gadget running Windows 8.1, PiPo X7 is one of the best choices you can make. It has a very nice external design, and a lot of internal space for further improvement.

Its maybe more intresting to buy a more robust slightly
more expensive winbox no?

More interesting? Not at all. I would say that it would be definitely more boring, although a much safer option, and probably a better investment in the long run.

If you want a trouble free fully featured device that works right out of the box, maybe you should look for a completely different product, definitely not a cheap Bay Trail based Windows 8.1 with Bing device made by a Chinese manufacturer.

[geppetto61]

Hi just to say that i agree almost completely.
This cheap little unit can be a lot of fun and a good way to learn something.
However is potential is intrinsically limited. The HW is just not enough for heavy tasks.
And of course this is completely reasonable given its price and size.
Nevertheless there are much more powerful cpus, more GBs RAM and faster SSDs out there.
But as a AV streaming unit (or HTPC) it can be very very interesting.
I was playing with Android media players before this.
This thing completely destroys the Android based competitors i tried before (that cost more or less the same).
There is simply no context. This is a fully operational, if obviously limited, pc.
The similarly priced Android players are just toys in comparison.
Moreover Windows 8.1 Bing is a big revelation to me, even in the 32 bit version installed on the Pipo.
Thanks again.

[Mariner]

Interesting to see that user no_spam_for_me is apparently using a 5V/3A PSU successfully with the X7! Is anyone else successfully using a PSU with voltage other than 5V?

I still own a reasonable-quality PSU which provides 9V/3 which I purchased a couple of years ago to charge a (now non-functional) tablet. I wonder, what are the chances that I could use this one with my X7, providing I can get the correct tip?

[no_spam_for_me]

No, no, no, I don't use it at the x7... it was only an example at 5V/3A for a good one...

[Mariner]

Ah, right. I thought I may have misunderstood your post!

I've not had chance to connect the X7 to a TV yet but the PSU supplied looks a lot sturdier than the one illustrated in the French review. Hopefully it will work well enough that I don't need to consider buying a new PSU.

[kenman345]

I ordered a power supply I thought would work but It did not fit the socket. Can anyone point me to a US site that sells a power supply I will not need to modify? I see these links to amazon in france or germany or whatever and I cannot use my credit card internationally like that. US Amazon or **** would be preferable. I hate how much room on my power strip this current power supply takes up.

[pmcd]

Does the X7 use the same plug as the Pipo X8? Supposedly yes but you might want to check on that. I have the Pipo X8 and went looking for a certified power supply. You need a 12 v power supply with at least 2.4A, better 3A as that is easier to find. The plug size is 5.5x2.5 mm, female and center polarity. This happens to be the same as the power adapters for older LCD monitors from Acer, BenQ, etc... For example, the Acer AC501. I am using a power supply from a Drobe v1 NAS. It works great. 5.5x2.1mm does not fit on my Pipo X8.

[peterscm]

X7 and X8 are using same adapter.

Btw, I bought 12V 4A from Fasttech https://www.fasttech.com/products/1274502

So far so good. No issue with X7S and X8.

[pmcd]

X7 and X8 are using same adapter.

Btw, I bought 12V 4A from Fasttech https://www.fasttech.com/products/1274502

So far so good. No issue with X7S and X8.

The barrel size of 5.5x2.1mm seems wrong. I thought the correct size was 5.5x2.5mm? Perhaps it doesn't matter?

[peterscm]

The barrel size of 5.5x2.1mm seems wrong. I thought the correct size was 5.5x2.5mm? Perhaps it doesn't matter?

So far, I have no issue with it.