With the release of the picoPSU-120, Ituner Networks has raised the bar on power supply design. The picoPSU is completely silent while also being the smallest power supply that CRN Test Center engineers have ever come across. Much smaller than the palm of a child’s hand, the company claims that it is the world’s tiniest PC power supply.
The picoPSU measures about 20mm across, making it about 20 times smaller than standard PC power supplies. System builders will find the picoPSU perfect for even the smallest of PC form factors. The picoPSU is especially well-suited for small PCs that run on single 12V power supplies.
The picoPSU arrives with an external 12V AC/DC transformer power supply that provides a peak load of 10 amps. As with laptops, the transformer is separate from the case (a tiny regulator component is the actual picoPSU and must be housed inside the case). The company uses a patent-pending HyperWatt technology to produce this small component.
PicoPSU works with ATX-, mini-ITX- and UATX-compatible motherboards, and is 1U server rack compliant. PicoPSU is suitable to power C3 and C7 processors as well as lower processors on mini-ITX boards. It uses a single ATX connector and only two wires, thereby not taking up as much space as is typically occupied around wires and power supplies. The regulator component is attached to the ATX connector so that system builders do not need to set up any mounting brackets.
Since it is placed so close to the motherboard, the potential for overheating is a concern. However, the Test Center engineers tested the picoPSU on an ATX motherboard for two hours and did not detect any heat problems on the CPU. Additionally, after two hours, engineers did not find any OS instability or even a booting problem.
This tiny power supply can achieve its maximum efficiency at 5 amps and can power up to a 120 watt load. PicoPSU has an overload protection of more than 200 percent of average voltage usage, which normally ranges between 3.3V and 5V.
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