# Need some help. Tell me about your touch screen monitor and MOBO.



## Joenaz2003

I'm currently looking into building a car PC. Just as a back ground I build high end, heavy graphics driven 3D design and AutoCAD PC's. So the PC itself shouldn't be an issue. The form factor is much smaller than what I'm used to. I've checked out mp3car or whatever that site is and did some research but I always trust the guys and girls in this community more than a place I'm not familiar with.

I'm most likely going to run Windows 8 but may switch to Ubuntu. I probably wont use it as the only source unit for audio. I am going to use it for a 360 deg DVR camera system, RF 360.3, OBD2 software, inside and outside temp monitoring, GPS/Mapping. Maybe try and integrate my HVAC controls into it in the future and control for some LED lighting.

I'm still deciding on a MOBO/Processor. So far I've decided I would want at least 1 expansion slot. A good amount of USB ports. Preferably USB3. I hate going backwards for anything. Maybe an on board WiFi adapter although and add on adapter would let me upgrade in the future. I'll put probably 8 or 16 GB of ram in it and I know that's overkill for my project but like hard drives ram is something I usually have laying around and you can never have too much. I have a 240GB SSD drive and may throw a 1 or 3TB HDD that I have sitting around in for a media library.

Now for the screen. I was looking at Lilliput. I know I want a captive not a resistive. Other than that I don't know much about the screens. I know I may be able to fit a 10" since an iPad Air fits pretty good when I hold it up to the dash

What are you guys using? How do you like it? Is there anything you would do different with the screen you use? Are there any other add ons you used to achieve something I'm trying to do?

Thanks for everybody's help in advance.


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## Joenaz2003

OK so I've decided on the following which is overkill but I'd rather have unused power than not enough and can always use it else where if it doesn't work out in the car:

CPU Intel Core i5-4460 Processor - Quad Core, 6MB Smart Cache, 3.4GHz, LGA-1150 Socket - BX80646I54460 at TigerDirect.com

MOBO Asus Z97I Motherboard - Intel LGA1150 Socket, Intel Z97 Chipset, Integrated Graphics, Mini ITX - Z97I-PLUS at TigerDirect.com

RAM Patriot Viper Xtreme 8GB Desktop Memory Module - DDR3, 1600MHz, PC3-12800, CL 11, 1.5V - PX38G1600C11 at TigerDirect.com

WiFi Receiver ASUS USB-N10 IEEE WI-FI Adapter - 802.11N, USB 2.0, EZ WPS, 150 Mbps at TigerDirect.com 

GPS Receiver GARMIN GPS 18x USB GPS Accessory - Newegg.com or Amazon.com: GlobalSat BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver (Black): GPS & Navigation

SSD OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-240G 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - Newegg.com

Sound - On board sound card

PSU - No idea

Touch Screen - I've been reading about the Lilliputs and Chalkboard electronics. I still need advice on this. The screen size depends on what I can do with HVAC other than relocating it where it's a hassle to use.

I'm also looking into:
Fusion Brain 6 to see if I can control HVAC, doors, windows trunk, equipment rack fans, maybe some LEDs and eventually an automated equipment rack. 
Joycon controller 
AM/FM receiver (would give me the option to delete the HU in the future)
Bluetooth receiver (not sure if I would need one really. The 360.3 has one)
External Blue Ray (would give me the option to delete the HU in the future)


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## Thumper26

I'm about where you are on a carpc build, but with less ambitious goals. From a hardware perspective, I think that should cover it.

Chalkboard's screen will be great once the multitouch firmware is out. Another option is to use what e3io uses. They have a double din touch screen that you can purchase separately. I believe it has hdmi and usb input, but it's already ready to be dropped into a double din kit, so you get a better OEM finish more easily.


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## Ultimateherts

The thing is the Chalkboard's have increased the resolution, but considering the size and the distance we will be viewing the screen from I don't think you'll notice a huge difference. What I did was I bought a Touchscreen Netbook and then bought a USB touch screen monitor for the dash. The dash screen for when I'm driving and the netbook for when I'm not. Also voice command software has really come a long way so I would look into that for when your driving. The only problem is figuring out where to mount the Netbook!


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## Joenaz2003

Thumper26 said:


> I'm about where you are on a carpc build, but with less ambitious goals. From a hardware perspective, I think that should cover it.
> 
> Chalkboard's screen will be great once the multitouch firmware is out. Another option is to use what e3io uses. They have a double din touch screen that you can purchase separately. I believe it has hdmi and usb input, but it's already ready to be dropped into a double din kit, so you get a better OEM finish more easily.


I'm going to check out the e3io site and see what they have to offer. I'm trying to go with a 10" if I can get it to control the HVAC otherwise I'll use a 7" or 8". Either way I'll have to make a custom dash panel. I also want it to pop out and up so I can access my HU and HVAC behind it so I'm going to have to figure out something to make it do that either manually with a push lock/piston setup or mechanically with a motor or something. I'm still trying to work it all out in my head.



Ultimateherts said:


> The thing is the Chalkboard's have increased the resolution, but considering the size and the distance we will be viewing the screen from I don't think you'll notice a huge difference. What I did was I bought a Touchscreen Netbook and then bought a USB touch screen monitor for the dash. The dash screen for when I'm driving and the netbook for when I'm not. Also voice command software has really come a long way so I would look into that for when your driving. The only problem is figuring out where to mount the Netbook!


Voice command was another thing I wanted but didn't make it into my list. I'm liking the chalkboards from what I've been reading. What did you do for a controller or did it come with one? I was thinking about the laptop route but then I need somewhere to put it. I'd also like to get everything I use it for in the car into the Car PC so i dont have to bring it out there anymore. I have a ggood spot to install the car PC in the body panel nect to the rear seats. There were speakers in there I got rid of so now I have a nice sized vent to get rid of the heat. Even if I have to put half on one side and half on the other it will work nice I think.


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## Ultimateherts

Joenaz2003 said:


> I'm going to check out the e3io site and see what they have to offer. I'm trying to go with a 10" if I can get it to control the HVAC otherwise I'll use a 7" or 8". Either way I'll have to make a custom dash panel. I also want it to pop out and up so I can access my HU and HVAC behind it so I'm going to have to figure out something to make it do that either manually with a push lock/piston setup or mechanically with a motor or something. I'm still trying to work it all out in my head.
> 
> 
> 
> Voice command was another thing I wanted but didn't make it into my list. I'm liking the chalkboards from what I've been reading. What did you do for a controller or did it come with one? I was thinking about the laptop route but then I need somewhere to put it. I'd also like to get everything I use it for in the car into the Car PC so i dont have to bring it out there anymore. I have a ggood spot to install the car PC in the body panel nect to the rear seats. There were speakers in there I got rid of so now I have a nice sized vent to get rid of the heat. Even if I have to put half on one side and half on the other it will work nice I think.


Ok so I am getting a new audio interface. From there it needs enough microphone inputs and the I'll place boundary microphones throughout the ceiling.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


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## req

if i could do it all over again? 

i would just buy an e3io pc. all problems solved basically. from what i have gathered, they will not sell the case\screen or anything besides an entire assembled unit. i tried already. they replied to my inquiry with "no".

the chalk elec screen is good - but it does not support gestures for windows 8 - yet. they are working on the drivers right now.

the lilliput screens are kind of not great - compared to the chalk elec its like looking at a gameboy color versus a wii u game pad. big difference.


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## Joenaz2003

The screens seem to be the hindrance in all this. I don't know if that's an actual word but I like it lol. I've always been a fan of building my own PCs you get more for the money and the options to choose exactly what you want.

req - I read your build don't remember, What screen did you end up with? Do the 10" chalks support gestures yet? And is that they don't support anything or for now its like using your finger as a mouse till they release a firmware update? If the screens good I can deal with all that and who knows by the time I get everything installed it may be released.


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## Joenaz2003

Ultimateherts said:


> Ok so I am getting a new audio interface. From there it needs enough microphone inputs and the I'll place boundary microphones throughout the ceiling.
> 
> Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


What would the boundary mics be for?


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## Ultimateherts

Joenaz2003 said:


> What would the boundary mics be for?


To pick up the voice...


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## Joenaz2003

Ultimateherts said:


> To pick up the voice...


So multiple mics for voice commands and what not, not just the usual one? That's interesting. What would that do for noise as far as the software picking up noise from all the mics?


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## diy.phil

I was at Computex last week. There's a company named FD Tech and they showed all sorts of LCD screens small to medium/big. Some are just screens, some with ARM boards and some with the x86 boards/PCs behind it. They showed some 10", 12" and 14 or 15" screens with PCAP touch. 

Their website is FLAT DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION and the PCAP stuff may not be shown on the website (new stuff at the show I think). 

Anyways for fun, maybe email them your specs/requirement such as "10.x inch kit, PCAP touch, DVI (or HDMI) input" and ask for a mechanical drawing and shipping cost too. They said they will sell qty 1 too to anyone (both to DIY and as OEM too I think). Good wishes to you!


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## Joenaz2003

diy.phil said:


> I was at Computex last week. There's a company named FD Tech and they showed all sorts of LCD screens small to medium/big. Some are just screens, some with ARM boards and some with the x86 boards/PCs behind it. They showed some 10", 12" and 14 or 15" screens with PCAP touch.
> 
> Their website is FLAT DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION and the PCAP stuff may not be shown on the website (new stuff at the show I think).
> 
> Anyways for fun, maybe email them your specs/requirement such as "10.x inch kit, PCAP touch, DVI (or HDMI) input" and ask for a mechanical drawing and shipping cost too. They said they will sell qty 1 too to anyone (both to DIY and as OEM too I think). Good wishes to you!


Cool info. Ill check out the site. Thanks


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## req

i went with the chalkboard electronics 7" multitouch capitance screen.

no new firmware that i am aware of yet. 

remember, if you are planning on using windows 8 - you NEED to have at LEAST 1024x768 resolution to run metro apps.




microshaft said:


> To access the Windows Store and to download, run, and snap apps, you need an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768




that means that NONE of the screens by FLAT DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION will work with windows 8 that i saw. all of them are 840x480 or something crappy.

as of now, the chalkelec screen is just like using a mouse, and that sucks. andrew lim replied to some emails i sent him;



owner of chalkboard electronics andrew lim said:


> 15MAY2014
> Hello REQ,
> Our current 7" Open frame still can't work like a tablet yet. We are developing them now. Once it is available, we will tweet them.
> Cheers!
> 
> Regards,
> Andrew


i asked him if they had a timeline, he responded;



owner of chalkboard electronics andrew lim said:


> 29MAY2014
> 
> Hello REQ,
> We are almost finishing the multitouch firmware. We target to release them next week. Stay tuned for our tweeter announcement.
> 
> Regards,
> Andrew



i still have not seen any drivers from them as of yet. 

http://www.chalk-elec.com/?page_id=972
http://www.chalk-elec.com/?page_id=1280#!/~/product/category=3094861&id=21750207

ChalkElec on twitter
https://twitter.com/ChalkElec


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## diy.phil

Hmm... here's the FD Tech stuff from their printed catalog/brochure... it says 1024x768 for this model...


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## Joenaz2003

diy.phil said:


> Hmm... here's the FD Tech stuff from their printed catalog/brochure... it says 1024x768 for this model...


The res is good but I notice its 4:3. Isn't that a square screen? Interestingly enough my dash area is square and they may actually work better than a wide screen for things like NAV and my DSP



req said:


> i went with the chalkboard electronics 7" multitouch capitance screen.
> 
> no new firmware that i am aware of yet.
> 
> remember, if you are planning on using windows 8 - you NEED to have at LEAST 1024x768 resolution to run metro apps.
> 
> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/system-requirements
> 
> that means that NONE of the screens by FLAT DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION will work with windows 8 that i saw. all of them are 840x480 or something crappy.
> 
> as of now, the chalkelec screen is just like using a mouse, and that sucks. andrew lim replied to some emails i sent him;
> 
> 
> 
> i asked him if they had a timeline, he responded;
> 
> 
> 
> 
> i still have not seen any drivers from them as of yet.
> 
> http://www.chalk-elec.com/?page_id=972
> Shop | Chalkboard Electronics
> 
> ChalkElec on twitter
> https://twitter.com/ChalkElec


Thats the way of the electronics manufacturer lol. I really like the screen though and can just throw a track ball on it for now. It will take a while to get and to install. I also wont be using it as my main HU unit. Just for extra fun stuff to keep me busy till I get more comfortable with it taking over lol. 

Man I thought I read your thread but it must have been something else. So far I'm on page 22 of the 2003 VW and page 3 of the car PC thread. I call it multitasking but my girl tells me I have ADD lol. You've done a lot of cool **** in there. It's extremely impressive and I'm still in 2012.


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## Joenaz2003

diy.phil said:


> Hmm... here's the FD Tech stuff from their printed catalog/brochure... it says 1024x768 for this model...


I'm still leaning towards the chalkboard but is there a dealer for these or a price list somewhere? I have to take some measurements tomorrow and see what I can fit.


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## diy.phil

hi Joe, I don't remember the exact price but all I remember is it was very reasonable/fair (I had many different companies naming too many numbers and stuff there). They also said to contact them directly for info/price/order. It was pretty strange... I was wondering around on the various trade show floors there in Computex in Taipei when I came across these guys with many LCD screen all over their booth. So I stepped in and the guy there said he automatically recognized my name/company from the badge (didn't have to explain anything lol). He started showing me everything in there. Nice people there. Hope they're nice to you too. bye.


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## Ultimateherts

Joenaz2003 said:


> So multiple mics for voice commands and what not, not just the usual one? That's interesting. What would that do for noise as far as the software picking up noise from all the mics?


As long as I have the microphone inputs turned down I'm hoping that will not be a problem...

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


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## Joenaz2003

@req - Are you still using the M3-ATX-HV 6-34vDC Smart DC to DC Power Supply? I think I got it from your thread. If so hows it working?


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## Joenaz2003

diy.phil said:


> hi Joe, I don't remember the exact price but all I remember is it was very reasonable/fair (I had many different companies naming too many numbers and stuff there). They also said to contact them directly for info/price/order. It was pretty strange... I was wondering around on the various trade show floors there in Computex in Taipei when I came across these guys with many LCD screen all over their booth. So I stepped in and the guy there said he automatically recognized my name/company from the badge (didn't have to explain anything lol). He started showing me everything in there. Nice people there. Hope they're nice to you too. bye.


Great man thanks. I'll try and contact them and see how it goes


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## Joenaz2003

Ultimateherts said:


> As long as I have the microphone inputs turned down I'm hoping that will not be a problem...
> 
> Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


That's a pretty good idea. The only reason I hate the using the phone through the Kenwood HU is I have to yell. That and it shuts the radio off. Let me know how it works.


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## Joenaz2003

So I decided I'm most likely going with the chalkboard depending on availability when they answer me back. Not sure if I want (1) 10", (1) 7" or if I'm feeling squirlly and will try to work in dual 7".

I know the CPU I'm going to use and now I have some MOBO choices. Being I build computers my go to is always ASUS for MOBOs but the car PC and miniITX are a different realm for me. My home machine is the size of a small file cabinet, it has (2) HD 7970 DD GPUs, 32 GB of Dominator Platinums, 30 TB of HDD space, a 500GB SSD, (2) 27" LEDs (1) 23" LED and a 60" TV. But that's what I'm used to using so bear with me and my over board car PC equipment list. 

Now I hate having all my eggs in one basket ie. DVD/VCR combos, Laptops etc. The more things built into something, the more you lose when it breaks down and with integrated components it becomes harder to upgrade. On the other side, the more that's built into the MOBO the less configuration issues and less extra crap to buy. So with that I have a few MOBO choices, tell me what you guys think. Either one will be overkill for the car but on a good note it will handle what ever I throw at it.


ASUS Z87I-DELUXE LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com
The Good
Its ASUS
6 USB 3.0 & 4 USB 2.0 I wont need a USB Hub
On board WiFi
Optical out
Can power it up remotely from my iPhone
Cold boots Win8 in 2 seconds

The Bad
No BT

MSI Z87I Mini-ITX Gaming Motherboard - 4th Gen Intel Core/ Pentium/ Celeron Processor for LGA 1150, Max Dual Channel Ram DDR3-3000MHz, 1x PCIe x16 - Z87I GAMING AC at TigerDirect.com

The Good
4 USB 3.0 & 2 USB 2.0 I still wont need a USB Hub
On board WiFi
On board BT 4.0
Optical out
Bench marked to have the lowest noise floor of all the Mini ITX Mobos

ASRock Z87E-ITX LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel I217V Lan 802.11ac WiFi Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com
The Good
4 USB 3.0 & 2 USB 2.0 I still wont need a USB Hub
On board WiFi
On board BT 4.0
Optical out
Can power it up remotely from my iPhone
Triple monitor support
Bench marked to have the 3rd lowest noise floor of all the Mini ITX Mobos
Cold boots Win8 in 2 seconds

I'm also deciding between Amazon.com: GlobalSat BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver (Black): GPS & Navigation and
GARMIN GPS 18x USB GPS Accessory - Newegg.com any one ever try either of them?


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## Ultimateherts

Joenaz2003 said:


> So I decided I'm most likely going with the chalkboard depending on availability when they answer me back. Not sure if I want (1) 10", (1) 7" or if I'm feeling squirlly and will try to work in dual 7".
> 
> I know the CPU I'm going to use and now I have some MOBO choices. Being I build computers my go to is always ASUS for MOBOs but the car PC and miniITX are a different realm for me. My home machine is the size of a small file cabinet, it has (2) HD 7970 DD GPUs, 32 GB of Dominator Platinums, 30 TB of HDD space, a 500GB SSD, (2) 27" LEDs (1) 23" LED and a 60" TV. But that's what I'm used to using so bear with me and my over board car PC equipment list.
> 
> Now I hate having all my eggs in one basket ie. DVD/VCR combos, Laptops etc. The more things built into something, the more you lose when it breaks down and with integrated components it becomes harder to upgrade. On the other side, the more that's built into the MOBO the less configuration issues and less extra crap to buy. So with that I have a few MOBO choices, tell me what you guys think. Either one will be overkill for the car but on a good note it will handle what ever I throw at it.
> 
> 
> ASUS Z87I-DELUXE LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com
> The Good
> Its ASUS
> 6 USB 3.0 & 4 USB 2.0 I wont need a USB Hub
> On board WiFi
> Optical out
> Can power it up remotely from my iPhone
> Cold boots Win8 in 2 seconds
> 
> The Bad
> No BT
> 
> MSI Z87I Mini-ITX Gaming Motherboard - 4th Gen Intel Core/ Pentium/ Celeron Processor for LGA 1150, Max Dual Channel Ram DDR3-3000MHz, 1x PCIe x16 - Z87I GAMING AC at TigerDirect.com
> 
> The Good
> 4 USB 3.0 & 2 USB 2.0 I still wont need a USB Hub
> On board WiFi
> On board BT 4.0
> Optical out
> Bench marked to have the lowest noise floor of all the Mini ITX Mobos
> 
> ASRock Z87E-ITX LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel I217V Lan 802.11ac WiFi Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com
> The Good
> 4 USB 3.0 & 2 USB 2.0 I still wont need a USB Hub
> On board WiFi
> On board BT 4.0
> Optical out
> Can power it up remotely from my iPhone
> Triple monitor support
> Bench marked to have the 3rd lowest noise floor of all the Mini ITX Mobos
> Cold boots Win8 in 2 seconds
> 
> I'm also deciding between Amazon.com: GlobalSat BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver (Black): GPS & Navigation and
> GARMIN GPS 18x USB GPS Accessory - Newegg.com any one ever try either of them?


If you using an external processor (you sig says RF 360.3) Then just run optical to the processor and be done with it. 
If you are not running an external processor, USB Audio Interfaces are the way to go because:

Bus powered so no need to worry about powering it.

Plenty of outputs depending on brand.

Always upgradable, though with enough outputs and driver/software updates you will never need/want to.


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## NealfromNZ

plenty of power and spec for a mobile pc. Can't comment on screens as I use the factory car screen.

I went down the netbook atom processor route which all up only needs 40 watts psu to run and charge. Netbook also allows easy hibernation mode without the need for relays on timers.

You may need to watch usb cable lengths if running everything back to the pc rather than powered hubs. I have a ASUS usb bluray player that wouldn't run over a 5 meter active usb cable. I'm ending up putting in a y cable and a usb phone adapter to power it up. Mind you , usb 3.0 maybe more longer cable friendly

Bluetooth has been handy. Run a small Bluetooth key board and can also stream Bluetooth audio to it from phones etc. Can also use the Bluetooth to change my 360.1 setup if needed.

Check out the dual style noise cancelling mics such as shure for voice commands. you may only need the one installed near a sun visor.

If you don't go optical between the pc and 360.3 then check out the usb async hifimediy sabre dac. Its nothing to look at but I brought one on recommendations from here. That $60 dac is very close to the sound quality of a $800 home Marantz cd player I own. Best $60 I've ever spent on audio. You might find the SQ higher than the dac in the 360.3

There are a few usb devices that have both fm and tv tuners in one. Could be work considering. Use to find the tv handy in the car when parked up waiting for the wife to finish work.

Software wise , My OS is win 7, car software s either ride runner , carx or carmedia . Ride runner has the advantage over the others in that it controls foobar audio player. This Foobar will work in nicely direct style pc audio drivers which means you get the best possible audio routing out of your pc. All good for improving audio quality.


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## Joenaz2003

Ultimateherts said:


> If you using an external processor (you sig says RF 360.3) Then just run optical to the processor and be done with it.
> If you are not running an external processor, USB Audio Interfaces are the way to go because:
> 
> Bus powered so no need to worry about powering it.
> 
> Plenty of outputs depending on brand.
> 
> Always upgradable, though with enough outputs and driver/software updates you will never need/want to.


That's what I was going to do. I also won't be using it as my HU source at first. I'll mostly be using it to control other things and nav and what not, unless that changes.


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## Joenaz2003

NealfromNZ said:


> plenty of power and spec for a mobile pc. Can't comment on screens as I use the factory car screen.
> 
> I went down the netbook atom processor route which all up only needs 40 watts psu to run and charge. Netbook also allows easy hibernation mode without the need for relays on timers.
> 
> You may need to watch usb cable lengths if running everything back to the pc rather than powered hubs. I have a ASUS usb bluray player that wouldn't run over a 5 meter active usb cable. I'm ending up putting in a y cable and a usb phone adapter to power it up. Mind you , usb 3.0 maybe more longer cable friendly
> 
> Bluetooth has been handy. Run a small Bluetooth key board and can also stream Bluetooth audio to it from phones etc. Can also use the Bluetooth to change my 360.1 setup if needed.
> 
> Check out the dual style noise cancelling mics such as shure for voice commands. you may only need the one installed near a sun visor.
> 
> If you don't go optical between the pc and 360.3 then check out the usb async hifimediy sabre dac. Its nothing to look at but I brought one on recommendations from here. That $60 dac is very close to the sound quality of a $800 home Marantz cd player I own. Best $60 I've ever spent on audio. You might find the SQ higher than the dac in the 360.3
> 
> There are a few usb devices that have both fm and tv tuners in one. Could be work considering. Use to find the tv handy in the car when parked up waiting for the wife to finish work.
> 
> Software wise , My OS is win 7, car software s either ride runner , carx or carmedia . Ride runner has the advantage over the others in that it controls foobar audio player. This Foobar will work in nicely direct style pc audio drivers which means you get the best possible audio routing out of your pc. All good for improving audio quality.


I haven't worked out the power consumption yet. I don't want it to limit what I'm doing so I'll save it for last. But the CPU is an i5 Haswell so it doesn't use much.

I remember correctly when USB 3.0 first came out 2.0 had a longer cable distance. I'm going to be right behind the front seat though so it should be fine. The only things that will be in the dash are a couple of USB ports for charging/syncing and the screen. I'm going to leave room for a DVD or BR drive in the event I get rid of the HU.

Other than using my cell phone I don't use blue tooth. I'm not really a big fan of wireless connections if theres a wired way to do something. I'm probably going with one of the MOBOs that has BT though just because its better to have and not need.

I haven't even thought about mics or front end software yet. I'm going to be hooking it up to the 360.3 with the optical cable since my HU doesn't have one so that's RCAs. I looked at the Hauppauge TV tuners. They used to be the way to go. I din't really did too deep into it but I don't think they had an FM tuner. It would be nice to find one that does. I would most likely not watch much TV or use the FM. Now that I have a 64GB thumb drive in the car full of music I never listen to the radio. Once I have the carPC in there I may be able to fit my entire music library in there. That would be wild.


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## Ultimateherts

Joenaz2003 said:


> I'm probably going with one of the MOBOs that has BT though just because its better to have and not need.


Bluetooth dongles are so inexpensive you could save more money just by buying a mobo that does not have Bluetooth built in!


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## Joenaz2003

Ultimateherts said:


> Bluetooth dongles are so inexpensive you could save more money just by buying a mobo that does not have Bluetooth built in!


The one of the 3 MOBOs I'm going with that doesn't have the BT built in is the more expensive of the 3. Go figure. Although I've never used MSI that is the one I'm leaning towards now after reading more. It's one of the top rated MOBOs, no issues, lowest signal to noise ration and noise floor, works great. It's the 2nd most expensive.

Anyone have any experience or advice on the 2 USB GPS receivers I listed above or a different one?


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## Ultimateherts

Joenaz2003 said:


> The one of the 3 MOBOs I'm going with that doesn't have the BT built in is the more expensive of the 3. Go figure. Although I've never used MSI that is the one I'm leaning towards now after reading more. It's one of the top rated MOBOs, no issues, lowest signal to noise ration and noise floor, works great. It's the 2nd most expensive.
> 
> Anyone have any experience or advice on the 2 USB GPS receivers I listed above or a different one?


I have used MSI before on my home PC and it is a solid brand. I think you need to simplify your install even more. All of that processing power will be wasted. You really only need something like an AMD dual core (Athlon x2) or at most a tri core (x3) because a lot of the work will be done by the 360.3. Save yourself the cash and use it elsewhere like on more memory (ram). 

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


----------



## Joenaz2003

Ultimateherts said:


> I have used MSI before on my home PC and it is a solid brand. I think you need to simplify your install even more. All of that processing power will be wasted. You really only need something like an AMD dual core (Athlon x2) or at most a tri core (x3) because a lot of the work will be done by the 360.3. Save yourself the cash and use it elsewhere like on more memory (ram).
> 
> Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


I use mostly ASUS and AMD CPUs my home PC is a Sabertooth 990FX Gen 3 and an FX-8350. I'm a big fan of AMD and the price. I have most of the parts laying around. The only thing I'll really be buying is the MOBO. I have the CPU, SSD, 16GB or ram but figure I wont need more than 8. I could always throw a nice GPU on it and game from the car lol. It would sound awesome. And the way I see it, if the PC doesn't work out for me in the car I'm designing a smart house/16 camera security system. It can run that if I decide I don't like it.


----------



## Ultimateherts

Joenaz2003 said:


> I could always throw a nice GPU on it and game from the car lol. It would sound awesome.


Gaming on a screen that small is like peeing in the wind. Sure it feels good, but eventually you find out it stinks.


----------



## Thumper26

req said:


> if i could do it all over again?
> 
> i would just buy an e3io pc. all problems solved basically. from what i have gathered, they will not sell the case\screen or anything besides an entire assembled unit. i tried already. they replied to my inquiry with "no".
> 
> the chalk elec screen is good - but it does not support gestures for windows 8 - yet. they are working on the drivers right now.
> 
> the lilliput screens are kind of not great - compared to the chalk elec its like looking at a gameboy color versus a wii u game pad. big difference.


Search the e3io threads here. There is an eBay dealer that sells the screens separately. Something like daveinnewyork is the eBay store.


----------



## Thumper26

boom, found it:

derrick.ny | eBay


----------



## Joenaz2003

Thumper26 said:


> boom, found it:
> 
> derrick.ny | eBay


Thanks man I finally found it too. Those HDMI Samsung 7" LED LCD Touch Monitor Kit Out Door Industrail Grade Sunlight Car are nice. I was having this new thought though. I was thinking an 8 or 9" screen so I can see my 360.3 software and other windows programs better. 

Then I had this 2nd wacky idea since I'm keeping the head unit for now of having (2) 8" screens. Motorize them so they pop forward about an inch to clear the dash then the top screen goes up and the bottom goes down about 1.5" each revealing the HU. The dual screen would allow me to have my OBD software or vehicle controls or both constantly on 1 screen while I use the other screen for Music, NAV or whatever. I had another wacky idea of the dual 8s and a smaller 4.5" The 4.5 would be mounted to the console area probably where the ash tray is and would have the cars controls there then top screen for NAV etc. and bottom screen for OBD info/presets.

This is why I need to order **** right away cause it will only get worse and more complex lol. Luckily the MOBO only supports 3 screens without an added video card lol.


----------



## Ultimateherts

Joenaz2003 said:


> Thanks man I finally found it too. Those HDMI Samsung 7" LED LCD Touch Monitor Kit Out Door Industrail Grade Sunlight Car are nice. I was having this new thought though. I was thinking an 8 or 9" screen so I can see my 360.3 software and other windows programs better.
> 
> Then I had this 2nd wacky idea since I'm keeping the head unit for now of having (2) 8" screens. Motorize them so they pop forward about an inch to clear the dash then the top screen goes up and the bottom goes down about 1.5" each revealing the HU. The dual screen would allow me to have my OBD software or vehicle controls or both constantly on 1 screen while I use the other screen for Music, NAV or whatever. I had another wacky idea of the dual 8s and a smaller 4.5" The 4.5 would be mounted to the console area probably where the ash tray is and would have the cars controls there then top screen for NAV etc. and bottom screen for OBD info/presets.
> 
> This is why I need to order **** right away cause it will only get worse and more complex lol. Luckily the MOBO only supports 3 screens without an added video card lol.


read/look through the install section here. Do the same on mp3car.com. I know we are a small group of perfectionists, but remember the limitations we have are the ones we make for ourselves. Also always remember budget and k.I.s.s. I have learned the hard way over the years that in reality going over budget means many months before you can actually finish!!!

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


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## req

Wow this thread blew up haha.

Yeah the pwersupply is working perfectly!

Now I can't remember what other questions you had lol.

I don't remember if you said you had already bought an mother board yet... But I wish I had more USB slots... I've only got 4x 2.0, but I do have a 1x expansion slot that I filled with a micro Bluetooth module... But I have not figured out how to throughput audio from a cell phone to the optical.

Also, don't bother with any DAC or the like if you are going to use toslink audio. If you have the Rockford DSP, just do optical and be done!

Uh, the screen is working great so far, but its hard to adjust how I touch it. I used to use the back of my fingernail like I was softly flicking it, but that does not work with capitance screens lol.

Still no firmware update from chalk for windows 8.

Looking at this screen with the auto dim trigger, brightness adjustment, and integrated buttons, as long as it really does support 1080p video, this is almost a no-brainer if e3io can use touch gestures in Windows 8... I feel like a chump but my display and 3d printed bezel look so much more OEM... I dunno. Its hard to choose.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/110966376586?nav=SEARCH


----------



## Joenaz2003

Ultimateherts said:


> read/look through the install section here. Do the same on mp3car.com. I know we are a small group of perfectionists, but remember the limitations we have are the ones we make for ourselves. Also always remember budget and k.I.s.s. I have learned the hard way over the years that in reality going over budget means many months before you can actually finish!!!
> 
> Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk


Thanks man. I've been hitting both sites and checking out as many builds as I can.My budget is still ok. I don't really have one so it's always OK so far lol. And as far as time I have plenty. I try not to work during the summer so I have time to do my thing so this is what consumes it as well as working on the house.


----------



## Joenaz2003

req said:


> Wow this thread blew up haha.
> 
> Yeah the pwersupply is working perfectly!


Good I'm thinking about going with it. The price is right compared to what I usually pay for PSUs and it works with the ignition and does everything I would want it to do.



req said:


> Now I can't remember what other questions you had lol.
> 
> I don't remember if you said you had already bought an mother board yet... But I wish I had more USB slots... I've only got 4x 2.0, but I do have a 1x expansion slot that I filled with a micro Bluetooth module... But I have not figured out how to throughput audio from a cell phone to the optical.


I'm most likely going with the MSI Z87I Mini-ITX GAMING AC. It has (4) 3.0s, (2) 2.0s and a header for another (2) and (2) so I should have plenty with a total of 10. The board has WiFi, Bluetooth and optical so that's 3 less things taking up USB ports.



req said:


> Also, don't bother with any DAC or the like if you are going to use toslink audio. If you have the Rockford DSP, just do optical and be done!


Yes I'm just going to connect right to the optical on the 360.3 from the board so I'm good in that area too.



req said:


> Uh, the screen is working great so far, but its hard to adjust how I touch it. I used to use the back of my fingernail like I was softly flicking it, but that does not work with capitance screens lol.
> 
> Still no firmware update from chalk for windows 8.
> 
> Looking at this screen with the auto dim trigger, brightness adjustment, and integrated buttons, as long as it really does support 1080p video, this is almost a no-brainer if e3io can use touch gestures in Windows 8... I feel like a chump but my display and 3d printed bezel look so much more OEM... I dunno. Its hard to choose.
> 
> 2Din in Dash 7" Samsung VGA Touch Screen Monitor Kit USB SD Raspberry Pi | eBay


Chalkboard just emailed me back today. They said about 2 weeks for the firmware update as well as more 7s ready to ship. I can deal with the pointer instead of actual touch commands for now. I'm getting used to it from accessing my PC on my iPad through splashtop. It kind of sucks but ts only temporary. In the mean time I've been looking at Chinatobby 8 or 9" screens as well as the samsung from e3io and the screens diy.phil posted the link for in case one of those lights up my bulb or I can't wait the 2 weeks once I'm staring at the carPC fully running on my desk.

Your bezel came out great man. Your whole build is awesome. If this fusion brain board does what I want it to do with my HVAC controls I'm going to take a FG mold of my dash area and try to put together a slightly recessed mount for my HU, voltage meter and 360.3 remote. Then start another outer bezel for 1 or 2 of the screens. If that falls through I'm going your route and drawing one up to be printed.


----------



## req

thanks for the compliment sir 

i had to do a lot of sanding and primer to get the 3D printed bezel to look good. it is not easy sanding the beveled edges in the corners lol.

if i had to do it all over again, id of just bought the e3io pc haha. then i could compete in meca below the modified class because it was a product designed for car audio hahah!

that is good news from chalkboard then... if they can get that firmware out, then ill be in a bit better of a spot. but that samsung LCD from that ebay link i posted looks very promising - but i dont know about the native resolution, that worries me.


----------



## Joenaz2003

req said:


> thanks for the compliment sir
> 
> i had to do a lot of sanding and primer to get the 3D printed bezel to look good. it is not easy sanding the beveled edges in the corners lol.
> 
> if i had to do it all over again, id of just bought the e3io pc haha. then i could compete in meca below the modified class because it was a product designed for car audio hahah!
> 
> that is good news from chalkboard then... if they can get that firmware out, then ill be in a bit better of a spot. but that samsung LCD from that ebay link i posted looks very promising - but i dont know about the native resolution, that worries me.


I was looking at a few 3D printer kits months ago. I really liked the kit that handles up to soft metals. I saw how much work with sanding needed to be done on a test run and figured I would wait till they got a little better. The tech is still pretty new for us home users.

The install of a PC changing class didn't even dawn on me. I'm going to keep the HU so I would think the PC wouldn't change things if your not using it for the audio while competing. If thats how it works couldn't you just throw a HU under a seat or something for competing?

The 800x480 does not look good for Win8 use. The 9.7" chinatobby board is starting to look nice. It even has the button board. Not sure what the functions of the buttons are though. The only thing that worries me is when looking at the listing it says LCD` screen not included under each picture but the items included lists it. The e3io is nice and simple but I have a bunch of the parts sitting around so it wouldn't be cost effective. I'd rather use what I have and use the extra money on other equipment. I was thinking about upgrading my C5-6.5s to either ZR-800s or adding a 2nd set of 6.5s


----------



## req

the zr800 is a great midbass driver. but if you are going to have to shoehorn them in, i would just keep what youve already got. the c-5 set is very nice.

the e3io pc's use the ebay screen\case i linked to, and e3io shows windows 8 running metro apps with that screen on their website. the ebay ad says it that it supports up to 1080p (and shows the xbox360 working) - but native is 800x480 - so i dont really understand what they are trying to say here.

i outsourced to shapeways to have them print my LCD bezel for me. the plastic is actually very strong too - it was hard to sand to begin with. i had to use plastic primer to fill in the small gaps. ABS is much easier to deal with lol.


----------



## Joenaz2003

req said:


> the zr800 is a great midbass driver. but if you are going to have to shoehorn them in, i would just keep what youve already got. the c-5 set is very nice.
> 
> the e3io pc's use the ebay screen\case i linked to, and e3io shows windows 8 running metro apps with that screen on their website. the ebay ad says it that it supports up to 1080p (and shows the xbox360 working) - but native is 800x480 - so i dont really understand what they are trying to say here.
> 
> i outsourced to shapeways to have them print my LCD bezel for me. the plastic is actually very strong too - it was hard to sand to begin with. i had to use plastic primer to fill in the small gaps. ABS is much easier to deal with lol.


I'm happy with the C5s but I only have them down to 75Hz to 300Hz as to not blow them when I have it loud. I would like to go slightly lower to help integrate my sub and get it to sound more upfront. One day I'm going to try to stuff the 6W3s under my dash and see how that goes.

Maybe they use a video accelerator kind of like TVs use when they are 120 Hz to get to the 240Hz true motion. Coincidentally Chalkboard emailed me this morning. They have a firmware 1.5 update. I'm not sure what the update is or if it adds the touch functionality though.

I have a guy near me in the shop I get all my parts to repair i devices and xboxes that has a printer. He said just pa for the material and bring him a drawing and he will print whatever I need. I think he said at one point the material they use is like a plastic polymer/nylon/carbon mix to give it more strength which would explain the hard time sanding. I think its only 6x6 though and my dash area is close to about 10x10. I'll have to check out Shapeways.


----------



## req

yea that 3D printer surface area sounds too small haha. my bezel from shapeways was about a hundred dollars.

i think that the ebay screen downsclaes the video or something? i have no idea.


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## Joenaz2003

req said:


> yea that 3D printer surface area sounds too small haha. my bezel from shapeways was about a hundred dollars.
> 
> i think that the ebay screen downsclaes the video or something? i have no idea.


That's not bad at all. Did you check the firmware update yet? Now that I read the email again it looks like its for the win8 touch gestures.


----------



## req

i didnt know they were actually released.

i dont see anything about it on their website.

this is where the info was -
https://twitter.com/ChalkElec/status/478652291655151616

firmware here-
http://goo.gl/hDg8Uy

now i just have to wait until i can take the thing back out again to upload the new firmware 

if it works ill be like a pig in ****.

on another note, i got a mk6 vw steering wheel with steering wheel controls. now im on a mission to figure out how to interface the CANBUS data with the carPC. i cant use a regular JoyCon because its not resistive based...

ahh the hunt for the perfect functionality. :sigh:


----------



## Joenaz2003

req said:


> i didnt know they were actually released.
> 
> i dont see anything about it on their website.
> 
> this is where the info was -
> https://twitter.com/ChalkElec/status/478652291655151616
> 
> firmware here-
> http://goo.gl/hDg8Uy
> 
> now i just have to wait until i can take the thing back out again to upload the new firmware
> 
> if it works ill be like a pig in ****.
> 
> on another note, i got a mk6 vw steering wheel with steering wheel controls. now im on a mission to figure out how to interface the CANBUS data with the carPC. i cant use a regular JoyCon because its not resistive based...
> 
> ahh the hunt for the perfect functionality. :sigh:


They emailed me, sorry man I though I posted the link to the firmware in the message. I'm hoping that's what it is too, now I'm just 2 weeks out from the screen. You cant update the firmware through the car PC with the screen installed?

I at one point while looking at the fusion brain I saw a USB to CAN interface somewhere. Not sure if that's what your looking for. I'll see if I can find it again.


----------



## Thumper26

Req, one thing I have thought about but haven't looked into is touchpads on the steering wheel, mount a couple from laptops to each side and then you can program swipe gestures for basic functions.

also thought about using a small projector as a HUD, which would be handy when tuning.

then today, I realized that if I mounted small screens on the steering column, I could get rid of the huge hump over the instrument cluster.

never enough time...


----------



## Joenaz2003

Doesn't the new electric tesla come with touch pads on the wheel? Or it was going to. Having a 2 or 3 screen array instead of gauges would be nice. The cluster humps suck for a-pillar aiming.

I got the OBDlink SX and put the WiFi OBD unit they make on pre order. It puts more info and gauges on my screen then the actual cluster has. That and the 360.3 software is what started my Car PC idea.


----------



## Thumper26

nice, that's where I was going with it too.

Also, since this is technically a monitor AND mobo thread, I deem this the ultimate intel carpc mobo:

MSI Z87I GAMING AC LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com

paired with this 65w (versus 84w) processor:
Intel Core i5-4590S Haswell Quad-Core 3.0GHz LGA 1150 65W Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4600 BX80646I54590S - Newegg.com

and this ram b/c it's cheap and it matches:
HyperX Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model HX316C10FBK2/8 - Newegg.com

and you'd be good to go with the display and an ssd.


----------



## Joenaz2003

That's funny man that is the exact mother board I'm going with. It also has the lowest noise floor of all the other ones tested. But i figured on the i5-4460 and viper extreme RAM cause I have the two of them laying around collecting dust.


----------



## req

nah, gotta have access to the back to short the pins. if i was smart - id of soldered a set of wires connected to a pushbutton switch and mounted it somewhere discreete before i put in the center console so all id have to do is press and hold the button to short the pins...

does the LCD work when the firmware is flashed though? how do i input to the PC to upload the new firmware if my only LCD does not work now lol. or is this only for touch screen stuff?

i have no idea lol.

How to update PIC firmware on our universal HDMI solutions | Chalkboard Electronics










and guys, 60w+ cpus' are really quite over kill haha. ive got a 2.2ghz cpu in mine and it runs perfectly. im not doing any plugin FIR filters or anything, just a bunch of music and front end software. i just dont have to worry about over heating 

i thought about installing a track ball in my arm rest or something like that, but figuring a good way to integrate it is the hard part. i didnt think about touch panels, and now that i have this new fancy steering wheel i might be able to do something with the buttons on the wheel. the wheel buttons use CANBUS to talk, so id have to hack them to get resistive stuff to work... maybe ill still try.


----------



## Thumper26

Agreed its super overkill. However there is something about the 4th gens that are noticeably faster than the others, and are lower power as well. We got some desktops and laptops in and i was surprised at the snappiness and boot times on win7. That said, imagine the mobo on a display behind plexi next to a minidsp and sharc board. Sexy


----------



## Joenaz2003

req said:


> nah, gotta have access to the back to short the pins. if i was smart - id of soldered a set of wires connected to a pushbutton switch and mounted it somewhere discreete before i put in the center console so all id have to do is press and hold the button to short the pins...
> 
> does the LCD work when the firmware is flashed though? how do i input to the PC to upload the new firmware if my only LCD does not work now lol. or is this only for touch screen stuff?
> 
> i have no idea lol.
> 
> How to update PIC firmware on our universal HDMI solutions | Chalkboard Electronics
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and guys, 60w+ cpus' are really quite over kill haha. ive got a 2.2ghz cpu in mine and it runs perfectly. im not doing any plugin FIR filters or anything, just a bunch of music and front end software. i just dont have to worry about over heating
> 
> i thought about installing a track ball in my arm rest or something like that, but figuring a good way to integrate it is the hard part. i didnt think about touch panels, and now that i have this new fancy steering wheel i might be able to do something with the buttons on the wheel. the wheel buttons use CANBUS to talk, so id have to hack them to get resistive stuff to work... maybe ill still try.


A push button would definitely be a good idea so you don't have to pull it each time. Do you still have image while your doing the FW update or does it require a 2nd screen? I figured you could just push the update to it through the PC like everything else. I didn't know there was a shorting trick lol.

There is no such thing as overkill only being prepared in-case you need more lol.

I love track balls man. I design with ACAD and have been using them since 95 when mice still had cables and they ran away from you when you let go of them. I'm pretty spastic with a mouse now and end up at the other side of the desk by the time I'm done doing anything. A track ball would be nice even if its just for emergencies if the touch malfunctions. I use an M570 and the board inside it is pretty small. With out the contoured top half it would fit in an arm rest pretty well. Some touch pads for your thumbs at like 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock would be nice and right there when you need them. They would have to be pretty small though unless the center of the wheel is beefy or there's no bag in the wheel.



Thumper26 said:


> Agreed its super overkill. However there is something about the 4th gens that are noticeably faster than the others, and are lower power as well. We got some desktops and laptops in and i was surprised at the snappiness and boot times on win7. That said, imagine the mobo on a display behind plexi next to a minidsp and sharc board. Sexy


They definitely speed up the boot. I'm a big fan of AMD over intel and the Haswells boot noticeably faster than my 8350 on a Gen3 Sabertooth. With that MSI MOBO and the 4460 CPU it should have a few second cold boot into Win8. I'm sure that's with quick boot, quick post and most stuff disabled though. It also has the humidity protection which is good for in the car where it gets pretty humid while it sits.

Mount it next to the equipment, throw a liquid cooler on it which for just that would only cost about $80. Fill it with UV coolant. Rout it around the board so it lights the whole thing up. That would look sick.


----------



## Thumper26

Exactly. I already have a black car with red accents, that mobo would be right at home.


----------



## Joenaz2003

Hey Req I'm ordering the rest of my PC stuff today. I'm going with (2) of the 7s just in case I do decide to run dual. If not I'll have one that's more local than china if any of us have one crap out. Did you order any of the cables from chalkboard with that screen or did you just get your own? I guess I would get these:
ambient light sensor (+$4.99)
miniHDMI-H​DMI male cable (+$4.49)
5V/2A, US plug (+$6.99)

Also does the board on that screen have a back up cam input?

I also went with that 4590s Thumper26 pointed out instead of the one I have sitting here (damn it). But I found a taker for the 4460 so it's all good. The $10 difference between the chip and the jump on the benchmark list made sense to me. I had to get out of the list when I started getting to i7s lol.


----------



## Thumper26

Joe, are you planning on using centrafuse, etc for your carpc? I figured I'd just run Windows with some enlarged shortcuts on the screen.

Also, thanks for the confirmation on the intels being faster. It seems that intel and amd just keep leapfrogging each other, and at the moment intel is winning with haswell. I'm sure that'll change in a couple months though


----------



## Joenaz2003

Thumper26 said:


> Joe, are you planning on using centrafuse, etc for your carpc? I figured I'd just run Windows with some enlarged shortcuts on the screen.
> 
> Also, thanks for the confirmation on the intels being faster. It seems that intel and amd just keep leapfrogging each other, and at the moment intel is winning with haswell. I'm sure that'll change in a couple months though


I was looking at centrafuse and other front ends. I'm not sure about them yet but I'm going to put windows 8.1 in.

They all hop around all the time and once in a while you get a 2 year old CPU that outperforms the new stuff as long as you set it up right. The latest seems to be focusing on power consumption with a bit more speed added on. The 8350 still out performs the i5s and some of the i7 but something about the haswell boots extremely fast and they have very low power consumption. To check the CPUs I usually go to:
Thomshardware
Passmark
Cpubenchmark

They all have tests on different aspects. I don't really need anything with crazy processing power but I want something with low power consumption and quick boot times.


----------



## req

Joenaz2003 said:


> Hey Req I'm ordering the rest of my PC stuff today. I'm going with (2) of the 7s just in case I do decide to run dual. If not I'll have one that's more local than china if any of us have one crap out. Did you order any of the cables from chalkboard with that screen or did you just get your own? I guess I would get these:
> ambient light sensor (+$4.99)
> miniHDMI-H​DMI male cable (+$4.49)
> 5V/2A, US plug (+$6.99)
> 
> Also does the board on that screen have a back up cam input?
> 
> I also went with that 4590s Thumper26 pointed out instead of the one I have sitting here (damn it). But I found a taker for the 4460 so it's all good. The $10 difference between the chip and the jump on the benchmark list made sense to me. I had to get out of the list when I started getting to i7s lol.


they were out of ambient light sensors when i bought mine. if you would be willing to get another one and mail it to me - id be happy to reimburse you for it.

id get the cables too - at least the mini-hdmi. luckily i had both those cables lying around my house - but i doubt many people have a spare hdmi->mini-hdmi laying about haha. im crazy i guess.


----------



## Joenaz2003

req said:


> they were out of ambient light sensors when i bought mine. if you would be willing to get another one and mail it to me - id be happy to reimburse you for it.
> 
> id get the cables too - at least the mini-hdmi. luckily i had both those cables lying around my house - but i doubt many people have a spare hdmi->mini-hdmi laying about haha. im crazy i guess.


Sure thing man not a problem. Now that I have all my answers I'm going to place the screen order tonight. I went with two screens in case I'm feeling squirrelly and decide to install them or like I said I'll have an extra if anyone's craps out and it will be more local. I don't know if the cables will ship separate but it looks like the screens are about a week and a half out now before they ship. I'll keep you posted.

I usually have all sorts of cables laying around too. I just threw out a ton of old technology lol. I order 1 or 2 extra when I get anything but the mini HDMIs aren't a usual for me. This may be the only thing I will have that has one. I have a few of the Mini DP cables though. That seems to be one of the new norms for video cards. Lately since things change so often I've been getting regular HDMI cables then use an adapter for the interface matching.


----------



## req

understood. the clearance toward the bottom is not much when you consider the cable has to bend 90*...

id either suggest just getting an hdmi cable and an adapter that does hdmi->mini-hdmi but has a 90* bend if you can find it - then hot-glue that adapter in place... id be nervous about the vibration though. i actually had my cable go down, then do a nice 90* curve toward the bottom of my LCD housing, and zip tie it real tight a few inches down the line to hold it in place real well.

let me know when it comes in, then ill do the light sensor and the firmware update at the same time.


----------



## Joenaz2003

req said:


> understood. the clearance toward the bottom is not much when you consider the cable has to bend 90*...
> 
> id either suggest just getting an hdmi cable and an adapter that does hdmi->mini-hdmi but has a 90* bend if you can find it - then hot-glue that adapter in place... id be nervous about the vibration though. i actually had my cable go down, then do a nice 90* curve toward the bottom of my LCD housing, and zip tie it real tight a few inches down the line to hold it in place real well.
> 
> let me know when it comes in, then ill do the light sensor and the firmware update at the same time.


I just meant in general for this I'm going to get the actual cables it needs so I have less plugs to separate. My suspension is so tight it's like it was replaced with bricks. I was going to order the HDMI and USB from them but I'm going to need like 10' to make it to the panel next to my rear seat routed nicely. I'm thinking one of those double sided tape zip tie holders to the back of the screen to keep the wires secure and what not.

The red cable in the picture you posed above is the HDMI cable?

So I'm trying to place the order but it does not seem to give me the option to put the screen in my cart. Maybe because it's out of stock. If I can't figure it out I'll just email them again.


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## Joenaz2003

Damn internet shopping. Between what I have laying around and what I ordered today this is what I will have and a list of future items. Can anybody think of anything I may have overlooked?

EQUIPMENT
MOB - MSI Z87I Gaming AC
CPU - Core i5-4590S
RAM – 16GB Patriot Viper Xtreme DDR3, 1600MHz
PSU - M3-ATX-HV 6-34vDC Smart DC to DC Power Supply
SSD – OCZ Vertex 3 240GB
ODB2 - OBDLink SX Scan Tool
ODB2 - Right Angle OBD II Extension Cable 2'
ODB2 – OBDLink MX WiFi (On pre order for August)
DISPLAY - Chalkboard 7" open frame universal HDMI LCD with capacitive multi-touch
GPS - GlobalSat BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver (Black)

SOFTWARE
OS - Win 8.1 x64
DSP - 360.3 software
OBD - OBDwiz Pro
MEDIA - MPC-Home Cinema x64
MEDIA - iTunes x64


FUTURE
AT&T Beam 4G LTE
Mic 
Voice Recognition software
Joycon EXR
Fusion Brain
REW & Scarlet 2i2


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## plcrides

joe what on earth are you doing now,building a control center for night rider so you will never have to go inside the house.starship enterprise joe. haha


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## Joenaz2003

Parts started coming so I'm going to be putting them and the build in my build log http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...11-99-trans-am-my-1st-real-audio-install.html if anyone wants to check it out. I only got the PSU and OBD2 wire extension so far but the last of it should be here Thursday so I'll probably stop using this thread.


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## req

right on man! 

im glad this is going to come to fruition!


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## Joenaz2003

req said:


> right on man!
> 
> im glad this is going to come to fruition!


Thanks man I'm excited.

It looks like the rest of my stuff will be here today. I have to swap out the new 500GB SSD i just bought with the 240GB SSD in my home machine which will be used for the car PC then I can start getting it set up.

I tried to order the screens and cables the other day but it wont let me put anything in my basket. Is there a trick? Were you able to place a pre order when they were Out of stock or did you just keep checking till they were in? I emailed them a couple of days ago but haven't heard back yet. I'm getting antsy now lol. I'll end up trying to fit my 23" LCD and a track ball in the car temporarily.


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## req

i emailed him and told him to take my money and when they came in, send it to me. they go on back order so fast because everyone like you and me want one of these screens because they are literally almost the only thing that fits our projects for sale at the moment.

id say check the website every day, and email the guy (andrew lin) - heck, the guys twitter is chalk-elec, get on there and send him a message. every email ive sent to him he has replied back to me, it just takes some time.


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## Joenaz2003

req said:


> i emailed him and told him to take my money and when they came in, send it to me. they go on back order so fast because everyone like you and me want one of these screens because they are literally almost the only thing that fits our projects for sale at the moment.
> 
> id say check the website every day, and email the guy (andrew lin) - heck, the guys twitter is chalk-elec, get on there and send him a message. every email ive sent to him he has replied back to me, it just takes some time.


I replied to the email he sent me last about that update on SUnday so if he doesn't answer today I'll send him a new one in case its going into spam. I don't like to be a pain in the ass but like I've said before I'm like a kid with a new GI Joe truck waiting for my dad to put the decals on. And I have no idea where the hell fedex and UPS are but the other stuff is on the trucks. When they dropped my cables off yesterday it was early like 11am. Now that good stuff is coming it will be like 8PM lol.

When the SSD comes I'm going to do a clean windows install (its been like 2 years since the last install) then I have to re-install all my software, set up the drive letters and sync all my data/directories across 10 3TB drives which takes like a day or 2. It's a pain in the ass. I cant wait till they release a single 100 TB drive. I'll be set lol. Once that's done I'm going to start loading windows and the software onto the car PC and getting it all set up.


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## Joenaz2003

Crap man. The only thing worse than not having the PC is having it fully completed and no screen. I keep checking chalkboard like twice a day. I may have to go over there and build one my self soon lol. I'm also trying to work out the PSU issue. They dsaid it should work but I need power to test it so I'm going to get the CTEK 25000 to test it since I want one anyway and now I have a reason for it.


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## req

honestly i tested the power supply by making a harness off an old MOLEX connector. i cut the end off one side, plugged the other side into a 4-pin molex in my desktop PC's power supply - you know, the ones used for fans and CDROM drives, the big 4 pin ones.

then i hooked a black (gnd) wire to the ground (-) input of the pico PSU, the yellow +12v wire to the constant +12v wire for the pico PSU, and i bridged the yellow +12v wire via a quick disconnect to the switched +12v wire for the pico PSU. this way i could test for DC-DC and power on functions just by dosconnecting the quick connector.


when i was trying to buy one of those screens i felt like i was looking every ten minutes. keep an eye on their twitter page, thats where they drop the notice for availablity.


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## Joenaz2003

I was going to try that with my PC PSU but I want to make sure it gets powered from the car voltage since it doesn't have all the pins and conectors the MOBO needs.

Man I'm one of those guys that stays away from any kind of social media. I'll see if my girlfriend has Twitter.


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## Joenaz2003

Man Req you are good luck. I posted that above then went to the site to see what their twitter crap is and they were in stock. I have 2 on the way. If you want to PM me your address I'll mail you out the light sensor when it gets here.


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## req

aw dude wicked 

thanks man!!!


also, are you going to try my power supply trick? all you need is a spare molex (cut it off a fan or something), some spare wire, and some quick connectors.


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## Joenaz2003

req said:


> aw dude wicked
> 
> thanks man!!!
> 
> 
> also, are you going to try my power supply trick? all you need is a spare molex (cut it off a fan or something), some spare wire, and some quick connectors.


Now its on to figuring out exactly what I want to do and if I will use 1 or both screens at first. Then it's time for glassing again.

I'm going to give that a try tonight. I have plenty of different power supply ends. When I replace PSUs I cut the harness off them and keep it in case I need to make an extension or end type converter.


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## req

haha i do the same thing! i feel its a waste to toss them. 

let us know how it goes!


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## Joenaz2003

Now I check the order twice a day to see if it shipped lol. I'm like an infant.

It's still at
Payment Status: Accepted
Fulfillment Status: New

Hopefully it will say shipped at some point. I'm going to work on a Box for the MOBO today, I have an ABS sheet laying around I'm going to use so I can keep it small as possibly while still fitting a small fan like I have on my amp rack and the SSD inside.


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## NHgranite

How is your CarPC project going?


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