Can I power a light bulb with PC PSU?


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Old 05-03-17, 03:53 AM
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Can I power a light bulb with PC PSU?

I'm making a steampunk modded PC chassis and I'd like to have lights like the ones in the link below, as well as other stuff if possible, powered on by the PC.

If possible, how can I power on lightbulbs with the PSU, or using the fan connectors on the mobo, or LED connector on Phanteks P400S if one of those work better?

https://www.amazon.com/NEW-Edison-Vi...rass+box&psc=1


I know how I'm going to mount it on the case, just not sure how to connect it/if I need some kind of power converter/etc.
 
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Old 05-03-17, 04:11 AM
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Short answer, no. They require 120 volts and are incandescent. Where do you presume to derive your 120 volts from? You may can control the lights from the PC using relays and the such.
 
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Old 05-03-17, 04:50 AM
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Your wanting to power 60 watt incandescent lights from a computer power supply??? That really doesn't make sense. All computer power supplies output low voltage DC so it's incompatible with 120VAC lights.

Easiest would be to simply run your lights off a separate circuit with a power switch. When you turn your computer on you also flip the switch to turn on the lights. Next up in complexity would be to do as Chandler mentioned or go a step further and have an interface board in your computer do the switching to turn lights on and off via relays. And if you really want to get creative you can get Edison style LED light bulbs. The bulb is 120 VAC but the internals are DC. You could disassemble the bulb and power the LED strings with DC supplied from your computer's power supply.
 
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Old 05-03-17, 05:51 AM
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A relay rated for at least 150 volts/5 amps with a 12 volt DC coil would be simplest. Getting power to the bulbs would be another matter. Easiest a separate cord set. However hopefully you mean outside of the case. Computers have enough trouble with heat without a type of bulb that can actually bake a cake.
 
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Old 05-03-17, 05:53 AM
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I should have been more specific, my bad.

By "these" lights I just meant similar looking lights. I didn't mean those exactly, they were just the first one on the search menu.

Someone showed me these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FO79VSA...ackoverfl08-20 and told me they run off 12V DC

I didn't mean those exact lights. Anything with a filament or that looks old fashioned.
 
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Old 05-03-17, 07:00 AM
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They would work especially if it is a home-built with a large power supply. Factory-built computers tend to have power supplies sized just barely large enough to handle installed components. I'd suggest the lower 2 watt bulbs.
 
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Old 05-03-17, 09:56 AM
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I would look at your LED options. Here's a similar type of bulb, but uses a fraction of the wattage, and runs on 12v, which the computer can probably supply.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...dimmable/3199/

(I don't know anything about this vendor, it's just an example)
 
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Old 05-03-17, 03:02 PM
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By "these" lights I just meant similar looking lights. I didn't mean those exactly
Well gosh, I guess we should have had our psychic medium hat on. Hard for us to know what you mean when you don't say it.

I agree with the others that LED bulbs would put less strain on the system, since they barely can handle the periphery they come with. But I think you are on the right track, now.
 
 

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