pc with auto power-up

I forgot to mumble something about quad core CPU's. This explains some of the complications: The problem is that the most desirable quad core CPU's are rather pricey. For example, the Q9650 sells on eBay for $75 to $100. It also runs rather warm.

However, there is a way to make the cheaper Xeon E5450 work using an adapter for the LGA771 CPU to function in the LGA775 socket. About $35. Here's what's involved: The catch is that not all BIOS versions and motherboards will work.

The as-bought config is fine for my needs. It came refurbed with Win7 and runs Dropbox and my PowerBasic applications fine. This is my unattended remote temperature thing.

It currently reboots itself every day at 4AM, but I plan to add a timer to cycle power to everything (including the cable modem and the router, which can hang up) once a week, like Thursday AM or something. That makes it more likely that we can turn the heat on remotely for the weekend.

Even at home in the city, our cable box hangs up, once a month or so, and has to be power cycled. Ditto the cable modem.

snip did you try stuff like this first google hit?

Make sure you're looking at the WHOLE problem. Getting the power on is just the start of the problem. If the OS says, ", click here to continue," you're toast.

Linux may or may not...depends...do better with this...maybe.

Ok, you don't need more performance for such minimal applications. For me, computers are never fast enough to keep me happy.

For every improvement in computer hardware performance, there is an equal and opposite reduction in performance from advances in software.

I had to deal with unreliable power and random reboots on mountain top radio sites for many years. The earliest solution was an electronic (not mechanical) timer that rebooted the machine at preset times. It was an earlier model of this: What should have been a no-brain installation turned into a complex mess. Problems:

1. The original unit used two AG13/LR44 alkaline batteries that last about 1 year. Then the batteries die, the unit goes to the off position, precipitating a visit to the mountain. Remembering to bring replacement batteries was a problem. The quality of the batteries were also lacking as cheap junk I found on eBay would being leaking near their end of life. I switched to silver oxide, which work for about 2 years and don't leak.
2. Programming the timer is a challenge as the instructions are printed in 2pt type and rather difficult to decode. Given sufficient time and profanity, it can be done.
3. Power is controlled by a relay, not an SSR (solid state relay). Devices with high inrush currents tend to arc the contacts. You can easily test for this problem by just plugging the computah into an AC wall outlet and looking for the large spark. If you see the big spark, the timer contacts will soon fail.

I eventually switched to a radio controlled paging system, where all the pagers were programmed for the same POCSAG code, and the displayed message controlled which weather station computer would be rebooted. The only major problem was dealing with high RF interference levels on some mountain tops.

I've also used various internconnected power switches such as the APC AP9211. These have worked out quite well, especially when intergrated with an SNMP based management system. However, you can point a web browser at the switch IP address and run things from there. The problem here is that if you unplug or plug in the SNMP module with the power on, you blow up both the module and the main unit. Despite warning I place all over these units, someone usually manages to blow them up. Still, it's a nice way to remote control power, but I would get a later model.

The cable box is getting updates from the cable provider. For reasons unknown, they seem to feel that reboots after updates are not necessary. Some cable boxes, especially those with telephone eMTA features, have a battery inside intended to keep the phone part of the system running during power outages. To reset these, you have to shove a paper clip into the reset hole as power cycling the AC power does nothing.

My experience with various "smart" devices is that they all screw up eventually and need to be rebooted. There are a few such devices that have a "dead man's timer" to make sure that the CPU doesn't hang. The CPU outputs a "keep alive" signal at regular intervals. If the dead man's timer circuit fails to receive a few of these signals, it initiates a CPU reset or in some cases, a power cycle. Works nicely, as long as the circuit is isolated and independent of the circuitry that it's monitoring.

So, the wise man takes advantage of hardware advances and learns to live "without" the (alleged) improvements in the software!

Dell Optiplex desktops all seem to have this option. It is a feature of the BIOS, not anything in hardware. The ITX power supplies all power up the motherboard when line power is applied, then the BIOS decides whether to boot up or power off. Lots of other systems have the same option, but the BIOS records in the CMOS memory what option you selected. And, some BIOSes may not have this choice. Dell Optiplex machines are available in a variety of case sizes. I buy them used on eBay.

Due to the battery, I suspect most if not all laptops will not have this auto-power on.

Jon