Power Requirements and usage
The DFRobot website suggests using their 12V-5A 60W AC/DC power adapter with a DC cable connected directly to the board’s power input connector. However, during our tests, we chose the USB Type-C port as the input and paired it with a GaN charger using a 9V 3.0A (27W) power adapter, which delivered good performance.
Power supply requirements as officially recommended by DFRobot.
- Input Options:
- USB Type-C (PD 20V) — for direct charging and operation.
- DC Jack (5.5×2.5mm, center-positive) — accepts 12–24V input.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Rated Voltage | 12V |
| Rated Power | 60W |
| Rated Current | 5A |
| Input Voltage | 100~240V / 50~60Hz |
| Output Voltage | 11.4V ~ 12.6V (load: 0A ~ 5A steadily) |
| Operating Temperature | 0~40°C |
| Storage Temperature | -20~80°C |
| Dimensions (Adapter) | 122mm × 55mm × 34.5mm |
| DC Cable Length | 1200mm |
| Power Cord Length | 500mm |
| Certifications | FCC, CE, UKCA, CCC, PSE, SAA, UL, ROHS |
– General Estimate –
| Test Type: | Watts |
|---|---|
| Idle mode | 3-4W |
| Playing a video on YouTube in 1080p. | 7-19W |
| Playing a video on YouTube in 4K. | 7-22W |
It varies and depends on the system resources used and the apps running. With included 1TB NVMe SSD and a Wi-Fi card, you can expect the following average power usage in watts. Keep in mind, using the DFrobot adapter is strongly recommended for improved stability and to ensure device safety.
Checking temperature, voltage, and current in idle mode (zero usage)
When you installed the IOTA Active Cooler, was there a gap between the CPU and the cooler? Mine seems to have an air gap that can’t be overcome with thermal paste.
Maybe, but I can’t say for sure. The thermal paste should help, even if there is a very small gap.
If you’re really annoyed with the gap, you can always try adding a thermal pad. What you should focus on is checking the temperatures to see if they are stable. If they are stable and reasonable in range, then everything is working as it should.