I'm planning a compact, mobile-style PC build with the monitor mounted to the case. Some portable displays can receive power and video over USB-C, but I'm wondering whether a monitor could be powered directly from the PC's PSU through an 8-pin connector and a suitable adapter. Is that practical, or would it be unsafe?
4 Answers
It’s technically possible to build a custom solution with the correct wiring, fuses, connectors, and a DC-DC converter, but it would need to be designed around that exact monitor. You can’t simply adapt two PSU leads together or replace the monitor’s wall adapter without matching its output voltage, current, polarity, and connector.
Older desktop power supplies sometimes had an AC pass-through outlet intended for powering a CRT monitor, but that was mains power and not the same thing as feeding a display from an 8-pin DC connector. For a modern setup, plugging the monitor into the same wall outlet or using a portable USB-C display is safer and simpler.
A USB-C portable monitor is the much cleaner option. Many of them can take power and video through USB-C, or power through USB and use HDMI separately. That gives you an off-the-shelf solution without modifying the PSU or running exposed custom wiring.
I wouldn’t try using an 8-pin connector for this. PCIe and EPS 8-pin plugs are intended for specific computer components, and they don’t provide a universal monitor power connection. The monitor may also require a voltage such as 19V, while the PSU commonly provides 12V, 5V, and 3.3V. Using the wrong pins or voltage could damage the display or the PSU.
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