DekuNukem's ATX4VC Converts Modern PC Power Supplies for Use with Vintage Hardware — and More
With a range of outputs, PWM fan headers, USB Type-C, and even ARGB LED control, the ATX4VC is perfect for pimping out vintage PCs.
Pseudonymous maker and vintage computing enthusiast "dekuNukem" has built a board, which aims to make it easier to bring older computers back to life — by converting the output of a standard modern ATX power supply to something more suitable: ATX4VC.
"Power supplies are a major failure point of old computers today. Those early PSUs are heavy, inefficient, run hot, and [are] sometimes explosive," dekuNukem explains of the problem the project seeks to solve. "After 40 odd years, many are not working, or worse might cause damage with out-of-spec voltages. ATX4VC is designed to replace them with much more reliable modern ATX power supplies, and as a tool to help test and diagnose vintage computers."
Originally built as part of the RGBeeb project, which took the inner workings of a vintage BBC Micro home computer from the 1980s and rehoused it in a modern PC chassis with RGB lighting, the ATX4VC takes the 24-pin cable from any modern ATX power supply and splits it into fused +12V, +5V, +3.3V outputs and unfused low-current -5V and -12V outputs suitable for vintage hardware.
As additional features, the ATX4VC board also includes two four-pin headers for cooling fans, which can be speed controlled via pulse-width modulation (PWM) under manual or temperature-probe control when coupled with an optional DS18B20 probe, two headers for addressable RGB (ARGB) LED lighting, and two USB Type-C ports that provide power output as well as making it easier to update the board's firmware.
"ATX4VC can be used to: Replace ageing retro computer power supplies," dekuNukem says. "Add cooling and lighting upgrades. Test and diagnose vintage hardware. [Or] as [a] general-purpose multi-voltage bench PSU."
The ATX4VC is now available to buy on dekuNukem's Tindie store for $35.99 before volume discounts; design files and firmware source code have been published to GitHub under the permissive MIT license.