Any info about inductors?

[Logistics]

I was wondering if any benefit could be seen by changing inductors on motherboards. Obviously, it's possible to get different winding configurations and core types; many having much lower DC resistance for a given rating in Henries. Any thoughts?

[PeteS in CA]

Re: Any info about inductors?

The heat dissipated in an O/P inductor comes from two major sources. One is the DC resistance. The other major source is the AC loss of the core, which has to do with the AC flux density, the switching frequency and the loss characteristic of the core material. You also have to be careful of the core's characteristics with DC current. Here is Micrometals's site, which has a lot of general info and info about their powdered iron cores. Here is the webpage for Magnetics Inc.'s MPP, High Flux and Kool-Mu cores. And here is the webpage for Metglas amorphous metal cores. Determining which type of core is used on your MB won't be easy. If the inductor isn't too full, you may be able to use the original core and rewind it to get more copper. Count the number of turns as you remove the original wire and determine what gauge of wire it is. If the original wire is AWG #10, winding the same number of turns with two strands of AWG #12 bifilar might increase the amount of copper without exceeding the window area of the core (it should also improve what is called "skin effect" in which high frequency AC current tends to flow in the outer part of the wire).

[999999999]

Re: Any info about inductors?

Leave the inductors, they are matched to the circuit and there should not be enough loss to overheat them, and only a small increase in efficiency if you could reduce that loss which is kind of trival when considering an entire (computer?).

A better reason to change one would be if it's resonating and you find the noise objectionable. Then again a coating of epoxy over it is a lot easier and quicker.