Ryzen desktop powered by AA batteries passes CPU stress test
© Uwoslab Speaking of crazy ideas, content creator Uwoslab set out to power a desktop PC with 400 disposable AA batteries. Turns out the full array was not required, as the AMD Ryzen system successfully booted after 192 alkaline cells were connected.
The batteries were installed across three laser-cut wooden trays, each holding 64 cells. Eight 1.5V cells were connected in series to produce around 12V. The resulting 24 strings were connected in parallel to provide enough current for the desktop.
© Uwoslab The battery array supplied a 12V DC-to-ATX converter connected directly to the motherboard. This avoided the inverter and standard power supply used in Uwoslab’s earlier 9V battery experiment. That previous setup used zinc-carbon batteries and could only keep the PC running for a few seconds.
The test platform used an AM4 motherboard with an unidentified Ryzen G-series processor and integrated Vega graphics. It had no discrete GPU or internal storage, so Hannah Montana Linux (of all distributions) was loaded from a USB flash drive. The display used a separate power source.
The system completed the Linux boot, connected to the internet and loaded Twitch through Firefox. Uwoslab then ran stress-ng, which pushed processor utilization to 98% without shutting down the system. FreeDoom was also installed and played from the live Linux environment.
The battery banks measured around 13.05V before the test and 12.35V after the PC was shut down. Uwoslab did not continue until the batteries were depleted, but estimated that the system could operate for more than an hour. In March, we covered a similar experiment in which an Intel Core i3-530 desktop ran for 33 minutes and 19 seconds using 64 AA batteries.
Source: YouTube video
IT WORKED! Unlike the 9V attempt, this one ran the desktop for 30 minutes without running dead off of 200 AAs. Given the capacity at the end of the test it will likely run a couple more hours before the power drop becomes too much. we benchmarked with Hannah Montana Linux pic.twitter.com/vKBEkundyb
— uwo's lab | the funny science man (@uwutoowo1) July 17, 2026
