Computer power usage...

[pyrocasto]

Here's a chart with some around-about figures on computers. I figured the minimum on mine, and still got 179~watts. And I leave my computer on 24/7!(that's gonna change)

http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,119585,pg,2,00.asp

My computer costs me $10.31 a month to leave it on 24/7 like I do.

[commanda]

I think it is meant for finding the size of power supply required. It gives peak power, not average power over 24 hours. My computers are set to power down the hard drives after x minutes of inactivity. And CD roms and floppy drives only consume power when actually being used. Their idle power is pretty small. That chart also leaves out the monitor.

I'd hate to run this exercise in my household. There's 2 desktop pc's, one with lcd, one with crt displays. A file server, a router (both desktop pc's with no monitor), a web server, which is a proper server with dual cpu's and scsi raid array and more fan's than I can count, a laptop which the kids are using a lot, an adsl modem, several hubs, a crt monitor which gets switched between the various servers; I think thats it. Only the laptop ever gets shut down.

Amanda

[JeroenH]

My PC uses about 100 Watts (Pentium-4 at 1.6GHz), while my monitor (17" TFT) uses about 50 Watts. My girlfriends' Athlon on the other hand uses about 200W and her 15" TFT monitor about 35 Watts. I intend to replace her PC with something more energy-efficient.

I measured these values with a power meter. I used to leave my PC on 24/7, but knowing how much power I was wasting (and how much money it was costing me) got me off that habit real fast. I now use it for about 2-3 hrs/day. Still 100-150 kWh/yr but much less than before. I consider it power well spent, learning about RE etc. although I also play some games occasionally.

As a sidenote: I have placed both PC's on a powerstrip because the PC and all its peripherals go into standby mode when the PC switches off, still consuming electricity.

[TomW]

Guys;

Well I run 2 laptops 24/7 and they use about 2.5 amps at 12 volts for bothr. Say 30 watts. Not high end gear but useful as servers, dataloggers, etc.

Cheers.

TomW

[DanG]

Note, videocard can draw more then CPU during POST or while playing games - The orginal AGP spec of 40w surely has been cranked up a few times..

The lowest power "last year's model" desktop cards I've seen are the Geforce4 MX440 64MB XP desktop draw 3.7W vs. Radeon 9000 Pro 64MB 5.9W - The newest cards draw at least 15w on desktop, usually 20 with some as high as 38 watts to just idle on desktop; but the newest VidCards also can have 160 million transistors in one package ...

Usually w/ a desktop you can also reduce the AGP Buss speed from 66MHz to 50Mhz in the bios and shave off an easy 20% if the software & OS agree with the change...

I've always had desktops so any change to RE-Power will see my desktop VidCard tag along at first --- GeForce 4 Ti4200-8x 128MB...45.5W@ POST, 15.9W@ Desktop, 54.2W gaming peak..

[scottsAI]

I bought a Kill-O-watt meter, to find out how much power my computers use.

I have 16 computers running SETI. (called SETI farm)

I use 4 of them as a general computer. Internet...

My electric bill went up over $120/mo.

The computers are 1.6ghz to 2.5ghz, average 1.9xxghz.

The power varies from 93watts to 118watts. Not counting the monitor.

The motherboard seems to make the biggest difference in power. Outside CPU.

I use a KVM (keyboard mouse video switch), So, only have 5 monitors.

Every computer and monitor is backed up with a UPS. Run time 5 min.

I looked into more efficient power supplies. The cheap ones I'm using cost $25 as part of a case. The more efficient PS cost >$80. The standard PW is 65%, the expensive ones only 80%. The payback was years, so I'm stuck with what I have.

I use a low end video card, no CD, but the machines have everything else.

My 1.6ghz laptop draws 42watts. Compared to the 1.6ghz desktop computers it seems slow but, for SETI it's as fast as any another other computer. Nice low power. Also cost >12x as much. My SETI computers cost on average $120. Everything was bought on sale.

I have spent hours trying to figure out ways to reduce the power. I thought the Power factor would be a benefit. No. Meter only bills real power... Darn. But good:-)

Have fun.

[ghurd]

I wonder about the payback of changing to TFT monitors.

The price differance would buy some solar or make a pretty nice wind mill.

This Sony was about $700 12 months ago (part of a package deal), but I am sure it is less now.

I just love how clear they are.

G-

[picmacmillan]

i actually have one of those killawatts also, and i havent checked what my computer uses as far as electricity, i have pretty well the same setup as others, plus a modem for hight speed and speakers..i am going to plug that thing in, and report back what it uses...good post here to get us thinking.. pickster

[John II]

It really bugs me when people brag like this ; )

John II

[nanotech]

Hrm, makes me wonder how much I'm cranking out...

AMD XP2500+ overclocked to 3200+, 18" LCD monitor, printer, scanner, DSL modem, 60W surround speakers. (my computer)

IBM P3 500 laptop (for son to kick around on)

P3 966, 18" LCD monitor, speakers.  (wife's computer)

They're on from about 8:00 AM to 10:00PM continuously (except for laptop, of course), only to be shut down at night.

[finnsawyer]

Maybe the real waste of being online is in that 25 watt computer located behind our eyes.  As a society we use energy like hell because we can.  I haven't seen any evidence that the high gas prices have caused a reduction in local driving.

[MattB]

About 8 amps at 24 volt, so roughly 200w including the inverter. That includes the starband satellite modem. standard desktop unit with a 17" LCD monitor. No sound.

Surprizing to me is that my power hog 25" TV and satellite reciever draw slightly less than the computer...

-Matt

[nanotech]

Also makes me wonder what my old NEC 21" CRT monitor drew.  As when I turned it on, lights would dim 3 apartments away!!   LOL

[picmacmillan]

here is the data i have taken using my kilowat meter and tested my computer setup, monitor , speakers, high speed modem etc...i shut the computer off right after my last post and when i checked the kilowatt meter in the morning it showed as follows(and remember it was off the whole time!)

energy used while "off"   computer turned on            computer on for 26 hours  

                                                       (turned off when not in use)

    .22 amps               1.61 amps                     1.78 amps

     122 volts             121.8 volts                   123 volts

     15 watts              123 watts                     131 watts

     .56 kilowatts/hr      .66 kilowatt/hour             2.05 kilowatt/hr

 In conclusion, my computer and its components use 2.05 kilowatt/hours of energy and 131 watts over a 26 hour period, and i would estimate the computer was unplugged from the wall completely for approximately 20+ hours of the 26. I am very surprised the computer used this much energy, especially since i had it unplugged most of the time. I usually keep this system running 24-7, but that will change starting right now. I plan to do a 30 day energy blitz to see how much energy i can save by just unplugging things i am not using , along with all the wall worts. This is a timely decision as our local utility has just raised their rates by about 10%

as of today. If one were to calculate the cost of the hydro alone, which in my case is just 4.7 cents per kilowatt hour, then it would not be a big deal for this computer to stay on as i have only used about 10 cents worth of hydro in one day, but it is all the extra fees the hydro company charges that escalate our bill.. and again, i only had the computer plugged in while i was using it...well, thats enough for today, time to shut this thing off and unplug...i am turning over a new leaf starting right now...Pickster

[ghurd]

Hey Pickster,

You can make a DC to DC adaptor for 'most' of the wall warts.

Really easy too.  And cheap.  Like $3-4 in parts, and $5 for shipping.

Even a lot of them that put out AC, the device will run on DC. (I wouldn't do it often on new expensive items, but I have people who have no choice but to try. So far, everything always worked on DC.)

Then the items run straight from the battery. No inverter or transformer losses.

The savings can be amazing... one ran 10 days from a lawn tractor battery and inverter. After the adapter it ran "2 or 3 months" before charging.

Thought you may need you cordless phone and answering machine 'up North'.

G-

[scottsAI]

The 15w is call phantom power. Most PC draw 5 – 15 watts while off.

Check your VCR, other devices, you will see most everything draws power. Even while off. Power strips are real popular as a sure means of turning things off.

Lets us know how your power survey goes.

Have fun.

[nothing to lose]

"I have spent hours trying to figure out ways to reduce the power"

Stop looking for aliens at SETI

Just kidding, that's alot of systems to just run SETI on.

[nothing to lose]

Yep, I hate everytime I buy something new and glance through the manual for it, OFF MODE! What the H### is Off Mode, off is a state of being, it is either on or off, if it is in a mode then it is on! If it is using power, it is on!! The clock on the microwave is on, the clock on the vcr is on, ok I can see that (no pun intended) but the computer, scanner, printer, all in a "OFF MODE" eating power I cannot see! It should be a requirement that all devices have a user acessable hard off "total OFF" switch for people smart enough to turn them off. Heck I bet I haven't used the scanner for weeks, but everytime I turn on the computer it lights up, why??? Power strips help alittle, but then you have to have one for each device or you still turn on several things to use just one. Turn on the strip to use the printer and I turn on the scanner, modem, speakers etc... too

The manufactors don't seem to know that off is not a mode though, nor does the Government agency that keeps giving all this junk the Energy Star aproval as being effiecient, more proof you only have to know who to pay and how much to get what you want from the Government!

UL aproval is the same payoff scam, has to be. How can the cord magnetically attached to the back of a scalding hot grease deep fryer in the kitchen anywhere near water be safe when it keeps falling off with the least little touch! Ya, I really want to forget I have wet hands and reach back there to grab that when it falls off sometime. But it is UL APPROVED SAFETY CORD. Somebody had to pay something there!!

[nothing to lose]

Along with my little rant there, I would like to mention all night I have not used the scanner, the tube is lit up now.

 I have disabled it in software and even removed various things, but it keeps comming back and lights up basically anytime it want for no reason!! It just won't go away!

Keep jerking the cord out the back and pretty soon that liitle plug won't work anymore.

 But what to do, the printer was used once tonight, so the scanner is lit???

[TomW]

NTL;

You could slap a $3 power strip on it from one of those "dollar stores" or make a box with a light switch and an outlet on it to power it off.

Just an idea that would take less time than replacing the jack on the scanner. just let the computer talk to it on boot then flip it off till you need it, same with the printer.

Just a thought.

T

[nothing to lose]

Thanks.

There are alot of things we can do, but it's still a pain in the rear to have to do it.

3 computers, monitors, printers, speakers, etc... etc... thats alot of things to build or buy to turn each off device and on individaully as needed. Each device needs it's own or like I said when you turn one thing on something else also comes on.

I do have one good expensive strip type thing that each outlet has it's own switch, then I just have to label what each switch is for and have it in easy reach. I got that one on trade for something some-one needed but could not afford, so I swapped for the strip I would not have bought anyway. I think it cost about $50 new! Pretty fancy thing.

Monitor is still a problem though, kill the power and it forgets the settings and goes to the default factory settings everytime. Now I have computers I have had unplugged for months or more, they remember everything, so why can't the monitor?? I mean the PC has to remember date time overclock settings ect.. and alot of other things I set manaully in Bios/Cmos, it does that just fine for years on 1 tiny battery. So why does the monitor need power when off???