You know, I've just realised, these 1000W SLI set ups that we're running, all day on utorrent, and all night on COD4 online, must be really putting up the electricity bills, not to mention, killing the planet. I do recall seeing intel processors and certain PSUs which claimed to do... what they do... more efficiently...Do any of you look for efficient parts when you're building a computer?
Actually it is more important how you use the computer imho. Do we really need a Quad core @ 4Ghz just for browsing bit-tech? And do we really need all the crap we download via torrent over the day when we could actually just shut down the system? (read: you download) On the other hand it is important choosing a system that is up to the need. I do a lot of raytracing thus I will buy a quad and overclock. A dual core would actually be less efficient in the long run as it is slower, needing more time and energy for the same task. Of course a VIA would be more efficient energy wise, but it really is too slow. But do I need this 9800 GX2 SLI setup to play CSS on my 19"? No. There are harddiscs that are supposed to be "green" if I remember correctly. They are only 5400 rpm, slower than normal ones, and cost a premium. If "green" costs extra while not doing much I will always say thx but no thx.
I do a lot of Photoshop work but Energy Efficiency means a whole lot to me. I want my computer to burn as little energy as possible. Thus I hunt for PSUs with high efficiency ratings, HDDs that consume less power, CPUs that throttle down and conserve energy, GPUs that can burn as little as possible while in 2D and of course in 3D as well. I think 1000W power supplies and dual SLI setups are madness. The sad thing is I can't seem to find a review website that also focuses on power consumption. I know bit-tech has started adding consumtion at socket numbers to their mobo reviews but I'm wanting a whole lot more detail. In another thread a little way down you'll see me hunting for info on low power computing in the hopes that I can run a home server without having it cost me a leg and an arm and also not cause too much of a CO2 outlet. I'm yet to understand how we can easily buy a well packed laptop that will burn 60W at max while most stationary computers insist on burning 120W and upwards no matter how puny their performance is.
I think the biggest problem here is definitely overkill. Use only what you need. I suppose a cooler running, quieter system, with a well looked after hard drive will make better use of the resources it has. Are C2D more efficient for their ability than the alternatives? It is a very good point that laptops do use very little power compared to desktops. Maybe a solution then, would be to use parts designed for a laptop, if you intend to consume little power... The Epia mobo's are brilliant for running servers, but I can't imagine using one to do 3d design work, or gaming. And that D945GCLF! 2W CPU. I'll definitely have to look into that. I just read through the Low Power Computing thread and it pretty much answers my questions about... low energy computing... I suppose it would be more efficient to buy an expensive brand mid range PSU, like an OCZ or corsair, than to go for a cheap power house like Arctic Power... And I've just found this: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/120376 80 plus certified, whatever that means (>80% efficient?)
the key in efficient computing is only using the power you need. thus, this is the exact reason i plan to buy Asus EEE, and surf on that, while only turning on my beast to game. if you are after efficient computing, low end parts is what you want, not q6600+8800GTX i can tell you for sure
A second PC for more routine tasks? How about a laptop then... And then, firing up the big guns for the few hours when you're gaming. Sounds like a winner" Is there a PC based diagnostic tool which can tell you how much of the PSU power is being drawn out?
Nope. Your PSU needs to have this function built-in and be able to tell the PC what's up via e.g. USB for this to be possible. I think I've heard of this once a long time ago. In short: No. You'll have to buy a Watt-meter. There's one called Watts-up that is rather acclaimed I think but I don't know if it's US or UK.
Western Digital touts their Caviar GP WD10EACS 1TB as green. It has intelligent RPMs, varying from 5400 to 7200 RPM, and intelligent head parking for further energy savings. It is also the cheapest 1TB drive available from most retailers.
In UK it used to be called ElectriSave, now it is called the OWL. If you want the power of a desktop (but not a quad-core monster like), and the power consumption of a laptop (but not a Eee like), try MoDT On my HTPC, I run a very efficient Antec Phantom power supply, a T2400 and a 8500GT, and they are all very energy efficient. My ElectriSave tells me it is only using 20-35W in total idle or watching TV. Okay the obvious problem is that the TV itself uses much more electricity, but that's another problem... A few tips to save the planet (my personal opinion): - Unplug every USB accessory you don't use - If your monitor supports it, dim down backlight - Remove all the CCFL etc fancy things from the case - Do not disable Speedstep (some people foolishly think that disabling it makes the processor faster) - If you use Vista, make use of ReadyBoost to minimise HDD access - Spin down HDD after inactivity - Put monitors into standby after 5 mins of inactivity, if found annoying, then use Vista's adaptive monitor standby feature (a 24" probably uses more energy than your entire PC) - Have fewer but bigger HDDs, e.g. one 1TB drive instead of two 500GB drives - Use USB DVD-Rom instead of IDE/SATA, and only plug it in when needed - Do NOT do any pointless distributed computing like SETI@Home!
We've been after one of these for 6 months to do our power efficiency testing. They are States-side and have been developing a 230V native version for ages - we're on the list for one of the first.
this is actually the next upgrade i'm planning. I'd like to build a VIA system into my PC, using that for all tasks not gaming. It probably wont happen for a year or so, for monetary reasons :/
Certain UPS systems can tell you your power consumption too. I got this nifty CyberPower one and it lets me know my wall socket power. It's fun to watch it skyrocket in Crysis.
I did just that ages ago, the epias are slow even running fluxbox (a very thin window manager) its still slow just rendering web pages any thing remotely intensive will take an age. I stick with it because i boot it over the network and passively cool it so its completely silent. You get used to it being slow and its adequate for web browsing and emails but tbh if you're building new and not bothered by a little noise i'd look at the amd solution bindi reviewed a while back.
Just to clarify. You don't build a VIA system into your PC. It isn't like some sort of water-cooling equivalent. A VIA system would be a separate PC. Which means you'd then have 2 PCs if you want one for gaming.
I can't remember exactly where i seen it but the last page of this article mentions it... http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/03/04/amd_780g_integrated_graphics_chipset/11
I know, i meant to say i'm going to build it into my desk alongside my normal PC. I'll have to use a KVM- switch too obviously. Linky in signature if i just confused you
If you're in the UK, you can get a mains power and energy monitor from maplin. We have one at home, it's useful to gauge how much juice you computer an peripherals are using at the wall socket. It'll tell you what's going on at that moment but you can also set it to record over a time period. I left one on my machine over 24 hours to see how much energy the computer was drawing in total. http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=38343&&source=14&doy=16m5
You can actually do that if you have a ThermalTake Mozart TX case http://www.thermaltake.com/product/Chassis/fulltower/mozart_tx/MozartTX.htm
