Challenge to PC Builders

[ng12345]

http://www.tuaw.com/2006/02/21/apple-and-intel-werent-kidding-about-low-power/

http://weblog.infoworld.com/enterprisemac/archives/2006/02/imac_keeps_its.html

I saw this interesting post about an iMac

Do you think there is any possibility of a pc doing this with similar perfomance specs?

2ghz dual core P4
802.11g
bluetooth
1gb ram
128mb gddr3
runnning at 100%
20" monitor
95 W

-- btw ... i'm not an apple fanboy or anything ... just interested in seeing if this is possible on pc side

 

[suicidalpigeon]

maybe a desktop equipped with a centrino...

 

[dexvx]

Yea... Just give me a Yonah board and Yonah proc. Also the author is wrong in the first article. Just because you have a 400W PSU doesn't mean its drawing 400W from the outlet. An average P4 or A64 system draws less than 200W.

 

[Matthias99]

Also, they list it as having a "128MB" GPU -- but any high-performance GPU core developed in the last 2-3 years can easily eat up 75+W by itself. From the second link, it sounds like it was just sitting at the desktop (albeit with several apps open). This uses way less in terms of GPU power consumption, especially if it has a mobile GPU (or integrated graphics) that can clock itself down when idle.

It could also have a more efficient LCD display than the standalone 19" model he compared against (which might mean the system is using more like 75W); of course, there is no easy way to measure it separately from the system.

Essentially, it's a laptop stuffed into a desktop case. Of course it's got low power consumption, and yes, I think a Centrino- or Yonah-based laptop could compete with it. I don't think there is a desktop PC currently on the market that could match it -- but I'm not sure it's a fair comparison, since the iMac is using a custom-built MB and integrated display like a notebook does.

 

[ng12345]

maybe a tangential question is ... how much do notebooks generally draw from the socket?

 

[ND40oz]

Shuttle SD11G5, Pentium M 760, 2 Gigs DDR2, minipc wireless/bluetooth card (yes it has a laptop mini-pci slot). It won't be dual core, but I doubt it'll draw more power then the imac. If you want, add a cheap x1300 or 7300 for discrete graphics. Otherwise use the onboard with DVI out.

Plus it has an external power brick...

Review

Edit: forgot to add, it also has SB Live 7.1 onboard.

 

[Green Man]

At typical interactive use--both hands in constant motion, flipping among 6 or so open apps--iMac draws 80-85 watts.

WTF way to check for maximum cpu load is that? That is the most retarded load test I've ever heard of.
...no really. That is seriously retarded. I can't believed I just read that!

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: Green Man

At typical interactive use--both hands in constant motion, flipping among 6 or so open apps--iMac draws 80-85 watts.

WTF way to check for maximum cpu load is that? That is the most retarded load test I've ever heard of.
...no really. That is seriously retarded. I can't believed I just read that!

lol the green man couldn't have stated it better

 

[eLiu]

Originally posted by: ng12345
maybe a tangential question is ... how much do notebooks generally draw from the socket?

My IBM T42 came with a brick rated at 72W, so I would assume that the max is around there for my model.

 

[ng12345]

Originally posted by: alimoalem

Originally posted by: Green Man

At typical interactive use--both hands in constant motion, flipping among 6 or so open apps--iMac draws 80-85 watts.

WTF way to check for maximum cpu load is that? That is the most retarded load test I've ever heard of.
...no really. That is seriously retarded. I can't believed I just read that!

lol the green man couldn't have stated it better

i think you misread that a little bit ... that test was to indicate "normal" usage ... the next sentence states that 100% usage came in at 95W ... though he never indicates how he got to 100% utilization

 

[Green Man]

LOL, I guess I did misread it. I just couldn't believe that was the CPU test.

What's he trying to simulate? Flipping between a couple of open apps uses little CPU power, and how is that typical use.

both hands in constant motion, flipping among 6 or so...

One hand is on the one button mouse, What's the other hand in constant motion doing?

It doesn't surprise me that it's low power, though. The whole system draws less than a p4

 

[Continuity28]

Originally posted by: Green Man
One hand is on the one button mouse, What's the other hand in constant motion doing?

We both know the answer to that.

 

[ng12345]

Originally posted by: Continuity28

Originally posted by: Green Man
One hand is on the one button mouse, What's the other hand in constant motion doing?

We both know the answer to that.

nice

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: ng12345

Originally posted by: Continuity28

Originally posted by: Green Man
One hand is on the one button mouse, What's the other hand in constant motion doing?

We both know the answer to that.

nice

i still don't see how that would increase wattage