Does desktop CPU power consumption matter to you?

[Gikaseixas]

There we go, you are telling somebody that their criteria for choosing a particular CPU is wrong! You certainly aren't lacking in hubris. Anyway, who said power consumption should be the number one criteria? A 3770K will outperform a 8350K, use less power, and over its lifetime cost less to own (TCO).

Check it out, Road Runner is being retired because it uses too much power. And what bigger enthusiasts are there than scientists with government funding?

So are you, you imply that if a CPU consumes more makes it worse, well guess what , not always. I would love to get a 3770, it's an amazing chip but the FX8350 made more sense since its a nice stop gap for the next gen. I was curious to try it out and I love it.
Just get over it and enjoy what you have. While at that let others enjoy what they have, it's a free world.

 

[Phynaz]

So are you, you imply that if a CPU consumes more makes it worse

No, I don't imply that at all. I overtly state so.

Topic of thread - "Does CPU power consumption matter to you?"

Yes, it is a deciding factor for me in both the CPU and GPU departments.

 

[blckgrffn]

Haha, this is all so freaking silly. You realize that our desktop PC usage is just such a pittance in the scheme of things?

If you want to talk about wasted PC power usage, lets look at any server older than five years old still in use. (see Anandtech refresh article)

Let's look at huge companies that mandate all the PC's stay on overnight so that security updates and software patches can be pushed.

*shrug*

Cost-benefit for me is there. I have BC and DC rigs running 100% at home - but no AMD CPUs for DC. So, yeah I do care.

I find it pretty hilarious that we are dick waving over AMD vs Intel CPUs when for most people that might see non idle usage at a couple hours per day is a tiny little footnote in their power usage - as many have already pointed out in this thread.

The miracle is that both platforms idle so low compared to a rig from 5 years ago or less. You can't go wrong when upgrading from a high end system from then. AMD or Intel for a normal user is going to make super-minimal difference. More attention should be paid to the PSU.

lol, unless you are encoding 24/7. Ha.

 

[USER8000]

Arguing on the internetz consumes power,so those obsessed about saving power should switch off their computers,and the world will be saved.

 

[parvadomus]

AMD user detected.

Pathetic answers as always.

 

[Gikaseixas]

No, I don't imply that at all. I overtly state so.

Topic of thread - "Does CPU power consumption matter to you?"

Yes, it is a deciding factor for me in both the CPU and GPU departments.

Didn't you have a GTX 480???

 

[Phynaz]

Didn't you have a GTX 480???

No, I have a HD7850. Best performer within my power budget when I bought it. Probably bested by the GTX 600 now.

 

[Gikaseixas]

No, I have a HD7850. Best performer within my power budget when I bought it. Probably bested by the GTX 600 now.

So you never had. GTX 480, correct?

 

[Phynaz]

So you never had. GTX 480, correct?

Nope, never had a GTX 480. I had a HD5770 before the 7850. My kids latest build has a 6870.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I switched out my two Q9300 rigs with GTX460 cards, for some E-350 rigs, and a SB G630 dual-core (with GT430, because the Intel IGP couldn't hack 2D performance that I needed for Skype), and to be honest, I haven't seen a significant reduction in my power bill. Not as significant as I had hoped.

I think Chiropteran is onto something about the A/C. My power bill in the summer (for a single person) with a 12,000 BTU A/C cooling two rooms, is as high as $180-220/mo. My power bill in the winter, when I had three 400W+ rigs crunching DC, was around $150/mo, when I was heating my apt in the winter with my DC rigs (and had to keep the windows open).

With the two E-350s (Ok, so I've got a LLano quad-core crunching in the other room), and the SB G630 also crunching on the CPU (68W at full CPU load), my power bill is still over $80/mo.

For comparison, the neighbor downstairs, who until recently didn't even have a computer, has a power bill around $25-30/mo.

All of my light bulbs, except for like one lamp, are CFLs. Well, and I have an overhead fluorescent tube in one fixture.

 

[CHADBOGA]

:thumbsup:

Because its the new Intel prayer mantra since SB came to market and the one you'll see they'll go nuts about with Haswell which i find somewhat out of context in a cpu enthusiast & overclockers forum. I mean, the venerable Core i7 920 was a blast furnace and a power hog and nobody bitched about it, the FX-8350 is a different, and imho better, beast compared to the i7 920 and everybody talks about power consumption, talk about double standards first and out of place bragging rights, if want priority on power consumption, heat & noise over anything else i'll move to the dedicated forums & threads relevant around silent pcs and notebooks, for its price the FX8350 rips at 4.6-4.7ghz right?

Not so.

I stated back on XS forums that the power and heat of the i7 920 was a turn off for me.

Power consumption and heat were also reasons for why my last two GPU's have been the HD5770 and HD7850.

 

[Phynaz]

I switched out my two Q9300 rigs with GTX460 cards, for some E-350 rigs, and a SB G630 dual-core (with GT430, because the Intel IGP couldn't hack 2D performance that I needed for Skype), and to be honest, I haven't seen a significant reduction in my power bill. Not as significant as I had hoped.

I think Chiropteran is onto something about the A/C. My power bill in the summer (for a single person) with a 12,000 BTU A/C cooling two rooms, is as high as $180-220/mo. My power bill in the winter, when I had three 400W+ rigs crunching DC, was around $150/mo, when I was heating my apt in the winter with my DC rigs (and had to keep the windows open).

With the two E-350s (Ok, so I've got a LLano quad-core crunching in the other room), and the SB G630 also crunching on the CPU (68W at full CPU load), my power bill is still over $80/mo.

For comparison, the neighbor downstairs, who until recently didn't even have a computer, has a power bill around $25-30/mo.

All of my light bulbs, except for like one lamp, are CFLs. Well, and I have an overhead fluorescent tube in one fixture.

$800 a year is something I would call significant.

 

[Chiropteran]

I guess you don't understand when I said I have done it. Geez is it really that difficult?

I understand you may do it, but that doesn't make it relevant to the discussion. If you encode 24/7 and suggest that the brand of CPU you use is causing a waste of power, I think you are missing the forest for the trees.

Encoding 24/7 is the reason your power usage is terrible. It's your usage pattern, not your choice of CPU. Sure you can switch to the most efficient CPU possible and maybe cut your power usage by 50%, or you could just stop wasting your cycles on garbage encodes and save 98% of the power, without buying a new CPU.

 

[2is]

I switched out my two Q9300 rigs with GTX460 cards, for some E-350 rigs, and a SB G630 dual-core (with GT430, because the Intel IGP couldn't hack 2D performance that I needed for Skype), and to be honest, I haven't seen a significant reduction in my power bill. Not as significant as I had hoped.

I think Chiropteran is onto something about the A/C. My power bill in the summer (for a single person) with a 12,000 BTU A/C cooling two rooms, is as high as $180-220/mo. My power bill in the winter, when I had three 400W+ rigs crunching DC, was around $150/mo, when I was heating my apt in the winter with my DC rigs (and had to keep the windows open).

With the two E-350s (Ok, so I've got a LLano quad-core crunching in the other room), and the SB G630 also crunching on the CPU (68W at full CPU load), my power bill is still over $80/mo.

For comparison, the neighbor downstairs, who until recently didn't even have a computer, has a power bill around $25-30/mo.

All of my light bulbs, except for like one lamp, are CFLs. Well, and I have an overhead fluorescent tube in one fixture.

You cut your power bill by nearly half. In what world is that not significant?

 

[Phynaz]

Nevermind, not going to get drawn into it.

 

[Hubb1e]

I bought my computer to read informative discussions on whether CPU power consumption matters but this thread has turned into a flame war. I guess I can join in...

Intel is efficient, AMD is not. If you encode 24/7 then that matters to you. If your computer is like most other computers, OFF or idle most of the time, then the CPU doesn't matter because they both use the same power off or at idle. For all you who care so much about power usage I hope you are viewing this website on an iPad mini or maybe even your telephone because if you're using your gaming rig to spew all over this thread then you're wasting power.

 

[Phynaz]

Most of my web browsing is on a laptop.

 

[Rifter]

I think everyone needs to calm down in here, some people are AMD fanboys and like burning power for no reason, let them its their own money.

Some people are intel fanboys and OC balls to the wall and burn just as much power although with higher performance, so let them.

Last time I checked it was a free country.

 

[ShintaiDK]

I do not have an inefficient setup, nice personal attack though. The power numbers I listed are from google, average standard numbers.

Its not a personal attack. Does your home have a climate screen? How much insulation? Did you try a thermal cam scan of your home to check for leaks?

Since you are american, the chance of you having a proper energy efficient home is close to zero. Its just a fact.

I'm not sure your statement is accurate, re: more people have PCs than AC. I know a lot of people who don't have a regular PC but do have AC. I also know that even if more people have PCs, since A/C uses about 100X as much power, it doesn't matter if a few more people have PC, unless you can prove 100 times as many people have computers.

And here nobody got AC, so by that logic...?

I didn't say any of that, you are trying to put words in my mouth. Regular ordinary average A/C system uses between 2k and 3.5k watts. Nothing special or bad about it.

Can you give me that link?

People tend to forget how much insulation is benefitcial. Both to keep warm, but certainly also to keep cold.

During summer months when A/C is used, yes. But the extra 1W of power your A/C expends is still minuscule compared to the total electrical power used during it's regular cooling duties.

Again, thermal cam, insulation.

But again, it matters. So does everything else. I dont care if you wish to hide behind the excuse of "small amounts doesnt matter." They do matter, and its the key how to get things on the right path. The average american uses twice the electricity than the average european for example. Small things matter.

 

[ShintaiDK]

I guess that only when energy fares double or triple in the USA people will care about power consumption there.

It was the same with gas. Only when prices went up the auto companies started to field more efficient cars.

Thats why taxing what you dont wish to use is a huge socialeconomic bonus, despite of what some might think. Businesses get more competitive since they ahve to be more efficient. People uses less resoruces and saves money in the long run. Infrastructure dont need to be expanded and so on.

Here in Denmark, the energy companies want people and companies to use less energy and send free consultants to help find saving options. Simply because its too expensive for both parties to use more.

 

[Centauri]

I think everyone needs to calm down in here, some people are AMD fanboys and like burning power for no reason, let them its their own money.

Some people are intel fanboys and OC balls to the wall and burn just as much power although with higher performance, so let them.

Last time I checked it was a free country.

Yes... Because your post totally isn't the kind of thing to add fuel to a fire. Not at all.

 

[bgt]

Thats why taxing what you dont wish to use is a huge socialeconomic bonus, despite of what some might think. Businesses get more competitive since they ahve to be more efficient. People uses less resoruces and saves money in the long run. Infrastructure dont need to be expanded and so on. Here in Denmark, the energy companies want people and companies to use less energy and send free consultants to help find saving options. Simply because its too expensive for both parties to use more.

:thumbsup: likewise here in the Netherlands.

 

[Gikaseixas]

Thats why taxing what you dont wish to use is a huge socialeconomic bonus, despite of what some might think. Businesses get more competitive since they ahve to be more efficient. People uses less resoruces and saves money in the long run. Infrastructure dont need to be expanded and so on.

Here in Denmark, the energy companies want people and companies to use less energy and send free consultants to help find saving options. Simply because its too expensive for both parties to use more.

Like this concept. Wish it was a universal thing

 

[Chiropteran]

Its not a personal attack.

Since you are american, the chance of you having a proper energy efficient home is close to zero. Its just a fact.

That is a personal attack, in fact you are making an assumption about me based on my nationality, it's borderline racist.

And here nobody got AC, so by that logic...?

Aha, the truth comes out! If you live in a cold climate, the "wasted" electricity on a CPU simply results in free heat for your home. It makes even less sense for you to spend money on a more efficient processor when you don't even need to compensate for the heat produced.

Can you give me that link?

Sure. http://www.google.com

But again, it matters. So does everything else. I dont care if you wish to hide behind the excuse of "small amounts doesnt matter." They do matter, and its the key how to get things on the right path. The average american uses twice the electricity than the average european for example. Small things matter.

No, it does not matter. Electricity can not be efficiently stored or saved. If I don't use 10W by switching to a more efficient CPU, it just means 10W goes unusued, it's not like the electric company can put that 10W into a battery and save it 100 years for my great-grandkids. It doesn't work that way.

 

[MeldarthX]

That is a personal attack, in fact you are making an assumption about me based on my nationality, it's borderline racist.



Aha, the truth comes out! If you live in a cold climate, the "wasted" electricity on a CPU simply results in free heat for your home. It makes even less sense for you to spend money on a more efficient processor when you don't even need to compensate for the heat produced.



Sure. http://www.google.com




No, it does not matter. Electricity can not be efficiently stored or saved. If I don't use 10W by switching to a more efficient CPU, it just means 10W goes unusued, it's not like the electric company can put that 10W into a battery and save it 100 years for my great-grandkids. It doesn't work that way.

Its not racists.........its nationalist......there's a difference...

Still not a cool thing to do