need help to distribute power
- Thread starter SaintTigurius
- Start date
There was a thread on this recently in GH -- search for that first, and you should find some info on how much power each system needs, etc. Then you just need to run your cables appropriately so that you're not overloading any of the circuits (this may require an extra generator!).
This is not *really* a Highly Technical question; I'd suggest asking in GH if that earlier thread doesn't answer all your questions.
This is not *really* a Highly Technical question; I'd suggest asking in GH if that earlier thread doesn't answer all your questions.
sao123
Lifer
- May 27, 2002
- 12,653
- 205
- 106
Heres how to figure out your circuits.
Take 75% of the computers rated power supply in watts and add to it the following value to represent the monitor... Approximately
75 Watts for LCD
100 Watts for 17in CRT
125 Watts for 19in CRT
150 Watts for 21in CRT
Now divide this sum by 110Volts for US power, 220Volts for European Power.
This should give you the number of amps each system draws.
Now, Assume the normal power circuit is hooked to a 20 amp breaker. (15 or 20 amps are the recommended circuits for computer equipment). Divide the 15 or 20 (whichever breaker value, youd be using), by the amps per system. thats how many pc's you can run per circuit breaker. then figure you want 80 computers.
Take 75% of the computers rated power supply in watts and add to it the following value to represent the monitor... Approximately
75 Watts for LCD
100 Watts for 17in CRT
125 Watts for 19in CRT
150 Watts for 21in CRT
Now divide this sum by 110Volts for US power, 220Volts for European Power.
This should give you the number of amps each system draws.
Now, Assume the normal power circuit is hooked to a 20 amp breaker. (15 or 20 amps are the recommended circuits for computer equipment). Divide the 15 or 20 (whichever breaker value, youd be using), by the amps per system. thats how many pc's you can run per circuit breaker. then figure you want 80 computers.
Doing a quick analysis,
Let's assume 200 watts for a PC:
100 Watt processor, 100 watt Video card, the rest is inconsequential. Being as it's a LAN party, assume everyones playing hard so the processor and video card are using max power.
Using sao123's numbers for a monitor, that gives us about 275-350 watts per PC, or 2-3 amps.
Multiplying by 80 computers, we're talking 160-240 amps, not taking into account 80 ports worth of ethernet switches and the stereo system that's cranking the tunes, the lights, and the air conditioning system to keep 25KW of heat from turning you all into parboiled pot roast.
In the US, it is extremely common for a new single-family house to have 200 amp service. Older houses (say, 1970's and earlier) had less - perhaps 100 amps. Even older might have had 60 or less. 200 amp service means pretty much what you think it means - that's just about all your house can pull from the power company. So, you're probably only going to be able to plug in half your computers at one time, and you're only going to be able to plug in 7-10 computers to each outlet circuit in the house.
Maybe you need to borrow all your neighbors outlets too?
/frank
Let's assume 200 watts for a PC:
100 Watt processor, 100 watt Video card, the rest is inconsequential. Being as it's a LAN party, assume everyones playing hard so the processor and video card are using max power.
Using sao123's numbers for a monitor, that gives us about 275-350 watts per PC, or 2-3 amps.
Multiplying by 80 computers, we're talking 160-240 amps, not taking into account 80 ports worth of ethernet switches and the stereo system that's cranking the tunes, the lights, and the air conditioning system to keep 25KW of heat from turning you all into parboiled pot roast.
In the US, it is extremely common for a new single-family house to have 200 amp service. Older houses (say, 1970's and earlier) had less - perhaps 100 amps. Even older might have had 60 or less. 200 amp service means pretty much what you think it means - that's just about all your house can pull from the power company. So, you're probably only going to be able to plug in half your computers at one time, and you're only going to be able to plug in 7-10 computers to each outlet circuit in the house.
Maybe you need to borrow all your neighbors outlets too?
/frank
whats where the breaker is so i can huck up a a curcit board to it , i think, some buy quoted me 750bucks so i want to now why.. and what i need to do so i dont get ripped off.
I'm not the final authority but...750 seems a little high. Just getting an electrician to show up is a feat unto itself. Computers don't draw a lot of amperage like say a dryer, but they consume more over long periods because they are on continuously. See above for power usage or go to the hardware store and buy a 30$ tester that you can simply touch to your extension cord (the cord, not the outlets) and it will give you an amperage readout (test with monitor on, cd spinning, cpu at 50% ). Yes you can indeed buy a tester that will tell you amperage right through the insulation on the cord. Multiply by 80. The average circuit breaker is a 20 amp breaker. That means to stay at 80% capacity of the circuit you can only have about 16 amps drawing on the circuit. Each computer should draw no more than 5 amps but probably in the 2 to 3 amp range. Do the math after that. You need a lot of amps. Even at 2 amps per computer that's 160 amps, divided by 20 (8) or 40 (4) amp breakers. You need at least a 200 amp temporary box to make it happen. or the facility needs that much capacity. If the facility has that much capacity, it will be cheaper to buy a bunch of number 12 (12 gauge) extension cords and split off from there. Just be careful of how many computers are on a circuit. OK so I've blabberd on, sorry.
After blowing many circiuts at home lan partys I have alittle expiernece with this. The last lan party I had at my house was only 20 people in a room but even that was drawing alot of power. From expierence no more then 4-5 computers a breaker, when we had gone up in the 5-7 computers per breaker they started blowing breakers. Your bigger concern should be heat though, with 20 comps in the room, we had 2 box fans stacked on one window sucking air in and a window right across letting out the hot air. It was 85-90 degrees in there and maybe 65 outside. You better be cosnidering some major airconditioning or fans for this.
If these are gaming PCs (Fast CPUs and Video cards), I'd assume 300 watts for the computer itself. My 19" CRT draws about 140 watts. So, each computer needs about 450 watts. 450/110 = 4.09 amps, meaning you can put 4 computers on each 20 amp breaker. That's about 330 amps total, hopefully the building's main power supply can handle that much current. Breakers cost about $4 to $7 each. So that is $80 to $140. Then you will need wire. 250' of 12ga (20amp) wire is $30. I don't know how much you will need, but I'd think at least 500', so $60. Then you will need 20 outlet boxes + receptacles @ about $5 each, so $100. That is $240 to $300 just in parts. That would not be a quick job, so I don't think $750 is that far off what I'd expect to pay.
sounds reasonable to me saint tigurius i thik to replace a fuse box andr replace it with a circuit breaker was liek 900 bucks i dunnoh i dont remember but it was alot mroe than i would have expected i dont remember i was too small then
SunSamurai
Diamond Member
- Jan 16, 2005
- 3,914
- 0
- 0
What? you know what you can power with that?
Im a Master Electrician, first thing I need from SaintTigurius is the Amps of the main breaker
and the basics of what your using in computers. I'll dump the numbers in a program for load calculations
Email me at jtwill@dog.com with the info
The big problem with your Numbers is thats 200 watts DC at 12&5 volts Not 120vac. 100 watts CPU does NOT translate to 100watts 120vac
Put the tables and computers outside under a tent. It's cold now so there's little need to worry about cooling. All the fragging and beer will warm folks up.
Secondly, rent a large generator. Some areas you can rent a 500+amp mobile generator (ask all the buds to chip in $20 or so -- come on going to the movies is going to cost that much!), which would take care of the air and power problem. No worry about quality of the electricity with a mobile unit too.
Secondly, rent a large generator. Some areas you can rent a 500+amp mobile generator (ask all the buds to chip in $20 or so -- come on going to the movies is going to cost that much!), which would take care of the air and power problem. No worry about quality of the electricity with a mobile unit too.
For Christmas, my mother game a gizmo which lets me measure the power of appliances. It?s the ?La Crosse Technology Cost Control? (http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/products/spec_items/3362.html). I calibrated it against several of the house appliances that have watt ratings written on them - like the electric kettle and the iron and it came out within 5% of their ratings that's next to the "CE" logo on the bottoms.
I tried it on my computer and I was really surprised by the results. I have a 3.4GHz Pentium 4, 1GB DRAM, nVidia 5900 video cad, Asus P4C800-E motherboard, 100 GB WD HD, 1 CD-RW and 1 DVD+/-RW, and then a 21" NEC FP1355 CRT.
Computer with monitor, both in StandBy: 72W
Computer with monitor off, idling in Windows: 98W
Computer with monitor on, idling in Windows: 202W
Computer with monitor on, playing World of Warcraft: 265W
Computer and monitor together, max power measured over a month?s worth of use: 290W
A lot lower than I would have guessed. Like I said, it is very accurate on other things though, so I assume it is accurate in this as well.
I tried it on my computer and I was really surprised by the results. I have a 3.4GHz Pentium 4, 1GB DRAM, nVidia 5900 video cad, Asus P4C800-E motherboard, 100 GB WD HD, 1 CD-RW and 1 DVD+/-RW, and then a 21" NEC FP1355 CRT.
Computer with monitor, both in StandBy: 72W
Computer with monitor off, idling in Windows: 98W
Computer with monitor on, idling in Windows: 202W
Computer with monitor on, playing World of Warcraft: 265W
Computer and monitor together, max power measured over a month?s worth of use: 290W
A lot lower than I would have guessed. Like I said, it is very accurate on other things though, so I assume it is accurate in this as well.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes + WCL Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 23K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter