Power Concerns: Underclocking

[SalientKing]

So i have an old athlon XP system im thinking about turning into a HTPC system for my living room. I intend to leave it on pretty much 24/7 acting as a file server for my appartment. Will i save money by underclocking the cpu?

 

[TrevorRC]

Not much at all.

Assuming the system takes ~100W to keep ON, underclocking would bring that down to ~90W (tops)
When loaded, you can assume it might take in 350W.

350W is approximately 1/3 of a KW/Hr... so; assuming 10C-Kw/hr; you'll be spending 80 cents a day if it was at full load 24/7.
If it's at load ~1/10th (About 2.5 hours a day) of the time, you'll be spending around less than a dime for the time it's loaded, + another 2 dimes all day for the time it isn't.

10W 'saved' by underclocking--
Running 24/7, that would save you...
About $.025 (yes, 2 and a half pennies) per day.
2.5 pennies.
x365 days/year.

You've saved 9 dollars.
Up to you if it's worth your time/effort.

 

[JAG87]

lol so amazing with math...

 

[josh609]

Originally posted by: TrevorRC
Not much at all.

Assuming the system takes ~100W to keep ON, underclocking would bring that down to ~90W (tops)
When loaded, you can assume it might take in 350W.

350W is approximately 1/3 of a KW/Hr... so; assuming 10C-Kw/hr; you'll be spending 80 cents a day if it was at full load 24/7.
If it's at load ~1/10th (About 2.5 hours a day) of the time, you'll be spending around less than a dime for the time it's loaded, + another 2 dimes all day for the time it isn't.

10W 'saved' by underclocking--
Running 24/7, that would save you...
About $.025 (yes, 2 and a half pennies) per day.
2.5 pennies.
x365 days/year.

You've saved 9 dollars.
Up to you if it's worth your time/effort.

Your math skills pwn all.

 

[ElFenix]

i think 350 watts is unrealistic. a small HTPC is probably running 150 watts max.

you're also probably underrating the power savings due to underclock.

and you're not accounting for air conditioning costs to remove the extra heat, which more than doubles the savings.

 

[Unkno]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i think 350 watts is unrealistic. a small HTPC is probably running 150 watts max.

you're also probably underrating the power savings due to underclock.

and you're not accounting for air conditioning costs to remove the extra heat, which more than doubles the savings.

depending on where you live, you might not need air conditioning and instead, you would need to turn on the heat