Power usage?

[CupCak3]

Anyone have any clue about how much adding another box will increase my electric bill per month? Is there really that much difference b/t adding an XP, Barton, a64 or Sempron?


Thanks!

 

[mondobyte]

If you are adding a second computer

1. Do NOT add a second monitor. Monitors are huge consumers of power. Flatscreens are very efficient however, there is no need to add either a monitor or flatscreen. Use a KVM and/or Remote Desktop and/or VNC

2. For the computer, the biggest difference is the PSU ... Active PFC and other new technologies contribute to higher efficiency. There are some new power supplies with > 85% efficiencies. Most current and older PSU designs have efficiencies in the under 60% and under range. The higher efficiency PSU's are pricier but pay me now or pay me later again and again.

3. Use a low end video card for a cruncher. Recent video cards consume huge amounts of power.

4. Consider a dual core or dual processor machine ... One power supply, one video card ... twice the processing power ...

mondobyte

 

[RaySun2Be]

The Monitor is the big power consumer.

For a basic PC, I've heard it should cost as much as a 75 light bulb for a month. But the PSU, how many fans and accesories, cooling, drives, light bars, etc. installed changes consumption.

And just because you have a 500W PS installed, doesn't mean that the PC is drawing a full 500W all the time.

This is good reading, with some real world electricity costs posted:

Power Consumption Discussion

 

[CupCak3]

thanks for the tip on the PFC, never really paid much attention to it

I really wouldn't mind trying this fortron one from newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104904

80% efficient at full load.

the downside is definately the cost though.

Doing a rough calculation... assuming your pc cost you $1.50 dollars to run per day, assuming your current PS has 60% eff, if you upgrade to the fortron, you will now spend 1.125 per day.

though i can't justify to replace all my PSU's right now, i'll definately be changing them as my current ones go bad or use them elsewhere





maybe someone can supply a little more accurate numbers than me