Should I ditch the desktop?

[VirtualLarry]

I have two main desktop rigs, in desks, with 26" monitors. They are the Q9300 rigs in my sig.

Unfortunately, they take too much power under load (F@H). Nearly 400W, with both the computer and LCD.

So I'm thinking of downsizing. Have been considering Zacate mini-ITX, LLano mini-ITX, or SB i3-2100 micro-ATX.

Now this talk of LLano laptops has my attention. I'm wondering if I shouldn't just get a laptop. But then, what would I do with the 26" LCD? They have VGA, DVI, HDMI inputs.

Should I get a laptop, and get rid of the screen? Get a laptop and hook it up to the screen?

I currently own these laptops already:
Toshiba Satellite C655-S5048
P320 AMD dual-core (2.1 Ghz, I think)
3GB RAM (factory)
320GB HD (factory)
Radeon 4250 (880G?)
1366x768
Win7 64-bit HP

Emachines E627
TF-20 AMD single-core (1.6Ghz)
2GB RAM (factory)
160GB HD (factory)
Radeon HD3200 (mobile 780G)
1366x768
Win7 64-bit HP

HP laptop from 2005
S754 mobile Sempron 1.8Ghz
2x1GB DDR SO-DIMM (upgraded)
60GB HD (factory - have a 250GB to upgrade eventually)
XP Home

different HP laptop from 2005, slightly higher-end
Pentium M Centrino (1.6Ghz?)
2x1GB DDR (upgraded)
160GB HD (upgraded)
XP Home

MSI A5000-040US
C2D Celeron T3100 (2.1Ghz?)
3GB RAM
250GB HD
bad battery
Win7 32-bit HP

 

[Gigantopithecus]

That's a lot of inventory for a home user. I've been following your posts and it seems that we've had somewhat similar trends in computer usage the past few months - moving towards more efficiency, less power use, and less computational capacity. I don't know how much you're into F@H, but here's one angle:

Between your four desktops, one 26" LCD monitors, and five laptops, you're sitting on roughly $1,800 by my conservative estimates.

You could spend $600 on a Llano laptop, $500 on a really nice i3 mini-ITX build, keep your 32" TV and hook it up to your i3 rig, and keep a 26" LCD to hook up to your Llano laptop. ...And have $600 to spend on a round-trip plane ticket to anywhere in the United States. Of course I have little idea what your income is, but I suspect $600 is a lot more to me than it is to you, so that might not be too appealing. But, I'm certain your friends and people you meet are going to be more impressed by your tales of high adventure in Alaska or whatever than your F@H stats.

 

[alent1234]

my wife and i have 2 work laptops, ipad 2, chrome netbook, android phone and iphone 4

the laptops mostly get used for work. for personal use it's everything else. smartphones and ipad will replace your computer for 95% of use

got rid of my old desktop over a year ago. will get a personal laptop in the next 12 months. wife wants a MBP but i'll be happy with something in the $600 range since it's rarely use

unless you want to game and need the latest GPU's there is no more reason to get a desktop

 

[yottabit]

Why not just stop running F@H?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Why not just stop running F@H?

Notwithstanding the above valid criticism:

Get a single SLI mainboard and throw a low-powered CPU and both your GTX 460s into for F@H. (They're 90% of your PPD anyway.) You'll probably save 200w, and you'll be able to pay for it by parting out the rest of the Q9300 rigs.

Selling off your old laptops and getting one good one would be my step 2, but there's already oodles of recommend-me-a-laptop threads, so I won't go there.

Going from a desktop with a big screen to a laptop with a smaller one isn't impossible - chances are your 26" screens are 1080p, and plenty of 15" and 17" laptops have the same resolution, so you're really not giving up anything.

 

[Zap]

I have two main desktop rigs, in desks, with 26" monitors. They are the Q9300 rigs in my sig.

Unfortunately, they take too much power under load (F@H). Nearly 400W, with both the computer and LCD.

So I'm thinking of downsizing. Have been considering Zacate mini-ITX, LLano mini-ITX, or SB i3-2100 micro-ATX.

Where have we seen this before... :hmm: oh yeah I know, all your other threads on basically the same thing!

How about this... answer these questions:

1) Do you still want to do F@H?
You can combine your GTX 460 into one system for this, as I think they push out more units per watt than your old Core 2 Quads. Alternately, just stop Folding if you really need to save electricity.

2) How many people in your household will actually be using computers concurrently?
This is how many computers you actually need, plus any extras for stand-alone F@H, HTPC or server.

3) What is their usage pattern? Games? Normal desktop duties? Media consumption?
Just getting the most power efficient may not be the best choice if it ruins the computing experience.

4) How many times is a notebook actually needed, or do they sit mostly at desks?
This goes with #2, basically reduce the number of systems if there are surplus. Nothing to do with power consumption, just less junk around. Except for unknown LCD quality, I'd imagine that a Llano notebook with an SSD should nicely spank all of those old notebooks put together.

 

[somethingsketchy]

Personally I would go with a laptop that can sit into a docking station with multiple video outputs. My employer has been issuing Dell's latest Latitude laptops that come with a docking station. The docking station themselves have 2x DVI ports and an HDMI port.

That would easily make use of your 26" monitors while downsizing your computer gear.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Notwithstanding the above valid criticism:

Get a single SLI mainboard and throw a low-powered CPU and both your GTX 460s into for F@H. (They're 90% of your PPD anyway.) You'll probably save 200w, and you'll be able to pay for it by parting out the rest of the Q9300 rigs.

I am also considering that, in parallel. That's what this thread was about:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2171892
Substitute "folding rig" for "gaming rig". Same thing, kind of.

Selling off your old laptops and getting one good one would be my step 2, but there's already oodles of recommend-me-a-laptop threads, so I won't go there.

I'm reformatting three of them, to sell this weekend at the flea. Posting this thread gave me the insight that I should really get rid of some of them, one person can't easily use five laptops.

Going from a desktop with a big screen to a laptop with a smaller one isn't impossible - chances are your 26" screens are 1080p, and plenty of 15" and 17" laptops have the same resolution, so you're really not giving up anything.

I do so like the big screen, it's easy on the eyes. (and they're 1200p, not 1080p)

 

[VirtualLarry]

Where have we seen this before... :hmm: oh yeah I know, all your other threads on basically the same thing!

How about this... answer these questions:

1) Do you still want to do F@H?
You can combine your GTX 460 into one system for this, as I think they push out more units per watt than your old Core 2 Quads. Alternately, just stop Folding if you really need to save electricity.

I dunno. I like F@H. It's rather addicting. I once wanted to break into the top 10 on the team, but after other people upgraded their rigs, that's probably not going to be easy. (Can't afford an SR2 or dual Opteron 16-core rig).

I was doing SeventeenorBust prior, and I got into the top 10, after about 2-3 years, IIRC.

At a relatives apt, they don't pay seperately for the electric, so I was thinking of setting up a rig there, that the relative could also use while I was folding in the background.

So if I did that, I wouldn't strictly need to run F@H at my apt. Although, if I stopped F@H altogether, my apt would get very cold in the winter. I literally heat my apt with my rigs running F@H.

If I switched to a low-power rig like a Zacate for my main rig at my apt, then I would probably no longer run F@H on it, it wouldn't seem worth it.

2) How many people in your household will actually be using computers concurrently?
This is how many computers you actually need, plus any extras for stand-alone F@H, HTPC or server.

Well, I have my HTPC in my bedroom, hooked up to a 32" 720P LCD TV. I've got my laptop, that I leave on 24/7, playing internet radio. Then I have my two desktop rigs, in desks next to each other. The one nearest the window, runs 24/7 to run my MagicJack. Both are currently running F@H.

I've thought about moving the MJ to the HTPC, that way I could simply shut off the two main desktop rigs, and it might even improve the MJ quality, I get dropouts after about five minutes on the phone. The HTPC is wired, the desktops are behind a WDS router, meaning they have a WiFi connection to the internet.

I'm building a WHS too, basically I have all the hardware installed, just have to install the OS. Was toying with unRAID, but HPA problems with my Gigabyte mobo makes it look like unRAID won't be feasible. I own a copy of WHS URP1 too, unopened.

The reason why I have three computer desks, and currently two desktop rigs, is because I intended to set my living room up as a LAN, for my friends to come over and play.
This has yet to happen, and probably never will at this rate.

I don't even game anymore. DRM turned me off of PC gaming entirely. I like to run a clean system, I couldn't stand the knowledge that there was system-level software running on the computer that intended to prevent me from using it how I like to.

3) What is their usage pattern? Games? Normal desktop duties? Media consumption?
Just getting the most power efficient may not be the best choice if it ruins the computing experience.

4) How many times is a notebook actually needed, or do they sit mostly at desks?
This goes with #2, basically reduce the number of systems if there are surplus. Nothing to do with power consumption, just less junk around. Except for unknown LCD quality, I'd imagine that a Llano notebook with an SSD should nicely spank all of those old notebooks put together.

Notebook(s) basically just sit at desk or table.

It IS convenient to have a computer within reach, no matter where I am in the living room. I can get up from one chair, sit down at another, and continue my computing.

 

[Zap]

if I stopped F@H altogether, my apt would get very cold in the winter. I literally heat my apt with my rigs running F@H.

How about building a new rig every Fall to run F@H, then selling it off every Spring?

Well, I have my HTPC in my bedroom, hooked up to a 32" 720P LCD TV. I've got my laptop, that I leave on 24/7, playing internet radio. Then I have my two desktop rigs, in desks next to each other. The one nearest the window, runs 24/7 to run my MagicJack. Both are currently running F@H.

Sounds totally overkill for systems. Are you married to your MagicJack number? If so, then get it hooked up on that WHS you are building. If not, then find another solution. There's one that is similar priced (can't remember name off hand) for a similar service and device, but the difference is that the little device has both a USB plug and a network jack, so you can run it off a computer when you are traveling to use on WiFi, and at home you can just plug it directly into your network bypassing any computer.

EDIT: Okay, I just did some searches and found the device I was talking about.

netTalk Duo

It costs a bit more than the MagicJack ($70 for device + first year, $30 additional year) but the capability of just plugging it into your network is IMO worth it. Also, the company claims to have live tech support.

Hmmm, looks like they also have a free smartphone app for making calls using WiFi connections, thus avoiding using up minutes. I gotta try that out!

I wish I didn't buy my Magicjack because the software stopped working on my server, so I haven't been using it.

Back to all of your systems. If you stop running F@H and since you aren't gaming, a single Zacate box can replace your two rigs, plus even the internet radio notebook.

It IS convenient to have a computer within reach, no matter where I am in the living room. I can get up from one chair, sit down at another, and continue my computing.

A single notebook can serve that function. Especially if it is a Llano. You can use it for hours between charges.

 

[VirtualLarry]

How about building a new rig every Fall to run F@H, then selling it off every Spring?

There's an idea, but I don't know how much money I would lose doing that. Might exceed the cost of the electricity to run F@H on my existing rigs. Demand is strong in fall (back to school sales), and weak in spring, so I would be attempting to go against the market to buy and sell like that.

Sounds totally overkill for systems. Are you married to your MagicJack number? If so, then get it hooked up on that WHS you are building.

Not totally, I use it as a secondary line. I would probably rather install it on the HTPC rather than the WHS, because someone isn't always logged-in to WHS, and MagicJack requires someone to be logged in.

Back to all of your systems. If you stop running F@H and since you aren't gaming, a single Zacate box can replace your two rigs, plus even the internet radio notebook.

A single notebook can serve that function. Especially if it is a Llano. You can use it for hours between charges.

Should I get another notebook, or a Zacate rig, or a LLano mini-ITX rig? I suppose I would prefer the last one, hopefully AMD is going to release a 35 or 45W LLano for desktop, and not just mobile.

 

[Zap]

I would probably rather install it on the HTPC rather than the WHS, because someone isn't always logged-in to WHS, and MagicJack requires someone to be logged in.

Fark! That's probably why I'm having problems with mine.

I may end up getting a netTALK Duo anyways. I like the idea that it can be stand-alone, plus it has real tech support (as in a live body you can phone) and a lot of user reviews mention that the sound quality is better than MagicJack.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm having second thoughts about ditching my main desktops and moving to a LLano mini-ITX rig. LLano doesn't seem to have better power consumption, on the desktop. If anything, I should probably get an i3 2100 (2105?), or 2100T. (Will they make a 2105T?)

I guess 96W idle isn't too bad. A little under 150W counting the LCD.

I have decided to stop F@H for the summer, that will save a few watts.

I'm still trying to figure out if I should allow Win7 to put the computer into sleep mode after 30 minutes. In sleep, it takes 5 watts.

Or I could always go with another Zacate rig, I suppose.

Edit: I moved my MJ to my HTPC. Was a pain, because none of my HTPC's USB ports had enough power to drive the MJ. Had to install a powered USB hub.

 

[Brainonska511]

I'm still trying to figure out if I should allow Win7 to put the computer into sleep mode after 30 minutes. In sleep, it takes 5 watts.

Are you doing stuff that requires the computer to remain awake? If not, then let it sleep.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, I sold off all but one laptop (the MSI) last year.

I also just recently picked up a combo at MC, an AM3+ ASrock 990FX Extreme4, which supports SLI, and I'm putting both of my GTX460 1GB cards into the rig. Going to run BOINC on my new Thuban X6 1045T 95W CPU, which I have at 3.51Ghz.

Also have my low-power Zacate rig, which I will use as a secondary rig for when friends come over.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2169456

I'm refurbishing and selling my Q9300 quad-core / 8GB DDR2 rigs, going to put some HD4850 GPUs in each one.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2225140