Turn your consoles off when you're not playing

[mugs]

http://www.nrdc.org/energy/consoles/files/consoles.pdf

Page 5 has a graph. Xbox 360 and PS3 range from $103 to $160 a year for electricity if you leave them on when you aren't using them (depending on which revision you have). Wii uses $10/year if it's left on 24/7 (I think that means actually left on, not WiiConnect24).

The sleep timer is my favorite new feature on the PS3. It's a feature I've always wanted on DVD players, but I've never found one that had it. I like to fall asleep watching a TV show on DVD, but I hated leaving my PS3 on.

 

[NaOH]

The xbox360 is like a frigging space heater. No way would i just leave that thing running. Even after I got the latest revision.

 

[R Nilla]

Are there a lot of people that just leave their consoles on 24/7? If so, why? And I mean fully on, ready to be played.

 

[Thraxen]

Who does this anyway? I figure people doing F@H on the PS3 will leave the system on, but I don't know anyone that just leaves their systems on 24/7 for no reason.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: NaOH
The xbox360 is like a frigging space heater. No way would i just leave that thing running. Even after I got the latest revision.

Especially with the RRoD... I wouldn't leave mine on unless I WANTED it to die. But I know someone who does leave his on most of the time.

Originally posted by: R Nilla
Are there a lot of people that just leave their consoles on 24/7? If so, why? And I mean fully on, ready to be played.

A lot of people use their PS3 for folding, which would probably push the cost to operate up even higher (the numbers on that chart assume it is idling when it's not being used).

According to the report:

Implementing a power-down feature with a one- or three-hour delay in new gaming systems?and systems already in homes via software update?would bring significant savings to the estimated 50 percent of users who probably do not turn off their machines when not actively playing.

I don't know where they came up with the 50%; based on my Xbox 360 friends list, it's much lower.

 

[gorcorps]

Isn't there an auto-shutoff feature on the 360? I thought so, as I thought I set it up when I first got it. Either way mine's always off when not in use.

 

[Baked]

I don't run any server or folding program on my PC or PS3, I turn them off when they're not in use. I have both setup to turn themselves off after a while in case I forget.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: gorcorps
Isn't there an auto-shutoff feature on the 360? I thought so, as I thought I set it up when I first got it. Either way mine's always off when not in use.

Yeah, I have mine set to shut off after six hours. But I always turn it off when not in use.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: gorcorps
Isn't there an auto-shutoff feature on the 360? I thought so, as I thought I set it up when I first got it. Either way mine's always off when not in use.

Yep.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: R Nilla
Are there a lot of people that just leave their consoles on 24/7? If so, why? And I mean fully on, ready to be played.

I used to when I didn't worry about paying for electricity. Just to save me a few seconds I guess.

 

[FuryofFive]

When they say turn it off...do they mean physically remove plug from outlet, or do they mean just turn off the system so its not actually running, such as pS3 being in the red instead of green and so on

 

[oznerol]

Powered up electronics consume power!? Brilliant!

 

[destrekor]

Yeah I always turn consoles off after playing, unless I know I'm just going to go do something for a few minutes and plan on returning to the console for more play.
But yeah, the PS3 I always turn off, so that it is in standby mode (red-light). I know someone who uses the switch in the back to turn it off completely, and I hate the concept. I'm not gonna reach behind the system each time I want to play, would rather just push a button from the couch (wireless start-up FTW).
And yeah, the PS3's new auto-shutdown feature is freaking awesome. I have my controllers set to turn off after like 10 minutes of inactivity, and I'll set the PS3 to turn off after downloads.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: ducci
Powered up electronics consume power!? Brilliant!

Stop trolling. The point is how much they consume, $10 per year v. $160 per year is a very significant difference.

 

[Gooberlx2]

So....what's the Wii doing when it's "breathing"? Anyone notice that?

 

[FuryofFive]

sooo is leaving my ps3 in standby mode bad?(red light)

 

[mxyzptlk]

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
So....what's the Wii doing when it's "breathing"? Anyone notice that?

pulsing blue light around the DVD drive? I'm pretty sure that means it's connected to wiiconnect.

Originally posted by: FuryofFive
When they say turn it off...do they mean physically remove plug from outlet, or do they mean just turn off the system so its not actually running, such as pS3 being in the red instead of green and so on

Originally posted by: FuryofFive
sooo is leaving my ps3 in standby mode bad?(red light)

++ on this question..

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: FuryofFive
sooo is leaving my ps3 in standby mode bad?(red light)

The department of energy estimates that 11% of our nation's electricity use comes from electronics that are in standby mode. :Q

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: mxyzptlk

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
So....what's the Wii doing when it's "breathing"? Anyone notice that?

pulsing blue light around the DVD drive? I'm pretty sure that means it's connected to wiiconnect.

Pulsing blue light = you've received a message or a system update.

 

[pennylane]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: FuryofFive
sooo is leaving my ps3 in standby mode bad?(red light)

The department of energy estimates that 11% of our nation's electricity use comes from electronics that are in standby mode. :Q

Do you have a link for that? I'm interested in these numbers.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: fanerman91

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: FuryofFive
sooo is leaving my ps3 in standby mode bad?(red light)

The department of energy estimates that 11% of our nation's electricity use comes from electronics that are in standby mode. :Q

Do you have a link for that? I'm interested in these numbers.

NBC has been doing their "green week," and it was on one of their PSAs.

There's some info in here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standby_power

According to America's Department of Energy, national residential electricity consumption in 2004 was 1.29 billion megawatt hours (MWh)?5% of which is 64m MWh. The wasted energy, in other words, is equivalent to the output of 18 typical power stations. His 2000 study showed that standby power accounted for around 10% of household power-consumption.

I gotta dig up my Kill-a-Watt and do some investigating.

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: ducci
Powered up electronics consume power!? Brilliant!

Stop trolling. The point is how much they consume, $10 per year v. $160 per year is a very significant difference.

This is considered trolling now?

Seriously?

Yes, $10 vs $160 is big, I suppose. But how is this not completely obvious?

They are electronics. They consume electricity. Using electricity costs money.

Leaving a light bulb on 24/7 vs. turning it off will save ~$30 in electricity a year.

Turning your computer off when not in use vs. leaving it on 24/7 will save ~$75 a year.

So again:

Powered up electronics consume power!? Brilliant!

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: ducci

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: ducci
Powered up electronics consume power!? Brilliant!

Stop trolling. The point is how much they consume, $10 per year v. $160 per year is a very significant difference.

This is considered trolling now?

Seriously?

Yes, $10 vs $160 is big, I suppose. But how is this not completely obvious?

They are electronics. They consume electricity. Using electricity costs money.

Leaving a light bulb on 24/7 vs. turning it off will save ~$30 in electricity a year.

Turning your computer off when not in use vs. leaving it on 24/7 will save ~$75 a year.

So again:

Powered up electronics consume power!? Brilliant!

gotta agree with him here.. isn't this common sense? Given how hot these things run, I'd figure it'd be pricey to leave them running. On the flip side, in the winter are tv area is nice and warm =)

The real question should be "when I turn off my system, am I really turning it off?" A lot of people don't realize their stuff is just going into standby.

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
The real question should be "when I turn off my system, am I really turning it off?" A lot of people don't realize their stuff is just going into standby.

That's why I turn the switch off on the back of my PS3 when I don't plan on using it for weeks/months.

I can't believe this is news though. Then again, why else do we leave computers on at work 24/7 even through the weekend... Companies could probably schedule 4 or less 'system update' days per week. Of course most workers probably don't give enough of a shit to follow an 'on or off' schedule. Remote shut down might work.

 

[oznerol]

Yea, the standby thing is a different beast entirely. They actually measured it in this document, too - they call it "off". It's been fairly consistent throughout consoles (including the Super Nintendo).

I know I should probably be killing power entirely to my TV and such, but I have my DVR/Cable box/etc. So meh.

Anyway, the next generation of consoles will be energy star qualified (or so I read somewhere).

Also, ironically I think this used to be a much bigger issue back in the NES/SNES days - where save spots were few and far between. I used to leave the game on hold and go eat or go to sleep because I didn't get to a "save spot". Nowadays, saving anywhere is fairly common - and if not, games are generally easy enough that you won't freak out if you need to replay a level again.