Comment by bruce511
2 years ago
Interestingly, since I installed a solar system, and hence got access to real-time electricity consumption, I now shut down my machine every night.
To be fair I use it as a terminal to my work PC, which stays on, so it has very little "state" of its own. And it boots in 8 seconds. Both attributes which make this fast and convenient.
This is a desktop not a laptop so it's as fast to shutdown as it is to hibernate so nothing failed from hibernation or sleep mode.
It doesn't save a -lot- but it's saves enough that I can measure it. (Couple kw/h over 14 hours).
I tend to also shutdown m laptops most of the time, unless I have been interrupted while doing something that I plan to continue a while later. They boot so fast these days and in contradiction to the 7500 tabs user mentioned in the article, I like starting from a clean sheet.
that's an expensive desktop power wise (especially if used only as a "thin client"). Even 50w would be a lot for that. (I'd agree still measurable, but measuring in multiple kwh over only half a day, is mid tier gaming pc territory)
I don't only use it as a thin client, that's just the "work day" case.
Eh, there are Zen+ APUs that'll use that much by themselves. I think you can expect 75W from any given full-size/wired PCIe slot.
One can have a desktop that's as efficient as a laptop... but you lose part of the exchange; mobility for power. The consumption/heat is less of a concern, solar aside. Plenty of room for cooling and components :)
I had a system that would idle at over 150W, not counting the three displays that cumulatively match that. Transceivers use mildly less power than 10GbE Ethernet... but still consume a bit of your budget.