[anarxaki]

I've noticed that the past 10 months my electricity bill raised considerably. Since I haven't bought any new appliances and my other energy consuming routines (cooking etc) are the same for 3 years now, I started unplugging stuff and checking the electric meter. It turned out (if my calculations are correct) that my desktop is eating more than 5 KW/h each day, almost half of the house's daily energy needs.
The computer is not a state of the art machine, just a plain girly PC for surfing the internet, downloading and facebook gaming. I'm using the on-board sound and graphic cards, 3 internal drives, 3 external drives (that are most of the time in sleep mode), no overclocking, no elaborated cooling things, only two 8mm and a 12mm fans. But it's 5 years old and is on 24/7.
I'm not sure who to blame for the 2,5 KW/h per day raise in the past 10 months, but the PC is the only machine that I can afford to cut back.

And here's where I need your help my valued internet friends. I've run the Power Efficiency Diagnostics Report which gave me a few errors and warnings but I don't know how to correct them. Also, I've read that the Power Supply is expected to fail after a few years and mine is 5 years old. Is that true? Should I buy a new one? What else would you suggest besides turning off my computer when I don't need it?

[Advertisements]

I am not sure of how you determined how the computer was using that much power, but you could get a device call "kill-a-watt"

For example (there are different models):

http://www.amazon.co...words=killawatt

Refrigerators can start to use more power over time. Also, if you have a UPS, the batteries can start to go, causing it to use more power. Another power use is all the of the power adapters which are constantly using power. If you put them on a switched power strip or switched power cords, you can save money that way as well. As an example, I got some lights which had the switch after the power adapter, so I bought a short extension cord and bought an inline switch so that I could turn it ALL off.

Using the power meter, you can determine what is using power.

As to your computer, reducing the number of disk drives could save power as well.

[Kemasa]

I am not sure of how you determined how the computer was using that much power, but you could get a device call "kill-a-watt"

For example (there are different models):

http://www.amazon.co...words=killawatt

Refrigerators can start to use more power over time. Also, if you have a UPS, the batteries can start to go, causing it to use more power. Another power use is all the of the power adapters which are constantly using power. If you put them on a switched power strip or switched power cords, you can save money that way as well. As an example, I got some lights which had the switch after the power adapter, so I bought a short extension cord and bought an inline switch so that I could turn it ALL off.

Using the power meter, you can determine what is using power.

As to your computer, reducing the number of disk drives could save power as well.

[anarxaki]

Well, I unplugged all the appliances and left the computer working. I checked the electric meter and timed it till it made a full turn. Then I just did the math.
Thanks for the device, I've heard about them but I didn't know how to look for them. Now I just have to check the local stores for DC device.

Edited by anarxaki, 23 January 2013 - 04:16 PM.

[Veeg]

Well, I unplugged all the appliances and left the computer working. I checked the electric meter and timed it till it made a full turn. Then I just did the math.
Thanks for the device, I've heard about them but I didn't know how to look for them. Now I just have to check the local stores for DC device.

See if these help.. http://easycalculati...ower-supply.php

http://www.matthewb....calculator.html

[anarxaki]

See if these help.. http://easycalculati...ower-supply.php

http://www.matthewb....calculator.html

I've tried two other similar pages and the results didn't match. I get from 250 watt up to 550. I think it has to do with the fact that my computer is too old for it's parts to be in the list... But thanks for the help.