Energy Cost/Usage by DC

[BadThad]

This has been discussed before, but I submit it again, lol:

A friend of mine stopped running a DC project based on THIS. I totally disagree with this guys analysis. I run six PC's 24/7 on FaD (and used to for SETI) and my electric bill is quite reasonable. I "guesstimate" that if I were to not run DC on all six and shut them down frequently and use power save features, I'd probably save about $30 TOTAL per month. Based on that guys calculations my electric bill would be insanely high....but it's definately not.

Comments?

Also, I've spent a good bit of time explaining that running a system at 100% load is NOT going to cause damage to the system. I'm "blue in the face" at this point. Any supporting comments so I can just point the disbelievers to this thread?

Thanks!

 

[Wolfsraider]

Well,

I am running 4 computers

1. is a dual xeon 2.8 800 fsb 21 inch monitor - this one is in constant use 4 instances of fad, photoshop, dreamweaver, nero, roxio, apache, php, mysql, gaming,watching dvd's, burning cd's & dvd's. never shuts off except to reboot.monitor on 24/7.

2. is a 3.2 800 fsb running 2 instances of fad 19 inch monitor, gaming and web surfing.
never shuts off except to reboot.monitor on 24/7.

3. is a 3.0 800 fsb, 17 inch monitor, running 2 instances of fad, used for gaming, burning cd's, watching dvd's, surfing. never shuts off except to reboot.monitor on 24/7.

4. is a 2.8 533 fsb, 17 inch monitor, running 1 instance of fad, used for gaming, burning cd's, watching dvd's, surfing. never shuts off except to reboot.monitor on 24/7.

my power bill for the last two months was 135.00, bear in mind I have a washer and dryer that run at least 10 hours a day, a diswasher, 4 tv's going all the time, a gamecube and a sony playstation 2 that run at least 6 hours a day, a refrigerator, 2 microwaves, 2 stereos and 4 battery chargers ni-cad.

seems off to me but then maybe I am just lucky.

Mike

edit:
I am billed bi-monthly on my electricty usage.

edit 2:
Also 2 routers a voip setup, and a cable modem for the computers.

edit 3: oops and 2 fans to cool the bedrooms where the computers are lol on 24/7 lately

 

[RaySun2Be]

My electric bill runs aroung $110 per month, including refigerator, dishwasher, disposal, electric stove, lights, ceiling fans, furnace fan (on constantly), sump pump, washer/dryer (gas). Not to mention the vacuum sweeper, bathroom vent/fans.

I have an IBM 5000 dual PII450 Server that probably uses the most power due to the P/S & fans, dual PII400, 2 AMD 1Ghz Tbirds, PIII800, 2 17" monitors, cable modem, router, switch.

All PCs run 24/7

I'll have to check my cost per kwh, but there's no way I could afford to run the PCs based on his costs.

As far as 100% usage, refer him to these threads:

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=39&threadid=1578192&enterthread=y

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=39&threadid=1550892&enterthread=y

 

[Freewolf]

well at any given time I have around 20 computers, 5 monitors, 1 24 port hub, 2 smaller hubs, 1 router, 1 cable modern, 4 tv's running, 4 dvd players, 1 freezer, 1 frig, 1, stove, heating and ac , hot water heater, and god knows what else ( Total electric House in the deep south where we have already hit 97 degrees at least once this month) and the highest electric bill I have had was $388 and change so I doubt those numbers are anywhere close to being right else I would have a $1,500 dollar a month power bill.

 

[BadThad]

Originally posted by: Freewolf
well at any given time I have around 20 computers, 5 monitors, 1 24 port hub, 2 smaller hubs, 1 router, 1 cable modern, 4 tv's running, 4 dvd players, 1 freezer, 1 frig, 1, stove, heating and ac , hot water heater, and god knows what else ( Total electric House in the deep south where we have already hit 97 degrees at least once this month) and the highest electric bill I have had was $388 and change so I doubt those numbers are anywhere close to being right else I would have a $1,500 dollar a month power bill.

Very similar here. I have a networked, 2-story house with four people living in it. I have 6 computers, two routers, 5 TV's, video game systems, water heater, etc., etc, running. When my heatpump is not running, my bill is between $100-130 per month. With the heatpump my bill runs $160-200.

As far as killing hardware, the only thing that I see fail is fans on the computers. Running 24/7 most cheap fans only last a couple of years. I've NEVER killed a CPU by running it 24/7 under full load....that's what they're designed for....and I even OC every computer in my house!

 

[Assimilator1]

Seems to me his power consumption for the PC is too high.... oh I see it includes monitor too ,that's daft cos most people would turn them off & not run them 24/7
Maybe a P4 prescott could draw that much power but they weren't out then (his post is Dec 03!).
Pretty meaningless test he's done without PC specs!:roll:

Last time I checked (about 4yrs ago) it would cost me about £6/mth to run a PC 24/7 (not incl any monitor power useage).That was with 120w draw ,about right for an Athlon XP rig (which I have) but probably way under for a P4 & a little under for a Ath 64.
Anyone got power useage figures for a high end P4 or Ath 64?

Wolfsraider
Seems to me you could save a fair bit by turning off those monitors ,don't need them on 24/7 do you?

 

[Freewolf]

Originally posted by: BadThad

Originally posted by: Freewolf
well at any given time I have around 20 computers, 5 monitors, 1 24 port hub, 2 smaller hubs, 1 router, 1 cable modern, 4 tv's running, 4 dvd players, 1 freezer, 1 frig, 1, stove, heating and ac , hot water heater, and god knows what else ( Total electric House in the deep south where we have already hit 97 degrees at least once this month) and the highest electric bill I have had was $388 and change so I doubt those numbers are anywhere close to being right else I would have a $1,500 dollar a month power bill.

Very similar here. I have a networked, 2-story house with four people living in it. I have 6 computers, two routers, 5 TV's, video game systems, water heater, etc., etc, running. When my heatpump is not running, my bill is between $100-130 per month. With the heatpump my bill runs $160-200.

As far as killing hardware, the only thing that I see fail is fans on the computers. Running 24/7 most cheap fans only last a couple of years. I've NEVER killed a CPU by running it 24/7 under full load....that's what they're designed for....and I even OC every computer in my house!

In my case it's fans and cheap PS's that fail

 

[JarrodH]

This is what got me...

Looking at this, the biggest power saver is the monitor and not the computer. If he turns off the monitor, he would reduce his power consumption more than if he turned off the computer.

One thing about this: the guy did not list what he had in his computer. He might have some 800 watt power supply or he might have one of those cheap 150 watt power supplies. Without the info on that, his power consumption information is practically worthless in my opinion.

 

[BadThad]

Originally posted by: Freewolf

Originally posted by: BadThad

Originally posted by: Freewolf
well at any given time I have around 20 computers, 5 monitors, 1 24 port hub, 2 smaller hubs, 1 router, 1 cable modern, 4 tv's running, 4 dvd players, 1 freezer, 1 frig, 1, stove, heating and ac , hot water heater, and god knows what else ( Total electric House in the deep south where we have already hit 97 degrees at least once this month) and the highest electric bill I have had was $388 and change so I doubt those numbers are anywhere close to being right else I would have a $1,500 dollar a month power bill.

Very similar here. I have a networked, 2-story house with four people living in it. I have 6 computers, two routers, 5 TV's, video game systems, water heater, etc., etc, running. When my heatpump is not running, my bill is between $100-130 per month. With the heatpump my bill runs $160-200.

As far as killing hardware, the only thing that I see fail is fans on the computers. Running 24/7 most cheap fans only last a couple of years. I've NEVER killed a CPU by running it 24/7 under full load....that's what they're designed for....and I even OC every computer in my house!

In my case it's fans and cheap PS's that fail

Try TSP brand power supplies, they are awesome.

 

[BadThad]

Originally posted by: JarrodH
This is what got me...

Looking at this, the biggest power saver is the monitor and not the computer. If he turns off the monitor, he would reduce his power consumption more than if he turned off the computer.

One thing about this: the guy did not list what he had in his computer. He might have some 800 watt power supply or he might have one of those cheap 150 watt power supplies. Without the info on that, his power consumption information is practically worthless in my opinion.

Right on!:thumbsup:

 

[Wolfsraider]

Nah don't need them on but I have better luck leaving them running than switching them off.

I used to turn them off, years ago but I went thru 3 monitors in 3 years. 2 of the monitors I use now are 4-5 years old and still working fine.

I'll pay the electricty lol

 

[FlameDeer]

Firstly I was thinking he use a prescott system and then only find out he posted on Dec 03.

The problem in this case might be wrong method of measurement, error on ammeter and no detail spec of test system.

Yup, running 24/7 mostly will kill cheap fans but not CPU. In the long run, maybe an "OCing with high temp" CPU will shorten life from 15 years to 12 years. But who really will use a CPU for 12 years? Surely other things will fail before the CPU do.

 

[Fardringle]

I have three PCs that run 24/7, run the AC about 14-16 hours per day, and run a clothes washer and dryer, and dishwasher very frequently, and the refrigerator and several lights 24/7 (daughter makes me leave a light on in the hall for her), and my total electric bill each month rarely goes over $45. I leave my monitors on pretty much all the time and let Windows turn them off using power management when I'm not using them.

To be honest, I'm not sure what my kW/h cost is, but based on that post, my power bill should be AT LEAST $100-$120 US per month, without even turning on my AC or any of my appliances.

 

[Assimilator1]

Originally posted by: Wolfsraider
Nah don't need them on but I have better luck leaving them running than switching them off.

I used to turn them off, years ago but I went thru 3 monitors in 3 years. 2 of the monitors I use now are 4-5 years old and still working fine.

I'll pay the electricty lol

Hmm,I guess the phrase 'wasted energy' doesn't mean much to ya

I've had this monitor for 4yrs ,gets turned on & off at least 3-4 times a day ,& it works better now than it did when it was new! lol ,& its only a cheapie Hansol

 

[petrusbroder]

Well there is one more way to "save" energy:
I have in my house (I live in the north of Sweden - pretty cold most of the year) a heat exchanger that takes the outgoing indoor air, extracts the heat and heats the ingoing air. Thus I reclaim about 75% of all the energy lost through ventialtion ...
In winter I know I heat my entire basement with my computers: no other heating provided, and I have a comfy 22 degrees C there. Before running my herd (a total of 13 comps, 9 of them running 24/7) and before installing the heat exchanger I used 38 000 KWh/year; after installing the heat exchanger and starting the herd I am using som 34 000 kWh/year. The investment will be payed back within 8 years ... and I am crunching along. The difference in numbers may also be explained by a milder winter.
If I would switch off the comps, the heating would have to start, and there I woukd also use energy.
In my opinion the crunching does not cost me more than 100 USD/year - and thats not expensive...

 

[Wolfsraider]

wasted energy, hmmm..

starting up a monitor 3 to 4 times a day, I doubt you'd "save" that much as the start up is what costs.

but yes, ok, I am a waster of electricty lol

but then d.c. isn't exactly something we get paid for in most cases lol

 

[Freewolf]

Originally posted by: Wolfsraider
wasted energy, hmmm..

starting up a monitor 3 to 4 times a day, I doubt you'd "save" that much as the start up is what costs.

but yes, ok, I am a waster of electricty lol

but then d.c. isn't exactly something we get paid for in most cases lol

Hopefully a cure for Cancer will be our payment.

 

[Dalephi]

I have nine computers running SETI Classic 24/7. The rest of the house is normal use of electricity. I average about 44 KWH/DAY. I believe my computers use about 15 - 20 KWH/DAY. This is based on the difference of my electricity use now and my electricity use of two years ago. My estimated costs are $33 - $44 a month to run all nine systems. An average of $3.66 - $4.88 a month per system. Of course some cost more than others. All monitors are shut off when not in use. Based on the figures by Volred it should cost me $215 a month just for my computers. With these systems running in the house in the winter I save an estimated $30 - $40 a month. I rarely have to turn on the heat.


From my latest bill:

SERVICE TO DAYS KWH USED KWH/DAY
05/25/05 29 1290 44


Your charge for 1290 kWh is:
Basic service $6.40
1290 kWh @ 7.36 cents each 94.94
Total electric service $101.34
Your average daily cost was $3.49

 

[Coquito]

My name is George. I'm unemployed and live with my parents.

 

[GLeeM]

I never noticed a jump in electricity cost per month when I added computers.

What I noticed was the new 36" TV, ouch!

 

[Spacehead]

Anyone check out this thread in OT?
Don't know how accurite it is, but...


Let's see, i have 2 P4 HT Prescott's & an AMD XP 1800 running 24/7. I turn off monitor when i know i won't be using it for quite awhile. Other than that it powers down in 20 mins.
Other electric appliances in the home are:
Fridge
Water heater
Washer/Dryer
Water pump
Furnace is Propane but the blowers gotta run
1 TV
Stereo system
various lights
fans in the summer

KWH used last month: 551 = 18.36/day
Avg monthly KWH in last 12 months: 481

Both of the Prscott's were bought in the last 6 months, one last Nov. & one a few months ago. That could that be part of the difference in last months KWH vs my avg KWH???

 

[Assimilator1]

Originally posted by: Wolfsraider
wasted energy, hmmm..

starting up a monitor 3 to 4 times a day, I doubt you'd "save" that much as the start up is what costs.

but yes, ok, I am a waster of electricty lol

but then d.c. isn't exactly something we get paid for in most cases lol

heheh true
btw start up power for the monitor may use more power but doing that 3-4 times a day isn't going to use more power than leaving the monitor on 20-22hrs unused.
Anyway it would keep me awake at night as its in my bedroom

 

[kb3edk]

Power costs haven't bugged me too much since I ramped up my folding recently... about $10 per month per computer. Might be a bit more over the summer, my price per KWH goes up a little, and also I'm going to have to run the AC a little extra to make up for the heat.

The guy cited in the original post to this thread has a pretty high electric rate too at 19 cents/KWH... I only pay 13. Must be a regional thing.

-Adam in Philly

 

[mondobyte]

hiya,

I figured you all were waiting for a heavy duty cruncher to weigh in on this issue.

First, I run few monitors on my home horde. I make use of KVM switches (because I can) and TightVNC or Remote Desktop or all three. I have 3 21" monitors and 1 15" monitor that run 24x7 albeit, mostly in SLEEP mode.

Most of my computers ... well I've discovered that good power supplies save electricity.

Routinely, I replace all sleeve bearing fans (there ought to be an International law against them with SERIOUS penalties) with quality ball bearing fans (and usually quieter at that) when I acquire the hardware -- be it power supply fans, case fans, CPU fans, video fans, northbridge fans, etc. ... ad nauseum. One of my favorite activities is cutting the wires off of brand new, never used, sleeve bearing fans. I don't give them the chance to screw me.

Every 2-3 months, I very thoroughly blow out the buildup of silt and dust from the innards of the computers.

Here is what I have discovered:

Heat is the great killer. Dust causes heat buildup. Failed fans cause heat buildup. Poor Ventilation (case, cpu, etc) are the culprits. Smoke is a great killer of computers. I don't smoke.

At times, I have managed more than 300 computers (or more) all running 24x7. I have also managed computers that are power cycled every day. There is no doubt in my mind that the power cycled computers fail frequently while the 24x7 computers fail infrequently. This is all irrespective of running a DC Project.

Running DC projects does not significantly increase heat unless the computer is of extremely poor and incompetent design or, improperly maintained.

I don't believe the issue is running DC projects so much as it is poor design, poor implementation, poor maintenenance.

As to electricity consumption: Computers use very little electricity. Monitors are huge consumers of electricity and then, there are the super consumers - printers - and particularly, laser printers.

I have made the measurements and the calculations ... computers just don't use that much electricity.

 

[JTWill]

His method leaves me asking questions, But I tell you what guys, I'll break out my recording Fluke Ammeter and take readings of all my equipment and list what they are. The big problem with what he did is not to look at the differance of normal system use and the system use of a DC project. Break out my calclations book also. To tired to bother with seeing if he used the right formulas.

Your friendly over-worked Master Electrician.............