Help with picking a low power PC. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: XDroidie626
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 09:41:14 am
content: I am looking at this devicehttp://www.cclonline.com/product/185758/GB-BXA8G-8890/Barebone-PCs/Gigabyte-BRIX-Gaming-Ultra-Compact-PC-Kit/BRB0409/for a low powered PC.But I am unable to work out how much it will cost per year on power.We pay 0.11p per kW/h but I am unable to work out what it will cost me, the device uses 135W I believe.Many Thanks

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 09:53:22 am
content: What do you want to do with it? Does it need to run 24/7? A laptop with a low power CPU and graphics card may be a good choice.

author: XDroidie626
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 09:55:05 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on October 05, 2015, 09:53:22 amMainly play wow for raiding which my lappy cant do

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 10:10:26 am
content: Quote from: XDroidie626 on October 05, 2015, 09:41:14 am0.135 * 8760 (hours in a year) * 0.11 = 130.086However, I doubt you'll run it 24/7/365, and even if you did it wouldn't be at full load. Let's pick a more reasonable 80W or so for say, four hours a day, and that's probably excessive (at least on consumption..).0.08 * 1460 * 0.11 = 12.848

author: XDroidie626
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 10:18:47 am
content: So it will cost £12 if I am reading your method correctly?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 10:20:25 am
content: Quote from: XDroidie626 on October 05, 2015, 10:18:47 amIf it pulls 80W under gaming load and you use it like that 4 hours per day.. yes.Whether that's what it will actually pull, and how much you'll use it..There is a lot of guesswork here. But it's going to cost less than I pay every month for internet.

author: XDroidie626
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 10:24:42 am
content: right, well with your method on 500w it costs £80 p/y to run, but is it worth it lol

author: Tim F
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 11:03:21 am
content: I wouldn't get too hung up on just what the 'PC' uses. You have to look at all the other peripherals and devices you are using while you're at your PC. My dual monitors (29" + 24", with brightness set to about 15%), modem/router, 8port ethernet switch and two 20Watt desk lamps account for over 150Watts.If you really want to save power, you need to look toward a laptop. And sit in the dark.

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 11:38:21 am
content: Quote from: XDroidie626 on October 05, 2015, 09:41:14 amI would advise against AMD processors and graphics if you care about power consumption and disssipation.Get something with an Intel and, if neededn an nVidia graphics card. nVidia has released the GTX 750 some time ago, and for $120 and60Wit matches the current consoles in quality and frame rates.It's still not up to the expectations of the current PC gamer market but for the p rice and power, it's pretty good. The GTX 950 uses 90W and should be quite good for gaming.I made this list for you. Building PCs is easy. If you have any questions, just tell me. It's a compact case, a nice system and has lots of room for hard drive expansion. Has built in wifi, a surround sound card and takes 150W, using an efficient power supply. You could downsize he power supply I think. The best thing is that it's upgradable. You can save $60 if you go for the dual core Pentium G3258 gamers like it 'cause it's $60 and can be overclocked like crazy. The downside is that some games are becoming optimized for quad cores (or hyperthreaded dual cores), although this is happening too slowly. Two games refuse to run on dual cores but there are patches out there to fix that.http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Ivan747/saved/v6gfrH

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 12:03:11 pm
content: Isn't WoW available for a game console like PS3/4 / Xbox / whatever? Playing games on a PC is such a hassle.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 04:01:58 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on October 05, 2015, 12:03:11 pm

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 10:22:30 pm
content: Quote from: Monkeh on October 05, 2015, 04:01:58 pmNot WTF. On a PC you have to rely on drivers, latest videocards, dual/quad cores (see above), etc. On a console you just pop the disc in and play. No dissappointments with unsupported hardware etc. I have seen it with my kids. Sometimes my wife would buy PC games for them but only very few worked for various reasons (needing administrator privileges, new/different directX drivers, etc). Since then the rule is to play games on a console. Nowadays they play several browser based games and steam seems to work OK as well.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 10:24:33 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on October 05, 2015, 10:22:30 pmSome people really seem to have difficulty using computers.I buy a game. I install it. I play it. No mucking around. And I get to use real controls.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 10:29:29 pm
content: Quote from: Tim F on October 05, 2015, 11:03:21 amPerhaps you should fit those with LEDs to save more power.

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2015, 10:51:35 pm
content: Why not get a life and save loads of electricity?

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2015, 07:23:23 am
content: I remember a time when PC games were difficult to get running, I think it was called the nineties. Funny thing, best I remember personal computers in general had a tendency to be finicky, pain in the ass things back then.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2015, 08:08:23 am
content: Quote from: XDroidie626 on October 05, 2015, 09:41:14 amQuote from: XDroidie626 on October 05, 2015, 09:55:05 amLow power = low spec + low usage.A low power PC is good at games in 640x480 /256colors, for high spec games in 1080p you need a high power PCQuote from: XDroidie626 on October 05, 2015, 09:55:05 amFirst measure and read used energy for 1hr gaming, multiply with gaming hours/year.

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2015, 08:13:44 am
content: Quote from: Delta on October 05, 2015, 10:51:35 pmOoft harsh words

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 02:44:06 pm
content: Quote from: Delta on October 05, 2015, 10:51:35 pmThen you start to spend on fuel, tickets and booze.

author: ccs46
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 09:26:05 pm
content: While we are on the subject of power supplies for computers, a 1200W PSU isn't consuming 1200 watts constantly even though the computer not using the power right?

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 09:37:03 pm
content: Quote from: ccs46 on October 07, 2015, 09:26:05 pmright. Apart from the efficiency(%) vs load(%) graph (not a single number) every PSU 300W, 2400W consumes the same, given the PC does the same task.so it's important to look at your personal nominal use, choose a PSU that's higher than max, but has its best efficiency at nominal

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2015, 11:07:11 pm
content: Quote from: ivan747 on October 07, 2015, 02:44:06 pmI spend most of my money on booze, birds, and cars. The rest I just waste...(with credit to the late, great, Mr G Best)

author: Tim F
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 04:38:14 am
content: Quote from: Delta on October 05, 2015, 10:51:35 pmAccidentally logged into EEVBlog.com instead of Bodybuilding.com?

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 10:16:35 am
content: Right, sorry if my tonque in cheek comment caused any offence! I am proudly an engineering geek, but I just don't get computer gaming. Each to their own!

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 11:52:01 am
content: Quote from: Delta on October 07, 2015, 11:07:11 pmNot that it's a bad lifestyle, if done responsibly.On the power supply question, get a power supply that has at least EPA ratings. It guarantees certain efficiency at certain loads and power factor. The minimum certification is 80% efficiency. These power supplies tend to be built MUCH MUCH better than the generic crap you find in the PC market.

author: SteveLy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 05:09:13 pm
content: Why not have a high-performance games machine for playing games and a regular low power PC/laptop for less demanding applications? I assume you'd spend the bulk of your computer time with the latter.I just got a Raspberry Pi 2 and I'm impressed with what under 5W of computing power gets you (not that impressed with the on-board audio though). Not saying go to that extreme, but a capable laptop will do fine with a few 10s of watts.

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 07:38:45 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on October 08, 2015, 04:50:51 pmEven the Iris Pro graphics are a bit of a stretch for gaming, they are widely outpowered by even a 60W GTX 750. I don't know about WoW, though, if it's light enough, well, it could run fine.

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2015, 07:41:31 pm
content: Quote from: SteveLy on October 08, 2015, 05:09:13 pmThat's not a bad solution. I'd recommend an HP Stream 11 for a laptop. It's got like a 5W SoC, x64 Atom processor. A Chromebook minus Chrome OS.I still like the idea of a Mini ITX gaming computer, though. I've toyed with the idea of building one.

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2015, 05:25:56 am
content: Quote from: ivan747 on October 08, 2015, 07:41:31 pmHaving personally used the HP Stream 11, it's very slow and really doesn't have the power to run Windows.