Top Ten Green Tips for Your PC

3.) Use lower power components when building a new machine.

Let’s say you are building a new machine that is only going to be used for playing movies and surfing the web. You do not need to go out and get the latest and greatest components that draw massive amounts of power for such basic tasks. Go for cpus with a low TDP and either a motherboard with good onboard graphics or a low power discreet graphics card. Furthermore, new chips are always being released that are just as powerful as older chips but that consume significantly less power.

2.) Choose an efficient power supply.

Many people think that all power supplies are built equal and that you just have to get one that can supply enough power for your specific parts. The reality is though that power supplies also have efficiency ratings called 80 PLUS. Efficiency is basically how good the power supply is at converting the AC from the wall into DC power that the computer can use. The ratings range from just simple 80 PLUS which means 80% of the energy drawn from the wall is available to the computer all the way up to 80 PLUS platinum which is 90% or more efficient. When shopping for a new power supply keep efficiency in mind and go for one that has the best combination of power and efficiency within your budget.

1.) Turn off your PC when it is not being used.

This is the big one. Many people don’t realize that their computer draws a fairly significant amount of power just sitting there doing nothing. Gamers with a fairly powerful system can easily be drawing around 150W. Someone with a less powerful computer can still be drawing about 100W. The bottom line is that if you are not going to be using the computer for any length of time it is better to just turn it off. The power savings add up quickly especially when you consider that most people have more than one computer in their home.

Conclusion

By following these simple tips you can to turn your computer into a greener machine and save you some money as well. You may not think that doing all of this can make any significant difference but in reality it adds up quick and every little bit helps. Just start with the small ones that you can do right now and as time passes and you upgrade your computer just keep the others in mind and you will notice the effects.

  Previous Page         1. Going Green2. Tidying Up3. Getting More Technical4. The Big Ones and Conclusion5. View All         Next Page