Reduce Your PC’s Energy Consumption With These Tips
Find out how you can reduce your PC’s energy consumption with our helpful tips and tricks.
PC Watts’ Usage: How to Calculate Consumption and be More Energy Efficient
In today’s technology-driven society, PCs have become an integral part of our daily lives. From workstations to entertainment hubs, they have changed the way we interact, work, and, of course, think.
However, behind these marvelous machines lies the undeniable truth that they require concerning levels of energy consumption in order to function, especially with more individuals working from home.
In fact, these power-hungry PCs use on average between 200 and 500 watts of electricity, which can not only be harmful to the environment but also expensive.
It’s always good to be well informed on electricity consumption. Who doesn’t like saving on their utility bill, right?
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Keep reading to explore the environmental impact of PC energy consumption and what sustainable practices you can employ to reduce its effects and costs as we move towards a greener future.
Check Your PC’s Energy Consumption
In order to become more energy efficient, you need to determine how much energy your PC is actually wasting, as this could vary depending on the device and person.
One way to do this is by measuring the average wattage the device uses over the course of an hour.
Determining an average is essentially impossible as devices do not consume a constant level of energy; for example, if a computer is just on standby, it will use less energy than a computer being used to complete a project.
There are devices that are available, such as a Kill-A-Watt metre, which can be used to seamlessly measure your device’s consumption.
You will just need to simply turn off your devices and plug your PC into the Kill-A-Watt, and then plug the device into the wall.
Once you press the KWh button on your Kill-A-Watt device, you will then need to turn the PC on and go about your day as you normally would.
We suggest checking your metre throughout the day to make sure that it is working well.
Alternatively, there are also software programs available that can be installed on your PC that can provide real-time monitoring of energy consumption.
They often also offer detailed breakdowns of the power usage of different hardware components, highlighting the components or applications that use the most energy.
Switch to a Laptop
By design, laptop computers consume 80% less electricity than desktop computers due to their compact size and optimized components.
These include power-saving features such as automatic sleep mode and display dimming, allowing for more energy conservation to occur.
Unfortunately, when it comes to PCs, they are often equipped with maximum-capability power supplies despite only requiring roughly 300 watts.
Laptops, on the other hand, come with significantly smaller PSUs, ranging between 30 and 90 watts, dramatically reducing your energy bills.
Another great benefit that laptops offer is that they are inherently more portable, which allows users to use them in various different locations, reducing the overall energy consumption that occurs when multiple devices are powered in different areas of a home or office.
Additionally, they have a long battery life, allowing users to enjoy the machine for hours without having to plug it in.
You can even extend your device’s battery life by adding a higher-capacity battery to the laptop or by making its hardware consume less energy.
Be More Energy Conscious
While it’s important to determine how much energy your PC is consuming, it’s also essential to know what you can do moving forward to reduce your energy consumption.
This can be as easy as disconnecting any devices that are connected to your PC when you are not using them, such as printers, webcams, and even headphones.
You can also consume less energy by checking your PC’s settings and ensuring that any power safety features the device may have are being employed, such as making your hard drive and monitor go into sleep mode if they are left inactive for a few minutes.
You can also opt to reduce your screen’s brightness. It’s also essential to always make sure that you shut down and unplug your device when it is not in use.
Don’t forget that every little bit helps, so don’t be afraid to try out new ways to reduce your energy consumption. Your wallet and the planet will thank you.
