HELP ME! Is a NAS a slim-down PC?

wowmovies

wowmovies

wowmovies

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hi guys,

I've got an odd question for you. Is a NAS a slim/underclock version of a PC? If so, then how come even after taking out extra hdds, removing fans, undervolting cpu, i can't bring down the amount of watts my PC uses?

I have:-

AMD Athlon II X2 240e 2.8GHz Socket AM3 2MB Cache Energy Efficient Processor
Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H 785G Socket AM3 DVI VGA HDMI Out 8 Channel Audio MATX Motherboard (Box and Manuals)
Kingston 2gb Ddr3 1333mhz Hyperx Memory Cl7(7-7-7-20)
Samsung

I have undervolted the cpu, by 0.200v and now its come down from:

5w - sleep
57w - idle
65w - 1 HD movie playing direct and 2nd HD movie streaming simultaneously to another room

to:-

5w - sleep
51w - idle
54w - 1 HD movie playing direct and 2nd HD movie streaming simultaneously to another room


I know many will say that this is good, but if I had a NAS, I could keep it on 24/7 and it'd use more like 5-30w, dependant on activity.

I'd rather try and avoid buying a NAS, if only i can drastically bring the wattage down. I simply want a system, where i can download/store files on and which can allow me to play movie directly in one room, whilst stream a movie to 2nd room.

What do you recommend?
 
Hi wowmovies

welcome to the forum :)

you will struggle to get nas level power consumption from a full fat PC.
but it looks like you have done a lot of undervolting to achieve those figures you have posted.

in honesty, unless you need the features of a nas, it is not really worthwhilse as you have a very capable system.

the main advantage you will have is the very small footprint with a nas.
 
thanks rj for your prompt reply.

my problem is that i like downloading a lot. Each time i download, i have to switch on pc, then make sure its switched off, due to its power consumption. I want to be able to leave a system on and accessible by all members of my household.

Unless i could somehow underclock the cpu/gpu to bring the power down or if you can recommend any hardware changes, i have to think of alternatives.

With electricity costing me 17p per kw and the pc on 24/7, I'd be looking at about £4-£5 per week or £18-£20 per month x 12 = £240 of electricity per year. That is a lot of money mate :(



If i did go for a NAS, can you please recommend one which can:-

  • give me the lowest wattage as possible
  • allow me to watch 2 HD movies simultaneously (one direct and one streamed via RJ45 hardwire to a DLNA compliant tv)
  • stay on 24/7 without costing stupid amounts of money
  • cheap as possible (NOTE: it doesn't have to have any hdds with it as i already have two 1tb hdds ready to go)

Thanks!
 
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I would suggest a small Synology unit.
There are some on the bay, that could be pretty good.

Think I saw a DS411slim which uses Power Consumption : 16.8W (Access) ; 9.6W (HDD Hibernation) on fleebay...

Could be worth a look, and its tiny!
 
54w per hour over 24 hours uses 1.296 kWh (kilowatt hours at 17p per kWh) = 22.032 pence per day = £1.54p per week, or £6.83p per month (31 day month), or £80.64 in a leap year.

65w per hour over 24 hours uses 1.560 kWh (kilowatt hours at 17p per kWh) = 26.52 pence per day = £1.85 per week, or £8.22 per month (31 day month), or £97.06 in a leap year.

Suggest new calculator :)
 
Sorry Socrates, but i got my calculations from npower:-

80watts / 1000 = 0.08kw x 8 hours = 0.64kw
0.64kw x £0.1761 = £1.12 x 7 days = £7.84

80watts / 1000 = 0.08kw x 6 hours = 0.48kw
0.48kw x £0.1761 = £0.84 x 7 days = £5.88

55watts / 1000 = 0.055kw x 6 hours = 0.33kw
0.33kw x £0.1761 = £0.058113 x 7 days = £4.06
 
Just saw this on the Synology forums:
Can the Synology DiskStation stream Hi-def videos?
Yes, the Synology DiskStation can stream Hi-def files, if you look at a Blu-Ray DVD stream, the bandwidth required is typically not greater than 30Mbps. So, even a DS-106e running with a wired 100Mbps can stream 1 Hi-Def signal to a Hi-Def DMA.
That being said, all current Synology DiskStations can support up at the very least, 1 Hi-Def video signal.

How many simultaneous streams can the DiskStation perform at once?
Note: these estimates are based on performance data within our lab - actual performance may vary depending on network environment.

DS1010+ --> about 15
DS409+ --> About 6
DS409 --> About 3

As the DS411slim is a 1.6ghz cpu and the DS409 uses a 1.2ghz, so I guess you could do more than 3 streams at the same time.
The DS409+ has a 1.06ghz cpu and can do 6 streams, so you could do that or more with the DS411slim...
 
wowmovies said:
Sorry Socrates, but i got my calculations from npower:-

80watts / 1000 = 0.08kw x 8 hours = 0.64kw
0.64kw x £0.1761 = £1.12 x 7 days = £7.84

80watts / 1000 = 0.08kw x 6 hours = 0.48kw
0.48kw x £0.1761 = £0.84 x 7 days = £5.88

55watts / 1000 = 0.055kw x 6 hours = 0.33kw
0.33kw x £0.1761 = £0.058113 x 7 days = £4.06
Click to expand...

Socrates is right.

You've gone wrong at 0.64kW * £0.1761, it should equal 11.27p, not £1.127

It's ~17p kWh, so it's impossible to use less than 1 kW (0.64) and end up paying over 17p, or indeed £1.12.

I'd personally suggest sticking with your current setup as the cost of a new setup will outweigh the costs saved in the short term and you have a lot more functionality with your current PC.
 
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You got the math wrong a bit.

0.08kw x 8 hours = 0.64kwh. 0.64kwh x £0.1761 = £0.112 or 11.2p per day.

This is about £41 per YEAR at 8 hours per day for 365 days per year.

Dropping it by 50% would save you £20 per year and take ages to pay back an upgrade.

And yes I am slow as I even put it in Excel to check!
 
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You could also try underclocking as well as undervolting and even turn off one core for a low power device if you can live with the result.
 
thats exactly what im looking for mate...dont know how to do it..any help would be appreciated...i wont be able to reply after this msg as im going to work...a guide to do this would be great

thanks
 
You do realise that each Watt you save will only save you 50p per YEAR. It is really worth trying to cut it down?

You will be taking the components away from their recommended defaults to save pennies. If something fails then you basically have lost anything you could save.
 
ShadowMan said:
You do realise that each Watt you save will only save you 50p per YEAR. It is really worth trying to cut it down?

You will be taking the components away from their recommended defaults to save pennies. If something fails then you basically have lost anything you could save.
Click to expand...

Where do you get your electricity from?

At your prices you only pay £0.057 per KWh.
 
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SlideRuleCalculation-800x260.jpg
 
jamesfreddie said:
Where do you get your electricity from?

At your prices you only pay £0.057 per KWh.
Click to expand...

That was using the pricing supplied in thread. 1W less would save around 50p per year.

1W = 0.001kW

1kWh = £0.1761

8 hours per day.

0.008kwh per day.

£0.0014088 per day per watt.

x 365 = £0.514212 per watt per year.

Is cutting it down really worth it?
 
sorry but that doesnt make sense...


so in that case, a nas would cost like a few pounds to run the whole year?

if undervolting is not the answer then its back to choosing a good nas
 
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