How many Watts do you really use?

PiKe · 22 Apr 2009 at 13:39

We have 6-7-800watt power supplies but do we really need them? I'm working on a Quad Q6600 with 5 hard drives and a 7100GS graphics card and at idle it's using 162 Watts, when the CPU is 100% loaded it uses only 60 watts more.

What do your PC's typically use if you have any way to measure them?

PiKe · 22 Apr 2009 at 13:49

LadFromWales said:
The only measurements I've done with my systems is turning everything off and doing some maths involving the spinny disc on my leccy meter...that and the fact that firing up a game causes the second load LED to come on, on my APC UPS.

I'm using the PowerChute software to get my numbers from.

PiKe · 23 Apr 2009 at 09:07

My EEE, uses 8watts @ 1amp.

PiKe · 23 Apr 2009 at 13:26

My Athlon X2 4200+ Manchester, with a 7900GTX comes out at 270watt at 85% TDP.

PiKe · 23 Apr 2009 at 16:45

Yeah 80 odd % efficiency at 50% loading.