- People can be much more green in how they work with their computers with a few simple changes.
Using an energy saving computer might not seem like a big deal. How much difference can one computer make in terms of conserving power? An energy saving computer can actually make a big difference, especially when coupled with other eco-friendly practices. NSIS Systems shared a few tips recently that could help people save some energy and keep the planet clean, including being as energy efficient as possible via PC power management.
Smart power management begins when you’re shopping for a computer. It’s helpful to know the acronym PSU: power supply unit. In addition to looking at how much memory a computer has and what kind of processor it sports, check out its PSU profile. You might use the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface industry standards as a reference.
“Before buying a computer power supply unit, check the 80 PLUS certification for PSUs that are more than 80 percent energy efficient at various increments of rated load: those PSUs waste 20 percent or less electric energy as heat at the specified load levels, reducing electricity bills compared to less efficient PSUs,” NSIS Systems said. “Consider following the ACPI open industry specification for power management and thermal management of mobile, desktop, and server platforms.”
Other tips from NSIS included upgrading a current PC or laptop instead of buying a new one all together, managing how much power goes into the computer and network, and being sure to run large amounts of processing at night when the costs are cheaper. This should help you save a decent chunk of change from what they spend on computing.
GeekZu has some other useful tips for keeping energy use in check, including turning the computer off when you’re done using it. This is underrated, as many people think that “sleep” mode helps save power, but nothing saves as much power as having the laptop or desktop computer completely off.
“For a start, leaving your computer on means that it keeps consuming energy even when you are not using it. In addition to that, leaving your PC on leads to performance degradation,” the website said. “That’s why it’s best to switch your computer off whenever you leave the house and remember to not leave it running all night. If you don’t want to keep switching your PC on and off, try using Windows power-saving modes – standby and hibernate.”
Other tips from GeekZu included keeping PCs healthy so they don’t have to work overtime to give extra memory to malware, and disabling unneeded services to keep the batteries fresh and free up the system’s resources.
What do you do to keep your computer green? Any helpful tips? Let us know!
