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So a few months ago I purchased one of those plug-in watt consumption meters. You know...the "gizmo" that you plug into an electrical outlet...then plug a device into it...and it tells you how many watts of electricity the device is using.
As I mentioned in a previous thread...I sold my 8-core Mac Pro recently...so I measured it's electrical use before selling it...I measured my 1.8ghz dual cpu Powermac G5...and I measured my 2.5ghz Core 2 Duo 17" MacBook Pro...and here were the results:
Watts used under various conditions:
1. Mac Pro (8-core 2.26ghz cpu's, 12gig ram, 2 internal HD's, GT-120 video card):
- Normal operation (web-surfing, e-mail): 130-135 watts
- Gaming (Runescape): 150-160 watts
- Benchmark Testing (all 8 cores/16 threads active): 250-260 watts
- Sleeping: less than 5 watts
2. Powermac G5 (dual 1.8ghz cpu's, 4 gig ram, 1 internal HD, 64meg video card):
- Normal operation (web-surfing, e-mail): 130-150 watts (fans would kick into a higher rpm every so often...increasing watts used)
- All fans kicking into high gear during benchmark testing: 250 watts
- Sleeping: 24 watts
3. 17" MacBook Pro (2.5ghz Core 2 Duo, 4 gig ram, 22" external monitor):
- Normal operation (web-surfing, e-mail): 30-35 watts
- Gaming (Runescape): 50-55 watts (fans spinning at a high rpm)
- Benchmark Testing: haven't done this yet, will update later.
- Sleeping: Too low to measure on the meter.
Basically the reason why I'm posting this (other than the "techie/nerdy" aspect of just doing it)...was my complete amazement at what a "power-pig" the Powermac G5 is while it's "sleeping". Sure...I know that the Powermac G5's (and the G5 cpu in general) was a real power-pig...but I was amazed how this dual-cpu Powermac G5 was consuming 24+ watts of electricity while sleeping!!!
Compare this to the 30-35 watts the 17" MacBook Pro uses during "normal" operation...just seems crazy. Also factor in that the 8-core Mac Pro (a very similar BIG desktop computer) registered far less "sleeping watts" than the PM G5.
Basically the PM G5 almost costs as much to operate while sleeping...as the 17" MBP does while getting some work done!
- Nick
p.s. I also measured my wife's 13" MacBook (not as extensively)...it consumes around 30 watts during "normal" operation (web-surfing & e-mail).
As I mentioned in a previous thread...I sold my 8-core Mac Pro recently...so I measured it's electrical use before selling it...I measured my 1.8ghz dual cpu Powermac G5...and I measured my 2.5ghz Core 2 Duo 17" MacBook Pro...and here were the results:
Watts used under various conditions:
1. Mac Pro (8-core 2.26ghz cpu's, 12gig ram, 2 internal HD's, GT-120 video card):
- Normal operation (web-surfing, e-mail): 130-135 watts
- Gaming (Runescape): 150-160 watts
- Benchmark Testing (all 8 cores/16 threads active): 250-260 watts
- Sleeping: less than 5 watts
2. Powermac G5 (dual 1.8ghz cpu's, 4 gig ram, 1 internal HD, 64meg video card):
- Normal operation (web-surfing, e-mail): 130-150 watts (fans would kick into a higher rpm every so often...increasing watts used)
- All fans kicking into high gear during benchmark testing: 250 watts
- Sleeping: 24 watts
3. 17" MacBook Pro (2.5ghz Core 2 Duo, 4 gig ram, 22" external monitor):
- Normal operation (web-surfing, e-mail): 30-35 watts
- Gaming (Runescape): 50-55 watts (fans spinning at a high rpm)
- Benchmark Testing: haven't done this yet, will update later.
- Sleeping: Too low to measure on the meter.
Basically the reason why I'm posting this (other than the "techie/nerdy" aspect of just doing it)...was my complete amazement at what a "power-pig" the Powermac G5 is while it's "sleeping". Sure...I know that the Powermac G5's (and the G5 cpu in general) was a real power-pig...but I was amazed how this dual-cpu Powermac G5 was consuming 24+ watts of electricity while sleeping!!!
Compare this to the 30-35 watts the 17" MacBook Pro uses during "normal" operation...just seems crazy. Also factor in that the 8-core Mac Pro (a very similar BIG desktop computer) registered far less "sleeping watts" than the PM G5.
Basically the PM G5 almost costs as much to operate while sleeping...as the 17" MBP does while getting some work done!
- Nick
p.s. I also measured my wife's 13" MacBook (not as extensively)...it consumes around 30 watts during "normal" operation (web-surfing & e-mail).