BuyGreen: Desktop Computers

Wow, the Suissa is gorgeous. Now I just have to start saving...

As per usual, the greenst computer is that one that you currently have. Buying a new one because it's greener is likely to be pointless.

Really geeky powersaving (and silent-computing) people such as myself, might want to venture into the world of Underclocking and Mobile CPUs. Basically, there's (usually) nothing stopping you from putting a laptop processor in your desktop PC. These little buggers are invariable less powerhungry, and in most cases you can underclock (and undervolt) them to your hearts content.

Laptop harddrives are also a perfectly viable option. They too consume less energy and operate more quietly. These days, their performance is even on par with regular models, so the only downside is the price tag.

Power supplies are another thing to pay attention to. These days there's an "80+" certificate, which guarantees 80% (and more) efficiency most of the time. Older power supplies can often waste about 40% of the energy, BEFORE it actually gets anywhere useful in your computer!

Personally, my PC has an AMD Mobile Barton 2500+ (1830mhz, 1.45v) running at 1500mhz and 1.245v, so it'll use roughly 15% less than it says on the tin. Not to mention all the fans I don't need. A 120gb seagate mobile harddisk, and an efficient (80%+) power supply.

I know Apple has taken a lot of steps towards greening their computers, but the iMac pictured has very limited upgrade options that are quite costly. It may have some recyclable components, but not a very green computer. For better upgradability, you ought to look at the Mac Pro, starts at twice as much $ though. And for low power, the Mac Mini. What's up TH? You just can't resist that sexy iMac, can you? ;)

Bram, have you measured the wattage of your 'puter with a kill-o-watt or similar device? I use a Mac Mini and my wife uses a laptop w/ Via processor. The mini pulls about 25 watts while on (17" LCD monitor:25W?), and the notebook is around 15-20W I think.

EPEAT is not as great as you're making it out to be. It is industry regulated and the companies themselves decide their own score. I would trust the Greenpeace score card more than EPEAT.

When I still had a 19" CRT monitor, this one was 110-130Wh, but now that I've got a nice TFT monitor, it's gone down to half of that :). Including the monitor.

It really bums me out that most manufacturers keep producing hardware that consumes much more power :(. VIA is a very nice exception to this rule, and their processors are certainly good enough for the average desktop computer. Unfortunately, when games are involved, they don't perform all that well.

Actually, what bums me out most, is graphics cards manufacturers. They don't seem to be paying any mind to power consumption whatsoever. If anyone does know of a low-power (but high performance!) graphics card, please do let me know.

It should be noted that with the exception of Apple's Mac Pro system their line is based almost entirely off of mobile parts from GPU to CPU and motherboards. This is mostly for design reasons if I understand correctly but as an added benefit they sip power rather than guzzle it. The primary difference in their deskop systems is that they use full size hard drives for capacity reasons.

Also, it should be noted that, as with Linux, Mac systems can run for many, many years without additional consumption of parts or upgrades because of the OS and how it holds up to the test of time.

A few points:

• The comment that the computer you own is the greenest is undoubtedly true. Ignoring the embodied energy vs. energy savings in a new machine - what do you do with the old one? Not enough recycling going on. Additionally, the process of making the computer isn't a clean one.

• The iMac is not upgradeable, but why would the average user need to upgrade it? There are so many millions of average users that represent a massive amount of low-hanging fruit. Just as business is investing in thin clients and stripped down PCs to run word processors and spreadsheets (and custom software), most people don't need too much processing power to go about their daily information based lives. If you need to add RAM, or an external hard drive, you can. It is basically a laptop without the built in keyboard.

• And yes, business can run on the Mac - I know that there are a few ostriches out there who won't admit this - but it has been proven over and over in the workplace.

• I'd love to see some reference for the scores on the EPEAT site just being reported by manufacturers and not somehow overseen. I thought IEEE was watching.

• You really can run Ubuntu on a P III machine. My 2nd machine dual boots into XP and Ubuntu 7.10. I have an easier time using Ubuntu, but it was a little challenging to install in my situation. I've never done an XP install myself. (and YES, I need to own two machines for windows specific software)

You are right on target. A web driven OS and web driven applications are removing the need for higher power on the desktop. Today's computers seem to be adequate. As more users migrate to the web they begin to realize that everything they need to be productive is there. The largest need is not faster computers but faster and more reliable networks.

I run Ubuntu Linux on the desktop and I have everything I need. I use less power, spend no money on anti-virus and I am not really bothered by spyware/malware. I can have a less powerful and potentially more "green computer" as a result.

You haven't mentioned the Everex line of PCs, they have both laptops and desktops with "Green" PCs in both categories. My parents purchased their $200 gPC from Wal-Mart and it has been meeting their needs wonderfully, while running on FAR less power than their old dying cabbaged together computer could have dreamed of.

Hey guys,

Thanks for showcasing the "greener" computer options out there. It heartening not only to see that businesses are making real attempts to clean up their products, but also that people feel strongly enough about it to purchase these new units.

I work for Dell, who is making huge strides to become the "greenest" tech company in the world. Here's a few of our green options, the Energy Star Inspirons:

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/energystar?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

Thanks!
Todd

I personally have a Dell laptop. It draws anywhere from 25 watts (monitor closed) to 35 watts (processing something w/monitor open). That is pretty good in my book. It also has a 17" monitor on it. That being said, laptops DO NOT meet my needs for a computer. Their hard drives are quite a big bottleneck to the rest of the system.

I personally would like a hybrid desktop, with on-board graphics for everyday use, and an additional separate graphics card that could be powered up when I am playing 3D accelerated games and whatnot. Graphics cards can use hundreds of watts, so using one to shoot images of firefox and your desktop to your monitor is a waste. Luckily, computer manufacturers are quick to respond to market demands, and this type of product is already in the works. Unlike car makers, the computer biz is quick to react and meet demand. You want it, you have it... like yesterday!

A new player in the UK green PC market is VeryPC, they produce a huge range of energy efficient pc's and servers very well suited to all home and business uses. Prices are also quite competitive with the addition the components being more durable.
www.verypc.com

There is an even green PC that beats all of these....Its the greenest PC, lets you run windows or linux and for windows you can install/uninstall apps in seconds. Up to 90% of the unit can be recycled, and up to 99% of the packaging can be recycled. Each device has no moving parts for exceptional hardware reliability. Additionally with solid-state technology, they are nine times more reliable than PCs and low heat output means less power needed for air-conditioning system. Less materials and energy are used in production compared to a PC and its small in size and weight which reduces the cost and energy required for transportation(shipping). No data is stored on the device, so it cannot be lost or stolen and its coming very soon at http://www.agreenpc.com

The "greenest PC is the one you currently own" comment pretty much tells it all really.

But one thing about PC's that use web based apps where they don't need all that power is that it's a bit like an electric car.

With an electric car, you are just promoting more power generation from coal powered stations. This is mainly the case in Australia, as wind and solar are really not available so readily.

With these great, low powered PC's, you've moved the power requirements from your household or office to the datacentre(s) where your actual PC stuff (files, apps, etc) is stored. The more subscribers, the more demand on the servers that run this service.

It's a step forward, but is it the right step?

I think above all, rather than promote the fact that you can go green with your PC too, promote holding on to it for as long as you can. Like when it's suggested to use Linux. I guess not everyone is going to go out and buy these PC's now, but at least the article gives people that are looking at a new PC something to think about before their purchase.

Then again, if someone isn't as proactive as we all are by being here at this site. Then there is buckley's chance of people finding out about these tips and greener PC's.

I'm starting to blab on now. Bed time for me.

Thanks for reading.

I am very interested in Zonbu. It has automatic data backup. Since my 4 year old Windows operating system and hard drive failed on me I am afraid I may have lost my data. I had to switch to using my mac mini (which I LOOOVE). My daughter was playing on a children's website and it almost happened again on my mac mini. I really need a secure computer because I am going to school online - I don't want to lose any data! I think I will definitely try ZONBU.

Thank you for TreeHugger.com and for posting this article!

Per Christopher R.'s comment, and for any other Mac users looking to get more out of their hardware (read: Windows applications), look into VMware Fusion.

Allows Windows apps to be virtualized and run on a Mac, which may eliminate the need to buy that new PC just to make use of a particular Windows app if you already own a Mac.

http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/

Per Christopher R.'s comment, and for any other Mac users looking to get more out of their hardware (read: Windows applications), look into VMware Fusion.

Allows Windows apps to be virtualized and run on a Mac, which may eliminate the need to buy that new PC just to make use of a particular Windows app if you already own a Mac.

http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/

Leo,
No offense but Parallels is a MUCH better product for seamlessly running Windows software on your Mac. I've tested both with our CTO. I work for one of the major IT outsourcing companies. VMWare has a lot of great products and leads in other areas, but when it comes to their Fusion product there are better options.

http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/

SteveC, you have a point that moving power consumption to the cloud is not the same as eliminating it entirely. But one of the points of this post is that we're using these cloud computing services regardless. Right now, my computer is using x watts while the cloud uses y watts for me to look at stuff online, store stuff online, run apps online, and so on. If I can do that with z watts locally used instead, I have reduced overall power consumption because the cloud's power needs haven't changed.

Other goods effects: servers in the cloud have very high power needs, and companies spend a lot to cool them off. As a result, they have much greater incentive than individuals do to minimize power use. Energy=money for them in a big way. This is good the same way electric cars are good even if all the energy replacing gasoline use comes from coal. One, a few centralized facilities can be made to act more efficiently than many decentralized ones, just as a power plant converts fuel to energy more efficiently than a car's engine. And two, it is easier to regulate a few data centers or power plants than to enforce regulations on millions of individual users.

It's nice to see companies are making an effort to bring us more options for green desktops. As seen from a previous post, Dell is one of those companies, contributing with it's eco-friendly Studio Hybrid.

There's also a new company that is introducing an intriguing option. Cherrypal is offering a green personal computer that is small (80% less hardware than a typical PC), efficient (runs on just 2 watts of power), and affordable ($249). It utilizes Cloud Computing, but there is no subscription fee.

Because there are no moving parts, it is expected to last much longer than the typical 3 years, which means less hardware in landfills. That can be significant considering that most PCs are still not recycled.

Their motto is: Green, Fair, and Open. With a motto like that, I think Cherrypal is worth a closer look.

:)
You haven't mentioned the Everex line of PCs, they have both laptops and desktops with "Green" PCs in both categories.

My parents purchased their $200 gPC from Wal-Mart and it has been meeting their needs wonderfully, while running on FAR less power than their old dying cabbaged together computer could have dreamed of.

I for one also believe on the importance of green computing. I thought that having a notebook or laptop is the only way to support green computing. It is good to know that large computer companies are also developing "green desktops". As choices increases there is a bigger chance that a lot of consumers would definitely use a "green computer".This would make the green computing campaign a successful one.