Computer Idle Power

ManofGod

This is my computer:
XFX HD4890
XFX HD4870
MSI K9A2 CF Mainboard
GSkill 8GB DDR2 800 Ram
2 x Seagate 1TB 7200.12 Drives
2 x 500 GB Harddrives
2 X DVD Optical drives
Phenom II 945 3.0Ghz 95 Watt Processor
Corsair H50 Cooler
Thermaltake 750 Watt Powersupply
2 case fans.

So, the idle power draw at the wall is 248 Watts. (No cool and quiet enabled and using a Kill a Watt at the wall.) Most of the power draw is from both video cards and I do not always leave my computer on. The curious thing I am wondering is this:

Would I save a significant amount on my electric bill if I were to switch to one HD5870 which idles at 27 Watts. According to what I find online, my cards probably idle at 60 to 70 Watts each. More specifically, would the cost of the new card be offset by the reduction in electrical costs?

iggy8n

ManofGod

iggy8n

It could be that the power company is changing your rate. They have a page of fees and refunds for some very weird reasons. If you are a senior, you can fill out a special
rate request and get a discounted rate if you stay under a fixed number of kilowatts. If you have any disabilities, or a pet poodle, etc.
You can email them and ask for a more detailed invoice. They can average your monthly bill to keep the price more predictable. Since you have a Kill A Watt, you can find the power hog.
Your fridge compressor may need cleaning. It's good to give it a vacuum and a look for leaks occasionally. There are lots of mechanical devices in there that wear - like rubber belts and bearings.

Here's a place to get the price of the cost of the Vizio TV. http://reviews.cnet.com/green-tech/tv-consumption-chart/

ManofGod

Perhaps a good cleaning will take care of it. The fridge I have is about 18 years old or so and it is a westinghouse.

ManofGod

iggy8n

ManofGod

Cool, thank you for all the good advice. I will definitely need to look at the fridge and the floor lamp to see what is going on. I rent, which I do not mind, but that means I cannot make any changes to the place. However, the landlord I have is cool and it helps that I have lived in the same place for about 11.5 years. Perhaps the meter is bad but I guess there is only one way to find out.

Cngevpxhaqrefpber

Cngevpxhaqrefpber

Cngevpxhaqrefpber

iggy8n

Cngevpxhaqrefpber

iggy8n

I know it's all out there. I don't think a battery backup system would be that useful. The batteries need a house to live in - it would provide shelter for rats. The batteries would have to be marine deep-discharge types. If they were lead-acid, they require monitoring the water levels and cleaning, along with tight cable connections. They would give off hydrogen gas as they charged up. A spark in the cabling could cause an explosion. The sulphuric acid is very corrosive to clothes and finally, the batteries are expensive and only hold a full charge for about 5 years. Then, you're buying another batch of batteries. I'd prefer to turn the meter backwards and when the sun isn't out use the grid the regular way. It would be quite a hassle to just be able to maintain the power for the short interval when grid power is lost.
Maybe when electric car Lithium-ion batteries start appearing in the junk yards there could be something to use. But, those batteries also have a fixed number of recharges. The warranty for the Lion batts is 140 Kmiles. They stop recharging around that time. We were driving my neighbor's Prius after we took her to the airport and all the flashing dashboard lights came on saying "pull over and call the dealer." It had 137 Kmiles. We were able to drive it back to her house. When she got home, she took it to the dealer and had it replaced without cost. (or without charge) It would have been around $4K if it had happened 3 Kmiles later. It's very predictable and very precarious. She had paid extra for the longer warranty. You gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.

genoski

iggy8n

Yeah, I think that's the real issue. PG&E can charge what they say it costs them. There are lots of charges that are added to everyone's bill for things like recycling the aluminum last year. How do I know what aluminum they were recycling. There are so many of these unknown charges, that I just ignore the whole list and pay it. I know from friends who do have solar panels that they are charged retail when they get the juice and are paid wholesale when they are putting power back into the grid. It turns out to be almost double the price. So, having batteries would be a good investment if you could keep them charged up and have them last long enough to get some value out of them.
Oh yeah, one other thing. The price of your power varies depending on some strange formula that includes a multiplier based on the highest amount of current drawn in any 15 minute period during the whole month. So, if you have a breakdown of your supermarket refrigeration system, you have to follow a very slow start-up process so as to not exceed the 15 minute period that has happened this month. The repairmen know this and sometimes have to leave a whole frozen food cooler off the power until tomorrow and just let the food spoil because it'll only benefit PG&E if you turn everything on at once. My repairman friend also has worked at a sawmill. It was the same thing about firing up a 1500 Kw sawing system. It would consist of various electric saws, electric motors for moving the logs thru the saw and other such appliances. The start-up process was very important to keep the whole month's bill where it usually ends up.

genoski

iggy8n

Wow! You must be heating your house using electrically heated water. Is that size bill normal for you? I used to use more electricity when I had the ham radio (transmitting a kilowatt) for a few hours per day. But still, I never have paid more than $100 per month with a big freezer, regular size fridge, 2 computers, a dishwasher, electric clothes dryer, and the kitchen appliances like waffle maker, pancake grill, carrot juicer, etc. What do you do to pay 10x my electric bill? It can't be the video consoles.

Cngevpxhaqrefpber

genoski

iggy8n

What happens if they get cold?

genoski

iggy8n

Why not, I guess. The 10 cars I have are certainly a security blanket for me. They do rust and get eaten by critters who nest in them. I open them up and let the cat hang out around them a few times a year. He gets one or two. The others just vamoose. Survival is difficult every where.