Green Computing – Myth or Reality?

Over the last couple of years - since the economy tanked – more and more consumers are jumping on the “Green” bandwagon, a bandwagon that at times makes me want to vomit. Why? Due to the lengths taken to accomplish the task. I know some people who purchase bottled water and all they drink is bottled water because Florida has been in a drought for the last five years. Ok fine, but they purchase water that is bottled in Florida, so doesn’t that mean they are still contributing? Doesn’t it also contribute to the increase of plastic products in landfills? So what is “Green” about bottled water?

We also have the “GreenWise” food buyers, no additives or preservatives, more healthy, less chance of causing cancer and all at a premium price, which certainly doesn’t help anyone’s budget. These are usually the people you see with the polyester shopping bags that cost $2.00 USD because they are reusable. Problem is that they get soiled after a few uses so it’s off to get another few and throw away the soiled ones, adding more plastic products to the landfills.

Lately we have also seen more building materials with the “Green” label on them; people are having “Green” houses built. Built at a premium and often can cost up to $100,000 dollars more than a similar house built in the normal fashion. Most people finance their homes for thirty years and usually sell within fifteen to seventeen years. Are they conserving over $100,000 dollars of energy in that period of time to justify the difference in the cost? Has anyone really calculated this in real life to see, or do we just believe what the “Green” builders tell us. Odds are the price doesn’t warrant the savings, there is interest involved.

I will say that there are some inexpensive “Green” upgrades that do pay back, for instance, I added new insulation to the attic two years ago all recycled, treated paper. Within 6 months I saved enough energy to cover the cost of the new insulation. So yes, in certain cases, “Going Green” can pay off.

Is “Green” Computing possible?

When I think of computing “Green,” the first things that come to mind are “will I take a hit in performance and how much more will it cost me to build a computer using “Green” products. Then I take into consideration what I will be using the computer for; Gaming, Video Editing, Photo Editing or Work Station. I do it all on my home computer so I look for performance but can you get performance out of a “Green” computer?

Over the next few weeks Hi Tech Legion will be building and testing a “Green” Computer, the criteria for the build will be to compare and contrast differences in wattage used on a daily basis, performance while using common applications and ultimately gaming performance. This system will have to be able to play “Enthusiast” level games at acceptable frame rates (35FPS) at a resolution of 1680 X 1050, while using minimal Anitaliasing and Ansitropic Filtering.

Head to Head

What will be examined?

• Price of  “Green” components VS  standard components
• Total amount of energy consumed by each system
• Head to Head performance testing
• Analysis of overall savings (energy) “Does the cost pay for itself” over what amount of time.
• Overall Thoughts and more

We all want to save money, some want the savings up front and some like to save over time. When building anything “Green,” the savings will most likely come over time rather than up front so you should expect to pay more to save in the long run.

Most people use their computers (average home) for about 32 months before purchasing a newer model, so will there be enough energy saved over that course of time to justify “Green” computing? This is what Hi Tech Legion will evaluate and through our statistical research, the question will be answered.

In collaboration with the Computer Ed Radio Show (who will also be building and testing their own) Hi Tech Legion will be interviewing some major manufacturers who market “Green” components. These interviews will be aired live on the Computer Ed Radio Show with Computer Ed conducting the interviews. Computer Ed will also be contributing editorials in conjunction with Hi Tech Legion, to relay his findings and points of view.

Once all research has been completed and revealed, Hi Tech Legion will be giving away the “Green” computer built for this study. The computer will be dubbed “The Lean Green Gaming Machine”

See our forums for further details on how to win “The Lean Green Gaming Machine"

Part Two "Green Computing - Criteria and Expectations"