Green Computing - Criteria and Expectations

My philosophy on “Green” computing may or may not be the same as everyone else’s, so I will explain what my expectations and criteria will be. I have an enthusiast background, so some may accuse me of taking an “Enthusiast" point of view with my expectations.

Criteria

My criteria for this project will be to build a PC that will be productive and be able to game at a resolution of 1680 x 1050 with AA and AF and maintain a minimum of 35 FPS. This also needs to be accomplished at a price point of $1000.00 USD or less.

• Processor
• The processor I will choose will be a quad core, have a TDP of less than 80W and must have an L3 cache. With a quad core processor and an L3 cache, multi-threaded applications and games will be handled more efficiently which will decrease the amount of time it takes the processor to store, process and send information. Shorter processing time equals less energy spend.

• Memory
• I haven’t seen memory with a “Green” label as of late but there are modules that are low voltage with low latency. So I will choose low latency low voltage memory.

• Motherboard
• To save money, I could use a motherboard with on-board video but I will not. The motherboard needs to be reliable and efficient with the ability to set C states in the BIOS. A motherboard with on-board video will consume more power that one without, I am choosing to use a discreet graphics card and, even if the onboard video is disabled, it will still pull some power and may even occupy a small amount of system memory.

• Video Card
• The video card has to be passively cooled and run without being connected to a PCI-e cable. This will reduce power consumption and make the video card more efficient. The catch 22 will be finding a video card that fits my criteria and will allow me to game at the resolutions I have set.

• Power Supply
• The power supply will need to be efficient and have enough power to run the system; it will not necessarily need to be high wattage. I will calculate the power draw of the system and choose a power supply that will give me some room to spare.

• DVD/CD ROM
• I’ll be using a generic DVD/CD ROM; these normally do not demand much power if not being used.

• Hard Drive
• I am on the fence, SSD or “Green” HDD? An SSD will run cooler and require less power to use but the cost over a standard hard drive is significantly higher. If I choose an SSD, the system will have less storage capacity. This will ultimately force me use an external drive or another internal drive hard drive for storage.

• Heatsink
• I am going to choose a heatsink that I feel will allow me to passively cool the CPU, something with large fins and multiple heatpipes so cool air can circulate around it.

• Case
• The case has to have great airflow in and out, the air has to circulate and have a limited amount of dead space which will store stagnant hot air. The case will also have a large fan on the side panel to blow air in and around the passively cooled heatsink and video card.

Expectations

What I expect to get out of this build is an energy efficient, quiet and cool running PC, that will have the power I need when gaming or using applications.

By setting my C states in the BIOS, and possibly using software supplied by the motherboard manufacturer, I want the system to consume the least amount of wattage when at idle, or surfing the internet or checking email.

When there is a demand, I will expect the processor to perform efficiently, drawing the extra wattage when needed. CPU manufacturers supply programs that set the affinity of the processor to send power to the core that requires the demand and by utilizing these options, energy consumption should be minimized.

When gaming, I expect to game at acceptable frame rates without having to skimp on the eye candy. I expect smooth play without hang-ups, tearing or shudder. This also needs to be done without generating an excessive amount of heat.

What I expect and what will be fact possibly are two different conclusions. By going “Green” the system will not be as powerful due to the extra cost of energy efficient components. Will the cost equal the energy savings over time and how much time?

In the next article I will cover my thoughts on differences; these differences will be price, performance and efficiency.

If you missed part one of these articles you can read it here.

Remember to check our forums “The Lean Green Gaming Machine” will be given away at the end of this study.