Tips to Reduce PC Energy Consumption

Who says that we can’t save money even in a down economy?Your computer, laptop in your home or in your work can burn lot of Watts every month especially if you aren’t careful about it’s energy use. A desktop when in use can burn 60 - 250 Watts depends of the use. You can do a quick calculation in the web site http://www.eu-energystar.org/en/en_007.shtml  to found how much energy use and how much pay in your electrical bill for your PC. The calculation isn't accurate 100%. If you want to calculate 100% read the previous article How can calculate Pc Energy Use.

Follow the tips you can save money of your electricity bill and help to save the environment.

1. Use Power Management

Windows OS from Vista and after has Power Management that can configure it. When enable power management places your monitor, hard drive in low power after a period of inactivity. To improve the power management efficient you can do the following:

For Windows Vista and Windows 7 
Go Start - > Control Panel and click Click in Power Options

From the left side click Choose when to turn off the display.

Change the settings for: 
Turn off the display to 15 minutes 
Put the computer to sleep in 30 minutes

For Windows 8 or 8.1
Right Click in the Start Button and select Control Panel.

Select Power Options.


From the left side click Choose when to turn off the display.


Change the settings for 
Turn off the display to 15 minutes 
Put the computer to sleep in 30 minutes

 

A typical monitor consume 30-150 Watt when is on but less than 3 Watt while on standby.

Note: These are instructions for Windows. Base on the OS you can find instructions in Help of Operating System.

2. Think when you go to use Screen Saver.

In modern monitors aren’t not necessary to use Screen Savers. Consume more energy and this also reduce your battery life if you have a laptop or notebook.
If you have enable a Screen Saver you can remove from
Start -> Control Panel ->Personalization click on Screen Saver.


Select from the Drop Down list None and click OK.

 

3. Turn down the brightness on your monitor

The brightest monitor use twice power than the dimmest monitors.In the Laptops you can use Fn+ the F buttons that has the up and down arrow of brightness.
For example in my laptop is FN+F2 to reduce the brightness and FN+F3 to increase the brightness.In the desktops you can find the Brightness settings from the buttons on Monitors.

4. Cut the power when possible

Turn off the peripheral like printers, scanners and speakers when not in use. When finish with your computer turn off and the peripheral.One suggestion is to add all the peripheral into one power strip and when finish just click the button to strip off.

5. Not used? Shutdown.

Keep your desktop or laptop days open reduce the performance day by day. If it’s not use it shut down your pc or laptop. It’s very simple.

These 5 tips can help to reduce your power consumption of your pc. I will not tell you how much money or energy can save from these tips but you will. Learn from the artice How can calculate Pc Energy Use  and compare yourself the power consumer with and without  the tips. 

Try it and  Do your comments for any questions or either for the results..