PC + energie bill = suicide ?

[ic3m4n2005]

Hello everybody, i`ve got a little question for you. IÃ:banana:m currently on watercooling and maybe want to go pc. My current rig is a venice with around 2750 Mhz @ 1,58 volt and a 6800 GT (not oced yet, but will be in future). Problem is it`s running 24/7 with approx. 4-6 hours of gaming/working a day, rest idle/downloading. So how much power would a phase cooling eat up ? CPU will be clocked higher then, too. Let`s think about 3 ghz@ 1,65 volts or something around that. So i need some more or less definite answers, because my father will kill me if the energie bill explodes :)

[saratoga]

What size compressor? If you go for a 1 HP or some other stupidly large one, you'll be hurting. With a more reasonable 1/5 HP, I measured 100w actual consumption at the wall.

Regarding CPU, I'd guess you'll gain a few watts, but not too much, at least compared to the compressor. Most of the gain from higher clock speed is canceled out by saving from running the core at lower temperature (power drops with temperature).

What I'd do though is get a second box for downloading. Running a phase change system 24/7 just to download files is a huge waste of power, no matter how effcient your system is. You don't need a 3GHz system to run BT. I've got an old P3 system for downloading. Its tucked away in my utility room and I control it from work/home by RDP. Works great, plus it uses 1/5 the power of my main machine since its just a 15w CPU, and some hard disks. That way I can turn off my main machine at night without stopping my downloads. Best of both worlds :)

[chilly1]

The 700 btu compressors I use are a forth generation high effeciency compressor and draw max load 1.45 amps at 110V AC. A compressor of this size is the best choice for power /cooling

[wdrzal]

The 700 btu compressors I use are a forth generation high effeciency compressor and draw max load 1.45 amps at 110V AC. A compressor of this size is the best choice for power /cooling

Chilly1 You will have to put energy star lables on your systems ;)

[bachus_anonym]

One of Chilly1's single-stage units (my "402 XTREME") consumes about 300-320W under full LOAD, Prime95...

I have no idea what compressor is there but I remember Reggie saying 1/3hp :shrug:

[chilly1]

Backus. You Unit has a compressor with a COP of .75 it is a little larger displacment then the Hi E ones I also offer. Both have very simmilar load temperatures, yours may be a few degrees colder but not a lot.

[ic3m4n2005]

300 Watts for the cooling only ?? Or did i get it wrong ? I'am thinking of getting a mach2 or something in that range. I thought of building a second rig for downloading, but i have already 3 comps in this room :)

[Jeff]

My Chilly1 mod'd Mach1 drew 300w-325w when running 24/7 while under load. I have a picture around here somewhere of the watt meter...

[chilly1]

My Chilly1 mod'd Mach1 drew 300w-325w when running 24/7 while under load. I have a picture around here somewhere of the watt meter...
YA they do that is why I have been looking for a better effeciency model.. All my new units will load the same as the modded mach 1 with less power consumption. I use the 700 btu 4th gen compressor in them,, well at least for the 110 v models I only have standard 220v 50 hz compressors.

[bachus_anonym]

300 Watts for the cooling only ?? Or did i get it wrong ? I'am thinking of getting a mach2 or something in that range. I thought of building a second rig for downloading, but i have already 3 comps in this room :)
@chilly1,

Thanks for clarifying that to a "phase change-build-up" noob like me :lol: :toast:

@ic3m4n2005

Yes, it's cooler by itself... system @ IDLE runs cooler at 290W, @ full LOAD 300-320W. Add average, OCed system to it and you're probably looking at around 600-700W with a monitor ON all that time.
I'm personally fine with that as I was expecting higher power consumption :lol: I haven't been running this system straight 24hr/ day... I just turn it off for the night, so it is about 16hrs/ day.

[ic3m4n2005]

Damn, 600-700W is way to much. It nearly doubles my consumption and my parents WILL notice it on the energie bill :D

@chilly1:
How much will one of ur new units consume which u r talking of ? (hope i did not overread something :) )

[sai]

320watts that's crazy, I rember a Vapo LS being test with a maximum load of 275watt or am I wrong here ? :slapass:

[gkiing]

320watts that's crazy, I rember a Vapo LS being test with a maximum load of 275watt or am I wrong here ? :slapass:

You're thinking of load on the evaporator. They're talking about power consumption of the compressor.

[sai]

Load was 200watt, power consumption 275watt

[bachus_anonym]

@sai,

If it's 275W or 325W, makes literally no difference at all. Even if one runs phase change cooler 18h/day, everyday for a month, 50W is not even $3 (by US electricity prices, which are not that low either).
Power consumption really varies... E.g. even the very moment I type, when I look at the meter - SD 3700+ running P95 @ 3300Mhz, 1.78vcore, -39.5C on evap and I get 300-303W...
After all, nobody ever said that you get 400Mhz for free :D There's a price for it besides cooler's cost itself ;)

[ic3m4n2005]

So anyone else with some numbers for me ? What about e.g. mach 1 or mach 2, do they have simmilar power consumptions ? Like bachus said, 50 (or 100 watt) doesn`t make such a big difference, even for me. But 300 Watt would be way to much for me so that i must abandon my phase change dreams :)

[wdrzal]

300 watts is the same as leaving on 3 ,100 watt light bulbs, in a normal home thats would not even be noticed,my power bill can fluctuate as much as 20 to 30 dollars from one month to the next, depending on your rate,300 watts is only a few bucks a month, I think everyone is blowing this power bill thig out of porportion.

[ic3m4n2005]

In my case its 400 € per year ...for these 3 bulbs :)

[geoal]

just buy a Pentium 3 Pc for the downloading and whatever Phase change you like.

[ic3m4n2005]

hmm that seems so be the only possible way for me. Apart from that i'am interested in how much the units consume.