Some power consumption stats on various rigs.

[fallwind]

I did some checking on the farm with my energy monitor and thought I'd post the findings for those interested. I simply measured idle and load power draw at the wall socket. Load is WCG of course! :D All rigs are barebones. Just a board, CPU, RAM, HD and PSU and a single 120mm fan. CPU cooling is water and pumps are driven by a seperate PSU. PSU's are Sparkle 400w, not sure on the efficiency of those but it should be descent.

Rig 1:
Q6600 B3 356x9 3.2GHz 1.32v
Asus P5K Vanilla
2x512MB DDR2
idle: 105w
load: 190w

Rig 2:
Q6600 G0 400x9 3.6GHz 1.41
Gigabyte EP35-DS3L
1x1GB DDR2
idle: 87w
load: 202w

Rig 3:
i7 920 D0 191x21 4GHz 1.18v
Gigabyte EX58-UD3R
3x1GB DDR3
idle: 115w
load: 185-225w **

**I noticed something strange on the i7. The power consumption would vary between 185 and 225w. At first I thought the meter was screwey but coretemp seems to confirm it. At 185w it would run 59c, at 225w it would run 65c. The swings were very slow, gradual and regular. It would run at 185w for a couple minutes, then slowly increase to 225 over the next few minutes and then slowly lower to 185 again, then repeat this cycle. Never seen this before but thought it was interesting. If anyone can offer an explanation I'd love to hear it.

The part that surprised me was the low numbers from the i7. I was expecting higher. It produces twice the points of a Q6600 at 3.2 and consumes roughly the same amount of power.

And on a side note, my entire farms cooling system consumes 130w. That's 3 MCP 655's and one huge @$$ car radiator with dual fans running at 5v. :ROTF:

[emuexport]

Thanks for this fallwind!

So what you are saying is I should swap my Q6600s for i7s to lower my power bill.

hmmmmmm

Wonder if that would help when explaining to the wife?!?! Maybe I should sell the quads first :lol:

[Movieman]

I was just reading that a W5580 Gainestown system running Prime95 was pulling 386w from the wall..:rofl:
My clovers used to pull 420w..

[WhiteFireDragon]

PSU efficiency makes a huge difference. are they all the same exact Sparkle PSU's? i never even heard of sparkle making PSU's, only thought they had GPU's.

[Bail_w]

Thanks for this fallwind!

So what you are saying is I should swap my Q6600s for i7s to lower my power bill.

hmmmmmm

Wonder if that would help when explaining to the wife?!?! Maybe I should sell the quads first :lol:


It wouldn't lower your bill but it will sure increase your output. Also, you need to spent extra money to upgrade your farm though. Since the price of ddr3 rams, i7 920s and LG1336 motherboards drop quite a lot lately, it might wroth the upgrade.

[karl_eller]

Thanks for this fallwind!

So what you are saying is I should swap my Q6600s for i7s to lower my power bill.

hmmmmmm

Wonder if that would help when explaining to the wife?!?! Maybe I should sell the quads first :lol:
If you ditch a couple of quads (send 'em my way :up:) and replace the rest with i7-920's, you'll be up in output while down in power consumption. Sounds like a fairly good deal to me.

Eller

[emuexport]

It wouldn't lower your bill but it will sure increase your output. Also, you need to spent extra money to upgrade your farm though. Since the price of ddr3 rams, i7 920s and LG1336 motherboards drop quite a lot lately, it might wroth the upgrade.
:sofa: I know, I know! Just thinking of ways to get it past the wife! :p:

If you ditch a couple of quads (send 'em my way :up:) and replace the rest with i7-920's, you'll be up in output while down in power consumption. Sounds like a fairly good deal to me.

Eller

If you wanna buy them send me a PM they'll be going on OCAU shortly once I pull my finger out!:up: I'd rather they went to a cruncher but I don't think I'll have the choice!:(

[WindForce]

:sofa: I know, I know! Just thinking of ways to get it past the wife! :p:
(
I guess this is my cue, been a specialist at that for the past 4 years :D
1. you just moved to a new house isn't it? great opportunity to install mediacenters every where you can ( i have 2 of those installed here, am working on getting a third one upstairs :-) ). Don't mention the word computer, but media centers, so "you beautiful thing can enjoy your prefered series"
2. have more kids!! :yepp: Daniel, my 5 y.o, just got a q6600 i just upgraded to a core i7 965, and Libby (she is 1 year + 5 moths old ) got his E8400. Now i'm working on selling that 8400 and upgrade it to another q6600 i have laying around, which will be upgraded as well
3. last idea i got is build a pbx with asterisk (see asterisk.org) and while i'm waiting for some pci cards to arrive, i'm throw into it the last q6600 i have that will be upgraded as well
So in the end, your output will increase, but in my case, the power bill as well:)

[emuexport]

I guess this is my cue, been a specialist at that for the past 4 years :D
1. you just moved to a new house isn't it? great opportunity to install mediacenters every where you can ( i have 2 of those installed here, am working on getting a third one upstairs :-) ). Don't mention the word computer, but media centers, so "you beautiful thing can enjoy your prefered series"
2. have more kids!! :yepp: Daniel, my 5 y.o, just got a q6600 i just upgraded to a core i7 965, and Libby (she is 1 year + 5 moths old ) got his E8400. Now i'm working on selling that 8400 and upgrade it to another q6600 i have laying around, which will be upgraded as well
3. last idea i got is build a pbx with asterisk (see asterisk.org) and while i'm waiting for some pci cards to arrive, i'm throw into it the last q6600 i have that will be upgraded as well
So in the end, your output will increase, but in my case, the power bill as well:)

Excellent advice!:up:

Problem is she is a bit too savvy most days!

The other problem is too many "visible" computers. Here is my list:

i7 920 (new computer cos I needed it!)
X3330 Watercooled monster (old gaming computer)
Server (Q6600)
HTPC (Q6600)
Farm (5x Q6600s)
Older gaming PC (4200+ X2)

I have no kids atm only dogs and I really dont think she'll go for a computer for each dog :D :rofl:

When my parents move back to Oz I will have some computers for them to "use" as I am sure they will need a server and a HTPC! :up: As well as a PC each (old man wants a quad core so I should be able to do one better by then!:cool:)

[Jaco]

Nothing touches a Dual Gainestown in efficiency .

My X5560 at 3115Mhz consumes ~310w running boinc.

that's 50k / day for ~310w :clap:

[Martijn]

Dual Sossaman @ 2Ghz, 1GB, 1HDD: 90W Boinc
T9300 @ 2.5Ghz, FX570M, 4GB, 1HDD: 40W (lid closed, wifi off)
i7 @ sig: 400W boinc, 530W fully loaded

[Tom128]

Might as well toss my numbers on here. Only one cruncher running at the moment. Writing this away from home so I can't go try the idle number but I do know the load numbers.

CPU: Phenom II 955BE 3,300Mhz 1.225v
MOBO: Gigabyte GA MA770T UD3P
RAM: 1x1GB DDR3 1066 (7-7-7 1.5v)
PSU: Antec Earthwatts 500W (overkill but already owned it)
Case Fans: 4x120's, 1x140 (overkill but my CM690 commands it!)
HD: Some old Samsung 20GB
CD: None
Video Card: Some old 4MB PCI card I had on hand

*Load* 149w

I think that's literally all there is in that case. Measured at the wall with my Kill A Watt FWIW.

[xVeinx]

Nothing touches a Dual Gainestown in efficiency .

My X5560 at 3115Mhz consumes ~310w running boinc.

that's 50k / day for ~310w :clap:

The problem is that nothing else touches gainestown in price either ;)

[Jaco]

The problem is that nothing else touches gainestown in price either ;)

That is true . I've been lucky to have the hardware 'fairly' cheap.

[YMAA]

@ OP: What graphics cards are you running in those systems?

[Jaco]

I think he's running those rigs "headless" , without videocards.
And controlled remotely?

[YMAA]

AFAIK most motherboards don't POST properly without a GPU installed, and none of those boards have onboard video...I have yet to own a board that will post without some sort of video card installed. Just curious.

[Particle]

PSU efficiency makes a huge difference. are they all the same exact Sparkle PSU's? i never even heard of sparkle making PSU's, only thought they had GPU's.

Sparkle has been a manufacturer of high quality (yet still relatively inexpensive) power supplies for well over a decade. Sparkle and FSP are closely related.

[fallwind]

This is the power supply I'm using: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=17076 Price has gone up quite a bit, I remember buying them for under $35. Awsome quality PSU for cheap, never had one blow and I have 11 of them running 24/7!

All rigs were measured without a GPU, I monitor them via remote desktop and BOINCview.

YMMA,
Any board will boot without a GPU. Look for a setting in the BIOS called "Halt on". The default setting is usually "all but keyboard". Set this to "no errors" and it will boot without a GPU.

[YMAA]

Cool, didn't know that would pass GPU errors.

[David_L6]

How much heat do the Core i7s put out as compared to Q6700s? I lowered the clocks on one of mine a couple of days ago. I had to do something to help me with cooling the house (electric bill). I really hated to do that but the heat and humidity down here is terrible this time of year (electric bills look like mortgage payments!).

[fallwind]

Heat output would be close to the same per rig. But you 'could' replace 2 Kentsfields with one i7, cutting electric cost and heat output in half whils still maintaining points output.

[David_L6]

Heat output would be close to the same per rig. But you 'could' replace 2 Kentsfields with one i7, cutting electric cost and heat output in half whils still maintaining points output.


Thanks for that info. :up:

I guess I need to get in gear and replace one of those Q6700s with an i7. I can't afford to replace both at the same time and I just can't see taking one offline (if I have it, I'm going to run WCG with it).

[Movieman]

Thanks for that info. :up:

I guess I need to get in gear and replace one of those Q6700s with an i7. I can't afford to replace both at the same time and I just can't see taking one offline (if I have it, I'm going to run WCG with it).

David: Where you live I think everyone understands the situation. If they don't then they haven't been there.
louisiana is the summer is like a constant steam bath, hotter then hell and humid..
If I was in your shoes my friend I'd shut down all but one till the temps drop..

[St3vil_68]

louisiana is the summer is like a constant steam bath, hotter then hell and humid..


I was away from Louisiana for ten years, mainly way up north and I have to say that I didn't realize just hot and humid it is until I got back..and it isn't even 'summer' yet....:eek:

[Otis11]

Haha, yeah, I live south west of Louisiana and it's still somehow not quite as bad. :shrug: