[LINK] Internet and the power grid

[Garry Brennan]

on 13/6/00 3:22 AM, hartr@redhat.com at hartr@redhat.com wrote:


> 
> Is Australia aware of this effect of the information age and what (if
> anything) is happening in planning terms for the generating capacity to
> meet this need (assuming the figures in the US are correct and that
> they are transferable to Australia).
>
The problem is that PCs are using far more power then they should -- the
latest Intel and AMD high speed chips are burning 40 watts and higher, and
that's just ridiculous. The machines with the 1000Mhz chips have got three
fans in them.

Having one of those under your desk is like having a radiator on.

If you had a few hundred of those in an office building you would need twice
the air conditioning.

Virtually no PCs sold today are Energy Star compliant -- maybe some of the
PowerPC machines -- I think some of the Macs use less than 10 watts.

Intel and AMD are using the brute force, transistor count/clock speed
approach to CPU performance and have paid little attention to design
efficiency and its twin sisters, thermal efficiency and power consumption.

r,

gbrennan