Why Buy Green PC?

It’s Easy Money! You save Energy

A typical desktop computer uses about 65 to 250 watts. Some computers use more.

With most devices you can look at the label to see how much energy they use, but that doesn't work so well with computers because the label gives the theoretical maximum, not the typical amount used. A computer whose label or power supply says 300 watts might only use about 70 watts when it's actually running, and only 100 even in peak times with serious computing and all the drives spinning.

The bottom line is that doing what you can to cut down on the amount of energy your computer uses makes good sense. Not only will you be helping the environment but you'll also be reducing costs where it counts to you.

How to Buy Green Computer?

You can see a list of things that you specifically look for when buying a new PC, to ensure that it saves you Money, Energy and in turn the Environment; thus being a Green PC

• Energy Star
  To wear the Energy Star badge, systems must meet certain consumption requirements when idle and when fully powered on. For instance, their power supplies must be able to convert 80 percent of incoming electricity for use by the PC. To find out which electronic devices and appliances meet current and existing standards, visit www.energystar.gov.
• Size of the Computer
  A laptop consumes fives times less energy than a desktop PC. You can easily find models with powerful feature sets that easily stand up to those Desktop Counterparts. In fact, most laptops include options for dual-core processors, and some find enough space for two video cards in a Scalable Link Interface (SLI) configuration, perfect for those all-night fragging sessions.
  
  The monitor, chances are you'll buy a flat-panel display since most vendors have stopped selling Large Sized CRTs. An LCD uses about one-third the power required to run a CRT. A 19-inch LCD consumes an average of 45 watts, and 100 watts for a 19-inch CRT.
• Operating System
  It's pretty simple to set up the power-saving options in Windows. Power consumption in Windows Vista is more adjustable than in Windows XP. Vista can adjust its performance to fit the task you're working on, boosting processing power when you're watching or editing a video, then lowering it when you're just tapping out a document.
• Computer PSU (Power Supply-Unit)
  An initiative launched by utility companies and energy-efficiency organizations has resulted in real-world energy-saving PSUs. The voluntary certification program, known as the 80 Plus program, aims to make power supplies at least 80 percent energy-efficient. And because these energy-efficient PSUs aren't overindulging on heat-generating energy, they can also eliminate the need for a fan, resulting in a quieter, more-reliable PC. Approximately 100 designs from almost 25 manufacturers now bear the 80 Plus label.
• Processor
  Designers of processors have been working to reduce power draw for years now. The Intel Core 2 Duo desktop processor is up to 40 percent faster and more than 40 percent more energy-efficient than its single-core predecessor. It optimizes power consumption by powering up processor components only when necessary.
  
  Intel claims that its Centrino Duo laptop technology is twice as fast as previous versions, yet consumes 28 percent less power. Also very efficient are Intel's Pentium M and Celeron M processors and AMD's Turion 64 and dual-core Turion 64 X2.
• Graphics Cards
  Video cards remain energy hogs. High-end cards easily exceed 100 watts at full load, and popular dual-card setups for gaming double that wattage. Choosing a graphics card that fits your needs is key. If you don't play advanced 3D games, go with integrated graphics for the lowest power consumption.
• Environmental Assessment
  Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). EPEAT is a system to help evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on their environmental attributes.

  In Europe, RoHS-compliant products intentionally exclude specific hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, and some brominated flame retardants.

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that purchases of EPEAT-registered PCs over the next five years will reduce hazardous waste by more than 4 million pounds (the equivalent of 266 elephants), eliminate more than 1 million pounds (66 of those pachyderms) of nonhazardous waste, and save more than 200,000 megawatt hours of energy—enough to power 2 million homes.

Final Word

You must evaluate a prospective PC's overall energy consumption by finding out how much electricity it draws when idle and at full power. A desktop that uses 4 watts or less when in sleep mode, and 50 watts or less when idle; For laptops, the ideal is 2 watts or less in sleep mode, and 14 to 22 watts (or even less) in idle mode, depending on the graphics configuration.

Go Green! Make Your Computer Environment Friendly

If you are environmentally aware and would like to use your computer in a more efficient manner, you’ve come to the right place. For almost everything you do on the PC, there are ways to save energy and reduce your environmental impact, a.k.a. as reducing your carbon footprint.

Let’s start with a fun one…Search. For most of you, searching usually requires going to Google. However, there exists an eco-friendly alternative known as Blackle.com. One visit to the site and you will understand how black resolution requires less energy than a white one. Another trick you may use is to increase your use of screensavers which convert your white screen to a black curtain.

When it comes to hardware, there are a few changes you can make. For starters, you can replace CRT monitors with LCD technology. LCD technology provides up to 70% power savings and provides up to twice the lifespan of CRT monitors. You may also upgrade your motherboard with a processor that uses less energy.

If your completely lost, don’t worry, there is help. You can always call iYogi for help in “environmentalizing your PC”. We go through a quick step-by-step process in converting your energy consuming PC into an eco-friendly one.