I have started selling items from my closed-down Internet Cafe Business after deciding on venturing on something new. Clearly, I no longer need the devices that I used to have in running my business, and selling them is the best option.
The remaining part of the process is trimming down the other resources left for me to use personally. I decided to downgrade some of the utilities that I have, like going for a slower internet connection so I can still enjoy internet connectivity at a lower cost since I will no longer need the speed and I don’t have the capacity to pay for my current service.
I also decided to power down my PC servers (PC-based router and File Server) that seem to be inefficient power users for my present situation. I was thinking of repurposing several of these computers but then I need to find out how much power they draw out and how much will it cost me to have them around.
I built one of the servers to be my Home Theater PC (HTPC). I am one big movie addict and collecting digital copies of my favorite movies is a dream come true. I enjoy watching and browsing up to 130 movies of different genre and quality at the comforts of my own home. But then I came to realize how much it would cost me to run this machine everyday. I tried down clocking my HTPC just to make sure it uses less power every time I turn it on.
I initially browsed the internet to find out how to measure the power usage of my PC and most of them would normally suggest you to purchase a certain device to get accurate results. Yet, I did get one software-based power measuring tool – Joulemeter by Microsoft. Though it gave me results, for some reason, I was not satisfied with the the data output.
Due to my endless search for a solution to conserve power, I finally bought a power meter tester from one of the hardware stores near my place and started with the measuring then and there.
I found out that my Desktop PC (Intel Core I3) is running at roughly 60 Р70 watts (LCD Monitor power not included) with the power saving features turned along with the current power saving technology. That would cost me about Php 0.50 per hour. My HTPC (AMD based) on the other hand, runs at 90 – 100 watts. It is because it still runs under the previous technology and I have no further control or tweak that I can do to lessen the use of power for some of its parts compared to my Desktop PC.
Honestly, I was surprised to see that my HTPC is running at low power compared to what I have computed using assumptions and some tools to determine the nearest data. But again, watching movies for several hours with 100 watts of power is not a good idea. So I have to let go of my HTPC and find alternative solutions for my movie collection.
Using a Network Media Tank (NMT) was my solution and I found one that will suffice. Though I have to shed out some amount to purchase this device, I believe I will save more money with this cost effective device. Imagine 24 watts of power is way better to enjoy digital technology without worrying how much you’d pay for in a month’s electricity bill. It is a long-term power and cost savings at work.
